I am an avid election watcher but this has been particularly fascinating and the outcome could be very close.
If Obama wins, whatever your polictics, it will be an incredible achievement and more momentous in it's way than say Margaret Thatcher becoming the first ever woman prime-minister of the UK.
If McCain wins, it will be an astonishing feat for a Republican to win when the incumbant is so unpopular and at a time of economic crisis. There is probably no other candidate who could have stood a chance for the Republicans at this time.
Should be fascinating watching it all unfold in the next 24 hours or so.
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McCain is to the left of the republicans and not so well liked by many of the evangelicals which is one good reason to support him. Obama is relatively inexperienced but his election would show just how fast the US can adapt and embrace change, better perhaps than any other nation.
Will be fascinating to see who wins and if the Democrats can deliver the victory the polls suggest or if voters will say one thing to pollsters and vote another way when in private.
The access to the campaign via the internet makes it so much more interesting for me.
Fair enough.
So yes pretty interested.
Bing, with greatest respect, McCain is not articulate, he fumbles through interviews and speeches, making George W look like Shakespeare. Just one example:
He's perennially confused! He doesn't know the price of petrol nor how many houses he owns. The Vets don't even support him, and he could very well lose his home state. The wheels have come off the "straight talk express", well and truly.
Here's a good collection of articles from around the web on the McClain/Palin trainwreck (some are bumpf, but there are some good researched opinion pieces.
I think, dispite the gaffs, McCain has at least got reasonably close given the economic down turn and the unpopularity of the Bush White House
I watched a clip of McCain on SNL the other night and he seemed to be able to string a sentence together. I accept that's a little different than being tested by the political journos on policy issues.
Palin on the other hand is just ghastly in a hockey mom kind of way. I saw a few clips of interviews she gave and she was hopeless.
Anyway Lookie, I bow to your knowledge and to the fact that you are much closer to the issues than perhaps we are over here.
I think there are some in the media that think we are the 51st state. The fact is that we are not, I wish they'd give some balance and show more of the politics in other countries.
Where we are subjected to so much coverage within our own media is beyond me.
"But he's going to be the most powerful man in the world" So what? So were the other 43 if you like and they didn't have any effect on me.
Special Newsnights and Question Times from the USA! Eff off Uncle Sam!!
Agree with Stig that the amount of coverage is excessive especially when compared to an election in France or Germany but the US does have a disproportionate affect on what happens to the rest of the world. Only need to look at the credit crunch to see that.
I take no notice of the polls, personally believe McCain will win, in fact I want to him, as I would vote Republican myself if I lived there.
I believe a lot of people are going to vote for him just because he is black, seen & heard people on TV and radio state thats the only reason they are voting for him, very dangerous, not a mention of his stance on different policys, just the fact that he is black, and thats good enough for them....madness.
Its going to be interesting to say the least, I wonder what proportion of Americans are going to vote for McCain just because he is white. Makes for an interesting voting mix and what I think will be a closer than expected result.
I agree.
I'm sure that a lot will do just that, but I think that the bigger danger is that lots of white people with racist tendencies will deliberately vote against him on grounds of skin colour. The Bradley effect is well documented in the USA, as far as I'm aware there's no recognised trend of this ever happening in reverse.
I think the best outcome would be if Obama were to be elected and then do a good job, white people may learn that there's nothing to fear in electing a black person and black people would learn that the odds aren't stacked against them and that they can vote for any candidate on the basis of ability not colour. That may be a utopian dream though.
Deffo agree there. In fact, one thing I'd say about Obama is he must either be very brave or very stupid to put himself in that position. I wouldn't.
That'll be the one.
I wonder if they give the UK as much TV time as we do them
Dont get me wrong, I admire him as a person, he seems a decent chap (for a politician), maybe he has strength of conviction, I wouldn't put myself or family through it either to be honest.
Regardless - i've been kind of following it through watching the excellent Daily Show with Jon Stewart and looking at snippets on the BBC website.
More than anything I like laughing at the Americans and their reasons for voting for either candidate - I find it hilarious. Havent got a clue on either of their policies though.
Anyone see the Metro this morning with the advert of Obama as a white guy and McCain as a black guy? Very clever.
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'I'm voting for Obama as he is one of us' i have heard this refrain countless times from black voters on tv, without a hint of irony. If a white person said 'I'm voting for McCain cos he's one of us', they would be a racist redneck, what's the difference here?
The difference is that there is a real difference in the power balance between black and white people in the USA. If there was a level playing field, voting for Obama on race grounds would be equally wrong. But there isn't a level playing field.
best thing i have seen was a video by a Vetran taking Obama to task over some comment about Iraq war. He says about the loss of Americam service men etc etc speaks very well. when he finishes he turns round and walks away but the camera dosnt move. He is a good few yards away before you realise he only has one leg and the replaced by a metal prostetic (sic).
Working with a good few yanks i asked em who they thought would win and where they using there postal vote. The two white yanks said Obama and they werent voting, the two "mexican" yanks said McCain and they were voting.
I dont think Obama has used the "race" card at all, but the media have a thousand times. other day was a classic on our TV. The statement was " the most important thing to hit USA since Rosa Parks refused to move her seats" ------------------ why because Obama happens to be a black man !
Who was / is Obama`s number two ? anyone seen or herd from this guy ? yet less than 24 hours after Palin was nominated there was spoof pics of her all over the media. Obama says "we need change " then nominates a 70 yo Democratic vetran !
I think mcCain has done well. 8 years of a very unpoplular government, the Iraq war, the bush factor, the credit crunch, and the media --- he still is in with a shout-------------- should really be a land slide.
When its all died down and Obama has been around for 7/8 years how will the great unwashed and those super funny media comics saterise(sic) him ? will they protest by carrying Obama puppets hanging on strings as they did Bush !!! or wear Obama masks ! or do scetches "the presidents brain is missing" o dear o dear that should be very very intresting ---------- The Great Unwashed Vs The PC mafia ----------------------- nice.
The World changes and as said we live in intresting times.
I think he's been very shrewd to avoid it. As soon as he did, sections of that same media would (quite rightly) be on him liuke a ton of bricks saying that he wasn't representing everyone.
People being more concerned with Brand and Ross than the outcome of the US election??? Give me strength, no wonder the country is going to the dogs...