oti0sus

With the US election less than a week away, I thought I'd squeeze in another post about politics. This might be a rather rambling and disjointed post but I'd like to make some observations about what I've seen during the Bush administration. Before I continue, I should say that I consider myself neither liberal or conservative, and the last time I voted, if I remember correctly, I cast a ballot for a bunchofuckingoofs.I can't vote in US elections, but if I could, I'd vote for Kerry if he had any chance at gaining a plurality in the state where I voted. Otherwise I'd go for a third party candidate. They need all the help they can get.

In any case, I can see the positive side to a second term for Bush. I have no direct stake in America's future so watching him wreck a great nation would be entertaining. Certainly more so than watching Kerry's cautious attempts to put things right. More seriously, a second Bush term would strengthen the left by uniting it and focussing its energy on an easy target. A Kerry presidency would divide the left. Whoever wins, I think it's safe to say that in America, the vitriol will continue. Internationally, in his honeymoon, Kerry might enjoy a bonanza of support and gestures of reconciliation from all quarters. With Bush, no.

I'll add some further observations here about the campaign, the last four years, and the next four years.

debate - I don't watch TV so when I saw the debates via the net, both candidates were pretty new to me. I was surprised at how badly Bush was beaten. I could imagine the queasy feeling in the stomachs of his supporters turning at points to nausea. I also saw Bush making jokes and I understood his attractive side. I could understand how many say that Bush is able to work a room. But I think the debates were the decisive factor in swinging the election. Compared to Kerry, Bush was pitiful. He was completely out of his element. I was reminded of the feeling I had when I watched a dishevelled Saddam paraded before the cameras for a medical exam.


fiasco - After the Florida fiasco of 2000, I thought that the nation's legislators would put their heads together and institute reforms that would insure the soundness of future elections. Well, the future is here and if they did, I missed it. Florida's lesson was that tallying votes is not necessary when you have the right people in the right places. Numbers here are not important. Aside from Florida, there are other lessons from Bush's presidency that politicians and power brokers will take to heart: War armours an incumbent against criticism. Debate and unscripted exposure to the public should be avoided whenever possible. A final dark lesson, something that all Latin Americans should know already, is the power of violence and how effective a little can be in furthering a political agenda. This is a lesson that I think will become much more familiar in the near future.