A rchive Date
[ 23-05-2005 ]
Category
[ International Relations ]
sub-Categoy
[ U.S ]
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[America's black political comedy
The rest of the world revels in the superpower's electoral mess
By MATTHEW FISHER - Sun Columnist at Large
November 17, 2000
CHICAGO - The scene was repeated all along the endless corridors of O'Hare Airport when I passed through the world's busiest passenger terminal this week.
Travellers with a moment to spare before boarding their flights stood before banks of televisions, straining to hear the latest twist from Florida's presidential vote count.
Although those who travel by jet tend to be fairly affluent and affluent Americans tend to be Republicans, the folks thrown together briefly at this great crossroads when I passed through on a flight from Texas to Canada were not at all partisan. Rather, unlike George Bush and Al Gore and their armies of aides, lawyers and shills, the travellers seemed to be trying very hard not to let their minds be clouded by any political colours.
Americans are famously self-confident, gregarious and eager to offer their opinions. But the crowd at O'Hare was subdued and pensive. Stunned and helpless are other words that come to mind.
Mostly, the travellers shook their heads and quietly took their bitter medicine. When they spoke to each other it was usually only to ask what they had missed or to state rather than ask: "How did we get into such a mess?"
Having bounced through four countries in the past few days, I can report that foreigners are deriving immense pleasure from this black American comedy and the extreme discomfort it has caused the only superpower. Upholders of democracy such as Fidel Castro and Robert Mugabe have poked fun at the U.S. China and Russia have been silent, but they must be enjoying the debacle too.
And why shouldn't they?
After campaigns that cost up to (US)$3 billion, the races for the presidency and for control of the House of Representatives and the Senate have all ended up such a dog's breakfast that at least two years of political gridlock seems inevitable. This matters terribly to the rest of us because, based on recent history, clear, decisive global leadership is required at least once every few months.
Instead of considering overtures from North Korea, pushing for lower oil prices, or thinking up ways out of the madness in the Middle East, mighty Old Glory has been obsessed with the sexual antics of a White House intern and the president and is now obsessed with a U.S. electoral college that is blatantly undemocratic, outdated and unreliable. The way that ballots for the presidency were designed and counted has been shaped by thousands of local peculiarities and biased interpretations of those peculiarities.
The American justice system has been exposed as outrageously politicized and capricious - at least in the lower courts. Even at its highest levels, the American media has demonstrated colossal arrogance and incompetence, yet there have been no abject apologies and few explanations. The show just goes on and on.
THE RIGHT STUFF
Most chastening of all, neither Bush nor Gore has yet shown that he possesses the Right Stuff. Each has gloated far too readily when he was ahead and has whined or disappeared from public view when his luck turned bad.
Many absurd quirks of America's Ruritanian electoral system have already been revealed. Another enormous surprise could be in store if the stalemate continues much longer.
On the plane to Chicago a breezy accountant from Dallas informed me that if there is no winner by Inauguration Day, which falls on Jan. 20, Bill Clinton would be succeeded on an interim basis by the senior Republican in the Senate. That would be the redoubtable Strom Thurmond of South Carolina.
Thurmond came to the Senate as an unabashed segregationist when he was 50 years old. That was 48 years ago!
Still, as my travelling companion said, Thurmond, who can barely walk and is hard of hearing, but still has a keen eye for the ladies, has recanted his views on segregation.
Considering the alternatives, the senior senator might not be such a bad choice.
Matthew can be e-mailed at 74511.357@CompuServe.com or visit his home page
 World Fact Book (CIA)]
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