A Nation of Scarecrows

Thank you America, for providing an endless source of news that the rest of the world is powerless to avoid, able only to look on in fascinated horror. Do Americans realize that their politics have the power to dominate foreign broadcasts? And yet the inverse isn't even remotely true. Prob'ly a good thing. Americans would crack up if they saw a House of Lords debate. So anyway, I broke my habitual rule of avoidance of the television, and particularly the news, tonight because, well, I couldn't think of anything better to do. And I was treated to a rundown of the Democratic and Republican presidential campaign strategies. And I shall now have some pretty good nightmares tonight. Well done McCain for denying Obama is an Arab, and proclaiming him a decent family man who you simply don't agree with. Though I did note you left off the Christian bit of that appraisal. At least it's a start. But dear God, it might be too late. Interviewed next on the BBC was a Republican supporter who claimed he 'wouldn't vote for Obama. The man is friends with terrorists.' To which he was asked, point blank, by the reporter, 'Do you really believe that?' 'Absolutely.'

*cough* What?! How? Have people never heard of fact checking? Or, more to the point, have Republicans never heard of fact checking? Though I s'pose I should pause there to question if staunch Democrats are so blinkered. Am I that blinkered? Am I staunch? What is staunch? Do I mistake my pre-ordained, liberal views for an open-mindedness I don't really possess? Are Republicans positively mystified by my acceptance of Obama and absolute terror of Palin? I'm really intrigued to find this out. Surely not though. Surely not.

I mean, I at least have a brain.