American Politics: Why Do I Care?

[Chukwuma]

Hillary is losing, and the thought fills me with grief.

By Hillary, I of course mean Hillary Rodham Clinton, currently attempting to wrest the Democratic Presidential Nomination from Barack Obama – and by grief I of course mean a profound feeling of sadness spreading across my heart like an oil spill.

Why do I care? Why do I listen to the podcasts, read the blogs, follow each tiny turn of the American political process as if my life depended on it, as if it were something of deep, enduring consequence?

It is apparently not an interest in politics “in general”. Although I live in Britain, I pay only occasional interest to the goings on at Whitehall. I was born and raised in Nigeria but now even the names of the major players on that country's political playing field escape me. I remain unmoved by UK parliamentary elections but found myself roused to fury by George Bush's victory over Gore in 2000 and moved almost to tears by John Kerry's loss in 2004.

Why do these events, so far away, in this foreign land affect me so?

First of all there is a very real sense in which these elections really are significant. No other nation wields power like the US. No other country is capable of projecting (even imperfectly) its military might over such long distances and for such prolonged periods of time. It is in all our interests that these decisions are made by competent people, by people who will by moved by more than merely factional or partisan interests. It is in all our interests to pay close attention.

How can we not pay attention when the process itself is so exciting, so full of florid characters, Mephistophelean alliances and plot twists. There is always a new scandal around the corner, a new sound bite to obsess over. A politician caught in an unguarded moment saying or doing something ill-advised will suddenly find his remarks or actions preserved for all eternity on Youtube. Peripheral players pop up endlessly, Jeremiah Wrights, Geraldine Ferraros, Samantha Powers - they lend colour to the proceedings and then fade into the background as they are discarded and others take their place.

And always there are reminders that there are really Big Issues at stake. The candidates, the duelling parties, often have radically different world-views, often stand on different sides of the cultural fault lines that criss-cross the nation. More than in any other established democracy, American Politics is concerned with issues: abortion, gay marriage, immigration, religion, the environment, race. Even if these issues are not always explicitly part of the debate the argument goes on in the background: What does it mean to be human? What as a people should we strive to preserve? What ought we to do now that we find the barbarian hordes gathering outside our walls?

Finally, let us also not forget that it is these people who will, Hollywood informs us, save us in our planet's darkest hour. On that inevitable day when the sky is darkened by a fleet of alien warships or by a continent-destroying meteor, it is to the American President that the rest of us shall turn to for salvation.

(And so my grief is justified: for I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt that regardless of her other failings, Hillary would be excellent at staring down aliens).

[Daniel Grosvenor]

I, too, am in a similar boat - as are many of my friends. I support Obama, I understand what he stands for, and if I lived in the US, I would vote for him. Not that there's anything wrong with that - but it's strange how I *only* feel that passion for US politics; I would love to vote in the UK elections, but I just can't conjur up the passion because none of the parties feel worthy of my vote.

What gives??

[Rosemarie Short]

I'm British, but also feel drawn to the Presidential elections. I wonder vaguely whether a new President will mean that all of the war and conflict in the Middle East will end, and pray that both the American and British troops will finally be able to come home safely. I also agree that Hilary Clinton is the ideal candidate for controlling an alien invasion :)
Rosie

[Armida]

Yes, these U.S. elections are significant, but the folks are jaded for the most part. They are barely meeting their survival needs--so in debt--that there is no way they can self-actualize to know the sense of true freedom, liberty, justice, and the pursuit of happiness. As for Hilary, her machinery has failed her; and President Clinton should have remained a statesman and an outsider to her campaign. These are my humble opinions. All things being equal, I would have liked her as my prez.