The hopes of billions around the world are at stake in tomorrow's US presidential electionsIf there's one thing that can be predicted about the American elections, here it is. If Barack Obama wins there will be times he'll disappoint you. There will be talks of wasted chances and the widespread belief that the GREAT HOPE OF 2008 was betrayed. Obama the sell-out and Obama the let-down. You'll think that he watered down his policies and that the difference with the Republicans is no more than paper thin.
Whichever your opinion, there is so much at stake in tomorrow's US presidential elections that it's impossible to "not care" or proclaim that it'll make no difference.
Just imagine for a second that the upset of the century takes place and John McCain wins against all expectations and opinion polls. In just one big swipe, eight years of Bush administration will be vindicated and nobody will have a leg to stand on as they whinge. Suddenly, "what are you on about, you loser? How can Bush and McCain be wrong if they won three elections in a row", will sound like a fair comeback. The notion that you can carpet bomb and invade a country against the will of the international community will receive its democratic seal of approval, meaning that even a disaster of epic proportions like the Iraq carnage wasn't enough to sway public opinion.
But it's not all. The political philosophy behind the biggest financial scam in sixty years -simplistically marketed to the masses as 'the credit crunch', as if it was some sort of natural tsunami beyond our control- will be validated. A government that sanctioned mass debt, more bankruptcies and repossessions than during the Great Depression will be, at worst, excused and, at best, actively supported. It'll mean official approval that ice melting and global warming exist only in the imagination of Al Gore and the most stoned of tree huggers.
And also, would you honestly have no problems with a world where the outcome of the most important election is determined by someone's skin colour rather than policies and beliefs? Left and right analysts, in fact, agree that the main reason the current opinion polls aren’t to be trusted is Obama's skin colour. Had he been white, goes the common belief, the Republicans and McCain would have stood no chance. There are enough people to affect the election result who may refuse to cast their ballot for the Democratic candidate purely on the basis that his skin hue isn't white enough.
On the converse, remember that tomorrow we'll be this close from waking up to a world where all the Blairs, Aznars and Berlusconis (i.e. the little men who based their political careers on licking George W Bush's arse), are sanctioned as the official losers. Imagine you wake up to a world where Sarah Palin, her $150,000 makeover and her god-created-the-earth-in-six-days fairy tale remain locked in the limbo of irrelevant bollocks. A world where the President of the only superpower voted against the Iraq war since its inception. A world where the US government will view access to a doctor when you're sick as a right and not a privilege. A world where the President of the United States knows what it feels like to be part of a minority.
For all that, and much more (we don’t want to bore you), please Barack Obama, win. One day, we may even be grateful.
And also, would you honestly have no problems with a world where the outcome of the most important election is determined by someone's skin colour rather than policies and beliefs? Left and right analysts, in fact, agree that the main reason the current opinion polls aren’t to be trusted is Obama's skin colour. Had he been white, goes the common belief, the Republicans and McCain would have stood no chance. There are enough people to affect the election result who may refuse to cast their ballot for the Democratic candidate purely on the basis that his skin hue isn't white enough.
On the converse, remember that tomorrow we'll be this close from waking up to a world where all the Blairs, Aznars and Berlusconis (i.e. the little men who based their political careers on licking George W Bush's arse), are sanctioned as the official losers. Imagine you wake up to a world where Sarah Palin, her $150,000 makeover and her god-created-the-earth-in-six-days fairy tale remain locked in the limbo of irrelevant bollocks. A world where the President of the only superpower voted against the Iraq war since its inception. A world where the US government will view access to a doctor when you're sick as a right and not a privilege. A world where the President of the United States knows what it feels like to be part of a minority.
For all that, and much more (we don’t want to bore you), please Barack Obama, win. One day, we may even be grateful.
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