In a way the USA has won the world hegemony some politicians like to talk about - it seems not only Americans, but the whole world is going to vote on November 4th. Hardly anything else, apart from the recent military action in Caucasus and the financial crisis, receives as much attention in the mass media, as the presidential race between McCaine and Obama. The Big Day is nearing, but who gets the prize is still not clear.
What is clear is that those, who think that there will be a big difference if one or the other candidate wins, are wrong. At least not before the first signs of resurrection of American economy appear – until then the new President, either a democrat or a republican, will be busy with anti-crisis measures, which, by the way, look quite similar in proposals of both candidates. Another question is whether the economically irresponsible policy of the republicans lead to the credit crunch or it was inevitable due to objective economic laws. That is one of the questions American will have to answer on November 4th.
Campaigns of Obama and McCaine, which have been in the spotlight since their beginning, are surprisingly different. McCaine has been the ultimate leader of the republicans in this elections right from the start, whereas democrats lacked unanimity on the question of who will run for presidency – Obama or Clinton? Obama's victory in this nomination meant that some of Hilary's supporters could choose to vote for McCain instead of electing Obama. That lowered the chances of the democrats' leader and McCain became the favorite in the race. But then something happened, that helped him out. It may have been be the economic slump, but that is not likely to be the case, as obvious signs of recession were to see much earlier. It was something else – in August candidates made an important choice of their running mates.
In the US the running mates of the candidates for presidency play a great role. They should iron out difficulties, fill up gaps in biographies of the main nominees and appeal to undecided voters. Obama has made a perfect selection – Joe Biden is an experienced politician, especially in foreign relations, and a well-known opponent of Bush's policy in Iraq who proposed an alternative plan of action in that region. McCain has placed his stake on Sara Palin, hoping to get the voices of Clinton's electorate. That could be logical, as they both are women, but the problem is that there is a big difference between a clever woman and a former model continuing her career on the political scene. With Mrs. Palin republicans' campaign turned from a well-directed ad into a low-budget comedy for the average hungry-for-show-and-buzzwords Americans (forget about the expensive hairstyles and clothes of Ms. Palin, which McCain promised to sell on charity action after the election). Ms. Palin may look attractive, but that does not mean that her cute smile can save her from saying sheer nonsense during the debates. Unable to say anything adequate without a teleprompter, s he is not likely to be the person America wants to see as its Vice-President.
The chances of the candidates themselves are not that clear. On the one hand, McCain has a brilliant background of military service and political experience. On the other hand, Obama means change (McCaine also proposes change, but it would surely be not as radical as a change from republicans to democrats). Moreover, Obama is an Afro-American, which means that he may well find huge support among the non-white population. Whether whites – forgive me for naming things what they are – are going to vote for Obama or not – is a test to the whole cherished system of political correctness and racial equality created in the US. That will basically show how colorblind America really is. A few months ago I would say no, they are not. But things change and today, after the 3 debates between the candidates and their running mates, I would not be so sure. The difference between the campaigns that was mentioned earlier is all about the style the candidates follow. McCain tries to be close to the people: uses populist rhetoric, language of low-classes and chooses Ms. Palin. Obama obviously appeals to the better educated people – at least his speeches are well-written and do not cause nausea among those who sometimes exercise thinking. In this case, his skin color may play a much smaller role. Which strategy wins will show November 4th. But lets be sincere – McCain as a president is easier for the rest of the world – except of Iraq, of course. At least, Russia’s relations with republican administrations have historically developed better – their political realism has helped much. But if Americans elect McCaine, they will simply demonstrate the rest of the world, how low their level of political (and not only political) culture is. To understand that, one has to once see any of Ms. Palin’s appearances. McCain ruined his campaign with his own – or Sara’s – hands. Now there is a chance for Obama.
