Sunday, November 05, 2006

Would you vote Democrat?

While most people are tucking into their toffee-apples this Guy Fawkes Night, there's only a few who would care to think of the American mid-term elections. But, I suspect, you're among them.

I also suspect that you're inclined to want to see a change of control in the Senate (would the President even notice?). Quite so, but what we from the outside surely hope for is a real change of policy. And would that happen with someone like Harold Ford Jr? OK, so he has to sound rightwing
-- but is this really a standard-bearer for the downtrodden?

Democracy is too often a judgement that will be better than the other one. And in the case of Tennessee, that's so true. But it's hardly reassuring.

1 comment:

Tristan said...

I am really glad the LibDems exist in the UK, a party whose central ideology I fully agree with (even if I disagree with some conclusions ;) ).

In the US I'd be stuck. There are some Republicans I'd have no trouble voting for, but there's not many and they're tainted by the leadership...

The Democrats are in a similar position, and they have far too many socialist and collectivist leanings... (and people like Ted Kennedy and Nancy Pelosi... the latter used to keep the 'favour' books for her corrupt father...)

My other half I'd generally call a liberal (although she does have some less liberal views) tends to vote Libertarian unless the other candidates impress or she takes a particular dislike to one of the candidates.
She's voted Republican, Democrat, Independent and Libertarian on the same ballot before (the ballots run into several pages, this time round she's been able to vote for her Federal House Representative, Federal Senator, State Treasurer, Secretary of State, Sheriff (who runs on a party ticket, which is interesting), school board and on whether to recall the judges (they're appointed but can be recalled).

We may complain about their federal government (and many americans do likewise) but that is democracy and localism in action. Pity the federal government is always grabbing power...