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By Terry Orr
In the next
24 hours – “We the People” will elect our next President of the United
States of America, one third of our Senators and all 435 House of
Representatives, many State Governors and their respective elected officials.
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Our friends
across the Atlantic recently wrote an interesting article about our upcoming
election from their perspective – always nice to view the elephant from a
different perspective. “The outcome of this
battle is not only important to America but also to the rest of the world”. By DR NIGEL BOWLES
The polls can barely separate the pair, who both stand
at around 47 per cent – with many still undecided.
Given the turbulent times we live in, both financially
and in terms of international politics — with Iran and Israel rattling sabres,
and North Africa increasingly unstable — the outcome is not only hugely
important to America but also to the rest of the world.
Despite the rise of China and the rapid growth of other
nations, such as India and Brazil, the U.S. remains the dominant player on the
global stage. It is still a military colossus and the engine room of the global
economy, with its capacity for innovation and wealth creation undimmed.
For Britain, American presidential elections are
particularly significant, given the unique ties between our countries. The U.S.,
for instance, invests far more in Britain than Europe does.
Recently, Mitt Romney was singing the praises of
Margaret Thatcher in one of his stump speeches, while world politics in the
previous decade was dominated by the bond formed between George W. Bush and
Tony Blair during their fight against terrorism.
Given its global importance, what is extraordinary
about the presidential election is its complexity, both in the process itself
and in the impact of the result.
Because of the federal structure of American politics,
this is far from a straightforward contest.
The winner is not decided by a clear majority of the
overall national vote, but by individual victories in the 50 states (plus the
District of Columbia) that make up America. In truth, it is not one
presidential race but 51 — and the result will be decided by a few swing
states.
Moreover, having gained office, the President is
severely constrained by other political institutions, including Congress and
the state legislatures.
The whole system of governance, dating back to the
Declaration of Independence in 1776, had the ‘separation of powers’ at its
heart, based on the idea that the Executive, namely the Presidency, should not
be able to control the legislature or Congress.
This separation of powers, though, can lead to deadlock
and obstructionism in Washington, weakening the scope of the President to
provide the leadership the world so badly needs.
These limitations on the Presidency are sometimes
forgotten in the drama of the race itself, when candidates make grandiose
claims about their ability to transform America’s fortunes.
Few recent elections have been more dramatic than this
one, partly because the race is so close and partly because there are many
fewer undecided voters than previously.
The sense of a nation divided that has gripped this
election is felt throughout American politics, which accounts for the
increasingly bitter tone of campaigning.
In the past, it was not always easy to gauge voters’
party allegiances from their background or region or even political outlook.
But now, as politics of identity and region have become
much stronger, the south and the centre have become overwhelmingly Republican.
The eastern and western seaboards are largely Democratic.
Evangelical Christians are more likely to vote
Republican, while urban voters are more likely to back the Democrats.
Most disturbing of all, in the land that was meant to
be the great melting-pot, is the growing racial divide. Integration is giving
way to division.
African-Americans now vote overwhelmingly for the
Democrats, while the white population increasingly supports the Republicans.
In fact, while such a split might help Romney this
time, in the long term it spells disaster for the Republican Party, since the
effects of mass immigration and higher ethnic minority birth rates mean that
the make-up of the American population, like the British one, is changing
rapidly.
So whoever wins on November 6 is going to face a monumental
challenge. For all the rhetoric about ‘change’ in this campaign, the reality of
division in the population and the partisan deadlock in Washington means that
his task could not be more daunting.
Read more:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2222109/US-Presidential-Election-2012-The-outcome-important-America-rest-world.html#ixzz2B5IddJ6D
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I believe DR Nigel Bowels has
captured the essence of the election fairly well.
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Diane and I hope that all
American citizens will exercise their right to vote and let their voice be
heard. By all predictions - this election will be very close!
