Sorry, my last word, I promise, on American politics, well, until next week, anyway! I am reminded of the title to that old 1930s book by Christopher Isherwood, I Am a Camera, because today I feel as though 'I am a thermometer'. A few months ago I remember feeling all hot and excited by 'My Darling Sarah' - no, not like that, er, well, not exactly like that - what I mean is that at long last there was the sound of a genuine libertarian (note small 'l'!) voice. She fell away and in the interim there was the mother and father of family fights within the Republican party which left it battered and bruised. As my temperature dropped and my interest wained, Romney plodded to eventual victory and I suppose, in retrospect, that rather stands to his credit not least because he survived more or less intact - unlike his opponents. Then we had what I call 'the phoney war', an eye-stabbingly tedious sort of 'handbags at dawn' affair between Obama and Romney in which Romney was hurt and Obama demeaned himself. My temperature dropped to near zero! But now, with the appointment of Paul Ryan, the whole character of the campaign has changed radically. At last we have a battle of ideas.
At the risk of repeating myself, although I confess to quite liking my words of wisdom - sorry, did you say something? - the American electorate are now faced with a stark choice and there is no hiding place. They know, without any shadow of a doubt, exactly where Obama and the Democrat party are headed. It is not an ignoble idea but like all such it is the practice that turns it malevolent. They can see across the Atlantic the results of governments spending and borrowing and spending yet more and then borrowing again. That ends in one of two ways, either a new government comes in and slams on the brakes, or, the country goes bankrupt and at that point, the real nasties in the Democrat woodwork will come out with 'final solutions' the like of which only exist in your worst nightmares.
But now, the American people can choose a different route. They have a candidate very experienced in running big business and in running a State government. Yes, he's made mistakes - who hasn't? - but he's obviously intelligent enough to have learned from them. Running with him, he has a young man with a well-honed political and economic ideology. He has proved in the past to be adaptable enough to seek support from the sensible wing of the Democrat party in order to get results rather than waste time posturing. He has great oratorical skills and will explain to people in terms they will recognise his alternative vision for a sound America based on sound money which will allow, once again, the space for American ingenuity to flourish. I very much doubt if either of them know much, or anything, about foreign policy but if that keeps them from needlessly interfering then so much the better. Anyway, it is not foreign policy that is America's problem, it's the economy, stupid! Now where I have I heard that before?
Pedant's corner:
Isherwood's novel is called "Goodbye to Berlin". It is the 1950s stage play based on the novel that is called "I am a camera": it takes its title from the first line of the novel.
Posted by: Whyaxye | Sunday, 12 August 2012 at 13:42
Oh God, I expect you only just beat DM to that one. So it'll be the usual hundred lines, I suppose!
Posted by: David Duff | Sunday, 12 August 2012 at 15:34
Overall David, this is one of those times where I too 'quite like your words of wisdom' (no, no check necessary - this time) you do have the distance to see with some clarity.
One, ever so slight quibbling, "...he has a young man with a well-honed political and economic ideology..."
I'd change that "ideology" to either, "savvy" or in the hillbilly, "smarts."
Posted by: JK | Sunday, 12 August 2012 at 15:45
As dear Oscar, such a naughty boy, said, 'It is our common language that divides us', or, it might have been, 'What are you doing tonight, Sweetie?'
Posted by: David Duff | Sunday, 12 August 2012 at 16:14
On second thought - do you have my current address on file?
No, don't change the brown envelope, same credit union.
Posted by: JK | Sunday, 12 August 2012 at 16:45
Oscar wrote the very best children's stories, along with the funniest ghost story ever.
Some of his other stuff wasn't bad either.
Posted by: Andra | Tuesday, 14 August 2012 at 00:06