Well done Chaps!

 

I am not now, nor have I ever been an American - which I'm sure comforts the late Senator McCarthy slightly as he gazes up at the many Lazarus's he black listed from his particular spot in the Big Burny Fire!  I refuse to respect even slightly any politico who was delusional enough to think Larry Adler was a threat to National Security - I mean he plays the harmonica and did the theme to "Genevieve" which starred Kenneth More, he can't be a Commie!  But I have visited the USA (well, that bit of it called California - aka the Land of the Free and the Home of the Crazed!) and have enjoyed friendly relations with many Americans.  Thus I follow with a slightly curious eye the oddities of American politics.  Once upon a time in my youth I studied the American political system (Higher Modern Studies @ Beath High in 1984) and never did quite get the hang of the US electoral system of college votes and what the boundaries between Congress (the House of Representatives) and Senate were in practice.  Honestly, the House of Lords was quite logical in comparison.  Mind you, the French system was utterly incomprehensible compared with the American!!

I have to say I am glad they have elected that nice Irishman Mr Barry O'Bama again.  Firstly, his Christian name is not one which makes you think of an Oven Glove.  This is very useful when meeting Prince Phillip.  As a lot of American Presidents do.  Also, he is not a member of a funny sect.  Like the Church of England.  OK, he's not Episcopalian like FDR, Teddy Roosevelt and most of the good-ish Presidents, but that could always be arranged.  He also knows that bombing foreign places really isn't a good idea unless it's totally unavoidable and even then, use planes without pilots and let the British aim them.  We tend not to shoot people on the same side as ourselves.  He is also nice to poor people, sick people, Gay and Lesbian people and even idiots who elect Republican Governors in New Jersey when they get flooded.  So he is "a good thing".  He is also not rude to us when we are busy organising the Olympics and can do without hassle when we're trying to finesse Her Maj's 1st free fall parachute jump with James Bond.  NB Don't try this in future Mr Romney - Lord Voldemort is now in charge of the Secret Service and he may not be as nice as Dame Judi (who is a National Treasure like Alan Bennett)!

As they say over there - God Bless America.  And thanks for not picking a nutter as Chief Executive.  And don't worry - we're being very sensible and picking an Old Etonian as ++ABC.  No silly stuff will ensue (we hope).  I mean Macmillan and Alec Douglas-Home were good PM's and they went to Eton.  So did Eden but he invaded Egypt without asking you lot and that wasn't very sensible.  2 out of 3 ain't bad!

Gawd help America!

The US Republican Presidential candidate selection process is rather fun (!) - at any rate to an ex-political-hack such as myself.   http://uk.news.yahoo.com/u-republicans-romney-gingrich-vie-south-carolina-win-000020425.html To lift a quote from the article: "Some Florida voters were delighted by Gingrich's rise.  "We are for Gingrich all the way," said Ada Rodriguez, 75, a real estate broker. "Obama is a socialist. He is the same as Castro," referring to Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, the enemy of many in Florida's Cuban exile community."

If dear Ada (doubtless, an awfy nice wee auld wifie and all that) really thinks that the current occupant of yon place on Pennsylvania Ave. which the Royal Marines burnt in 1812 is a Commie, then she's a) never read Marx b) or Dorothy Day of the Catholic Worker movement c) has no idea what Fidel Castro has actually done (both good and bad) and d) would doubtless see David Cameron as some sort of mad pinko.  In short, many of the most quotable in both politics (and indeed religion) are basically theoretically illiterate in the particular field on which they pronounce.  Trouble is, they can vote for and create an outcome that messes up the lives of billions who can't really act against their dafter ideas.  That said, you really can't ban the incurably biased or stupid from having a vote.  That would be undemocratic. And a bad thing.

let's just hope the US electors (historically capable of picking great presidents like FDR or Teddy Roosevelt and utter disgraces like Warren Harding) can go for someone sensible from whatever party they as a majority favour.  Bampots with nukes are a seriously bad idea.