The Time To Vote Approaches

A great moment is approaching. Having become a citizen in January, I am finally eligible to vote. On Thursday, there will be a General Election.

I remember my first-ever vote in 1984. I listened carefully to the candidates, as I sought out their positions on the issues that were important to me. I made my choice, and my candidate suffered one of the greatest defeats in the history of American Presidential elections.

These days, it seems that the only way to make a choice is to decide what one likes the least. There aren't really any policies - despite each party telling us that they are the party for change - it is all spin. Matthew Parris wrote about this in the Times yesterday:

"Change is the last thing the British people want. They want things to carry on as they are. They are losing confidence in their politics to arrange it. That’s why they’re angry. Do you imagine change is what the Greek mob want? No, it’s change they fear.

We are in the same condition as the benighted Greeks, but not so far down the primrose path: dimly aware of the truth, scared of the truth, angry with the truth, and howling for the head of any politician who threatens to admit the truth.

The truth is simple: we’re living beyond our means. The change — if change were what we were really prepared to embrace — is simple: we will have to live within our means."
The Times 1.5.10

As he says, hard times are coming. Whoever gets the poisoned chalice will try their best, and make a lot of people very angry. So how am I supposed to choose? Thanks to the recent adoption of American-style debates, presentation and performance have suddenly become career-changing elements for our party leaders. So do I go for the guy who sweated the least? The one who had the nicest tie? Do I eliminate the one who stood there with his hand in his pocket?

I'll get back to you :-)

view from across the pond

this is a perspective from peter brookes, as published in the times newspaper today. he is pretty brutal in his assessment of both obama and h.r.clinton. i'm not sure which way to go with this yet ... i think the state of new york will miss this junior senator ... but i certainly prefer her to condi rice. people say the darndest things when campaigning for political office - now it is no longer a competition, i see no reason why the two of them cannot work together for the good of this country. puddings, proofs and eating come to mind ...

the final furlong

these last few days before the election are becoming terribly tense. does it really look like a victory for obama? can the republicans make a dramatic comeback in such a short time? what if mccain's heart stops beating? what if some aryan nut assassinates obama? for the first time, people i know well are going to be out there stumping for their candidate this weekend. meanwhile, i present another gem from the london times' cartoonist peter brooke. whether one agrees or not, i still think it is a fine cartoon.

ps re 'all mouth and no trousers', see here. o i do love that phrase :-)

from peter brookes, a british political cartoonist

it is often strange to be an american with a european upbringing living in the usa , or maybe it just makes it easier to hate myself. seeing the way the current political situation is portrayed is both depressing and amusing. o well, at least this inspired me to look up some robert burns poetry:

O wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as ithers see us!
It wad frae mony a blunder free us,
An' foolish notion:
What airs in dress an' gait wad lea'e us,
An' ev'n devotion!

the end of to a louse.

a british view of the democratic primaries

another peter brookes cartoon
this is what we look like to people who used to like us? o dear o dear o dear.

peter brookes' view of the u.s. democratic primaries

peter brookes is a much-decorated cartoonist currently featured in the times newpaper in the uk. he is probably my favourite cartoonist at the moment. i'm a bit annoyed about hillary's middle-aged hips, but after the debates tonight i think this frame is pretty accurate.

egg-chasing and prime ministers

as the whole of england (except those who couldn't give a toss about rugby) prepares for the world cup final tomorrow night, here's another great peter brookes cartoon commenting on gordon brown the pm. btw, he is pictured as standing in the exact pose that johnny wilkinson, england's kicker and inspiration, takes before taking a penalty or attempting a conversion.

peter brookes on the floods in england

if you'd like to see more of his work, click here.