The Red and Blue Corners

Although it is still a full year away, I’m going to stick my SNP tactical voting neck on the line here and say that the 2008 US Presidential election, the second most important cuatro-annual global event behind the Soccer World Cup, will be contested between…………


Barack Obama (with the perennial bridesmaid John Edwards as his running mate)


Vs


Mike Huckabee (with “we don’t do water-boarding” John McCain as his running mate)



Most of the headlines and chat in America has seemed to surround Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani but these headlines are generally there to give them a kicking and the supposed ‘top two’ are already struggling to keep their early momentum going. Even recent newcomer Mitt Romney’s shining star is fading to dust.


Mike Huckabee is still something of an unknown. So much so that I don’t even know if I have his Christian name correct. But from the few debates I managed to catch while visiting America, he came over as a dyed in the wool Christian who ticked all of the boxes that religious America would want to see ticked. Abortion laws, same sex marriages, church-goer, small government. Yes, they were all there in abundance. Add to this that he has the un-Bush like ability to conduct debates intelligently and with eloquence and you have a very attractive candidate. In time, the Mormon* Romney and the deeply unsettling Giuliani will step or be swept aside and I think Huckabee will end up winning the nomination at a bit of a cantor.

Incidentally, I tuned into a New England radio station’s Politics Show (hosted by the immensely talented conservative “Stephen Colbert”). This 4 hour epic was discussing a recent CNN Republican debate and Huckabee was viewed as the clear winner then. Plus his recent poll figures have increased dramatically. America is just getting to know this guy but so far they like what they see.


And then there’s Obama, the great black hope for the Democrats who is seemingly and somewhat bizarrely not so popular with the “black community”. If you’ve seen this guy being interviewed on a one-to-one basis you may share my view that he is the type of politician who we want to see running things at the very top. He is affable, energetic, intelligent, ambitious and not lacking integrity. Despite early mockings that his positive campaigning tactics showed naivety he is now overtaking the mighty Hilary for top spot in the polls. Ultimately, to coin that famous phrase, Barack Obama may well be the change we want to see in the world. Not that Americans are great at taking a suifficiently global 'world view' unfortunately.

To add to Obama’s chances, we have the juggernaut of Oprah Winfrey and her resources backing him. I don’t think I fully comprehend what a difference this may make. People seem to idolise this woman with a resolute devotion that gives the Bible-belt Christians a run for their money.

Another thing that I want to say about Obama is that he seems to run everywhere. To get onstage at debates/tv interviews, through the streets when meeting people. Maybe it’s a PR stunt to show he’s in a man in a hurry but the guy just seems to exude enthusiasm and energy at every turn.

Despite Hilary’s consistently high showing in the polls what will ultimately be her undoing is the joint ticket of Obama and Edwards. Whoever is able to convince the other to be his running mate will surely pick up almost all of the other’s supporters and money and that, as they say, will be the ball game. Of course, the prospect of a Bush or a Clinton running America for a quarter of a century isn’t going to help Hilary’s case either so it’s definitely an Edwards/Obama showdown for me.

And Obama has the vision, the momentum, the new kind on the block appeal and he has the instant likeability factor about him.


Who wins out of Huckabee and Obama?


I haven’t the faintest idea but it’s going to be an absolute humdinger of an election.






* Note: That Mitt Romney is a Mormon doesn't make the blindest bit of difference to me. Unfortunately for Mitt, the votes he is trying to attract come from a shorter sighted strata who struggle to see beyond the limits of their own faith. This was my reason for mentioning his religion.