US Politics - Obama vs McCain: The lull before the next lull.

US Politics / Chicken Dinner / 12 June 2008 / 1 Comments

The phoney war continues as the battle to become the next US President nearly reaches tepid point.

As races go, this particular US general election is starting more like the Hands on a Hard Body contest than a Formula One Grand Prix. (Hands on a Hard Body involves standing next to a brand new pick up truck with one hand on it. Last person to take their hand off, usually after several days, wins the vehicle.)

Both candidates are cagy, cautious and acutely aware that there's a lot of time left to fill. This isn't about roaring into the first turn like a lunatic, this is about conservation: of energy, of funds, of outrageous promises, of dirty tricks. And like the hard body marathons, the US election is not a particularly thrilling spectator event right now. Apart from the odd skirmish, both candidates are taking a breather before the long night's work ahead. But credit to them, they've still found something to squabble about over the last seven days.

In the mind-numbing surroundings of the "Today" show, America's most-watched breakfast bland-a-thon, McCain let off a round dangerously near his own foot. On the subject of whether he had managed to refine his estimate of when American troops might be able to leave Iraq (in January his best guess was "a hundred years"), he said "No, but that's not too important." McCain's point was that American troops were still in countries like German and Korea, so withdrawal itself was not the issue, but Democrats pounced on his comment as evidence of confusion and heartlessness. John Kerry called him "unbelievably out of touch with the needs and concerns of most Americans," as coincidentally, he was himself exactly four years ago.

Just as neither candidate feels much inclined to articulate exactly how they propose to untangle America from Iraq, neither has the stomach to spell out what they'll do to stamp out another major cause of anguish - the obscene salaries of CEOs who run companies that squander their shareholders' wealth and vandalise the economy. The subject occupied fewer column inches than events on Neptune during the years of plenty, but now that the American economy is wobbling like an amateur potter's first attempt at a vase, the indignation is intensifying. So the Republicans were pleasantly surprised to see that Obama had chosen Washington insider James A Johnson to lead the search for his running mate. Johnson is a former CEO of mortgage company Fannie Mae, of whom the Washington Post wrote "In a 2006 civil enforcement action, the Securities and Exchange Commission called the company's 1998 accounting "fraudulent" and said numbers were "intentionally manipulated to trigger management bonuses." As Obama has positioned himself as the squeakiest, cleanest new broom ever to sweep the floor of American politics, this was a bit like tipping a pile of fresh dung on a bit he'd just swept.

John McCain nipped in to take advantage with a very un-Republican speech "For too long, government has been the voice of big business, not small business,'' he intoned, although as he'll be rattling the tin for corporate money hard in the next few weeks, this is an avenue of righteousness he is unlikely to explore. Not least because his manifesto also includes plans for tax cuts that the New York Times claims will benefit the wealthy and corporations most of all. This, said Mr Obama, made it as if Mr McCain were running for "George Bush's third term." Meow! Mr McCain zinged back that Obama seemed to be running for "Jimmy Carter's second term", Carter's first not being one of America's more glorious economic episodes. Back in the knife drawer, Miss Sharp!

The question still lingers over both candidates as to whether they really have any bright ideas about what to do to restore some vigour to America's dog of an economy, or if they are both equally clueless. As with every other issue, they are keeping it to themselves for now. This lack of activity is reflected in Betfair's current next president market. You can get Obama at [1.62], McCain at [2.94] - barely a flicker of change since last week.

Comments (1)

1. Hailemariam Getahun Mehretu | 30 August 2008

   We advise the American people, supporters of both parties, neutrals, black and white, old and young, women and men- all to consider seriously while casting their ballots that they are either bringing their country to its old glory or to more misery by voting to Obama or McCain. We have been following the whole proceedings of the campaigns and speeches of the two candidates earnestly. We were shocked to hear McCain say that he will drag the war in Iraq even for hundreds of years to come. This is enough to know that he has no clue that the world is slipping out of the hands of this great nation due to failed foreign and may be domestic policies, even though we know little about its domestic policies and what is happening in the country itself as we know well what is happening the world over as a result of its act - of - smallness while the nation and the people are great. The war in Iraq, what good has it brought to the American people and to the Iraqis? In my culture, we say, "She who tries to steal what is put high on a rack loses what she has secured under her arm pit". Let alone human beings, even animals wild or pet love those who love them and become aggressive against those who attack them.

   Now is the time for Americans either to heal or to kill their country. If they want to heal the sore, clean the bad smears greased on the face of their great country, they have to elect the visionary young democrat, and if they want to see a loser country, let them cast their votes for losers.