Italiansxs, Timothy S,
You’ve got me wrong on this. I am a capitalist and at one stage of my career spent five years working on Wall Street. Economically I would be closer to McCain than Obama. Actually, the tax policies of Obama would be detrimental to my country (Ireland) and much better for the US economy. Read Obama’s proposals for the tax treatment of multinationals; you will see that he is very far from being a Marxist, which was ludicrously suggested above. Both McCain and Obama have assembled economic teams that may differ in the details of their plans, but each has its own approaches to managing the current crisis. So forget the economics hype, neither candidate has an advantage on that issue.
Excepting Palin, I could deal with a McCain presidency. He has made an admirable stand against torture and is likely to do something about that blot/stain on America called Guantanamo. He has been supportive of Ireland. Most importantly he is not and never has been in awe of George Bush. What most Americans fail to realise is the extent of damage and harm done to the image of and respect for your country by Bush and his advisors. McCain already has respect far above anything Bush ever had.
Unfortunately for the Republicans, McCain is too old, he looks even older due to ill-health and regrettably – for his supporters - he has picked a political version of Paris Hilton as a running mate. She already has set her sights elsewhere!
Obama will probably win because this election is about CHANGE. It is a help that he is outspending McCain ‘s advertising program by a big margin. The Americans I have kept in touch with all want change – they are sick of the present incumbent. The electorate is changing as it grows, its profile is changing as more blacks register, Obama is an opportunity to create more change and to show that leadership is not a job limited to members of a WASP country club reserved for those born into privilege or a skin tone. However, not all are ready to accept that amount of change.
Obama is the son of an immigrant, the son of a black Kenyan man and a white country girl from Kansas; he is the grandson of a war veteran and his grandmother came from a small village in Ireland. Thus he is the embodiment of the typically disjointed American tradition. He is a living symbol that these separate backgrounds, cultures and contradictions might possibly be reconciled. His election would help finally lay the ghost of slavery and bring America to the next level of social progress.
That is why I hope he will win; however, the divisions have become so clear that the result of this election – either way – will be very divisive and will further polarise the American population. The next one will be the one to watch!
K
PS Nial - glad to see that you maintain your Irishness! How's that Rosson shooting?
PPS
Bag since Nov.1: 1 fox, 1 woodcock, 10 pheasant, 1 mallard.
