Scotland weighs in . . . "US election campaign divorced from reality"

[OneBlueSky]

yet another foreign commentary on the absurdity of the US election . . . this one's from Scotland . . .

US election campaign divorced from reality
Scotland on Sunday
September 19, 2004

http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1099852004

THE American presidential election campaign of 2004 is taking place in a parallel universe. President George Bush’s Iraq adventure is unravelling by the day and the security situation on the ground is becoming desperate; but he has a healthy lead in the polls and, though the campaign still has a long way to run, must be regarded as being on course for re-election.

The war on terrorism is in danger of being lost and the national finances are drowning in a sea of red ink; yet the campaign has been dominated, so far, by Senator John Kerry’s record in Vietnam over 30 years ago and how Bush behaved in the Alabama National Guard, also over three decades ago. For a forward-looking country, this is a very backward-looking election.

Despite periodic nastiness from both sides, it is also surprisingly sedate, given the immensity of the issues at stake, thanks partly to a domestic media which treats both candidates with kid gloves. Instead of incumbent and challenger being grilled mercilessly by robust inquisitors, both criss-cross the country hermetically sealed from all but the party faithful, unquestioned by journalists (who seemed more interested last week in Hurricane Ivan than the election) or even, perish the thought, voters.

This disconnection between the harsh realities facing America at home and abroad and the surreal nature of the campaign is playing into President Bush’s hands. Senator Kerry’s inability to strike a chord with the concerns of ordinary voters condemns him to remain locked in the campaign’s parallel universe, which is to Bush’s advantage, because an outbreak of reality would undermine his case for re-election; indeed by constantly harping on about his Vietnam record Kerry has only added to the unreality and let the incumbent off the hook. Kerry now thinks it was a mistake to make so much of Vietnam at the Democrats’ Boston convention; but what compelling theme will take its place remains a mystery.

- more . . .

http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1099852004

and on a side note, check out the poll . . . Kerry is leading Bush by two to one among the Scots . . . too bad they can't vote here. . .

[bigtree]

1. Kerry's not harping on Bush about his Vietnam record.

This Scot has to stop watching Fox news and get his head out from under his skirt (kilt).

[KlatooBNikto]

2. At long last someone has put his finger on what ails us.And like

Pogo says, it is us!

[Cobalt Violet]

3. "a domestic media which treats both candidates with kid gloves"

Er....what Media is that? I NEVER see Kerry treated with kid gloves.

[Kolesar]

4. John Edwards is not "hermetically sealed from all but the party faithful"

Edwards has been going to small town Appalachian Ohio and drawing out the whole town to see him. A presidential campaign is a big event in those Ohio River towns. He's gonna twang his way to the White House.

[xchrom]

5. that's what edwards does best

i've been kind of fascinated about how they are using edwards -- it really harkens back to a different time.
i've no opinion about the results -- just interested in the style.

[Kolesar]

7. It is like he is running for mayor or governor

A presidential campaign would never bother with these small towns. However, if this can win Ohio for K/E, then Bush* is a goner. Gore only lost Ohio by 165,000 votes.

[Zynx]

9. We've registered more than that margin.

[Crunchy Frog]

6. It's always interesting

to see these events through the eyes of outsiders. The rest of the world must think this country has just gone totally off its rocker. They're pretty much right about that too.

[RafterMan]

12. I'm not sure about that

A lot of the articles I read from abroad sort of miss the point. I think of it more like a lovers' quarrel.

The outsider asks, "Why do they bicker about who gets the remote control when their relationship is at stake?" And it may be true that the words are about the remote control, and maybe even the emotions, but the parties involved are also aware of all the history and nuances and the words mean more to them in a way that the outsider does not understand.

The debate may not be entirely explicit, but I think it is still very real.

[blm]

8. This article fails to point to the REAL culprit - THE GOP OWNED MEDIA

I guess they think that Americans have a free press or something.

Hell, CNN International gives fairer coverage than CNN here in the US, but, I don't think other countries are aware of the difference.

[against all enemies]

10. The REAL culprit are - Stupid white men, and their Stepford wives

Smart people see the GOP media for what it is. The enemy of the Democrats is stupidity.

[tom_paine]

11. Disagree. I don't think it's quite that simple

Although you are ocrrect about Bush's Lily White Support.

The Busheviks have constructed a Lie Laundry and Totalitarian Alternate Media worth more than $2,000,000,000. Their operatives infest the remaining Corporate Pravda and drive them now indirectly if not directly.

The Nazis called it Gleitschlang "bringing into line" and the fact that CBS got set up, now they are purposefully withholding stories, is the final descent into Orwellian Madness.

They are "in line" now.

The Imperial Subjects of Amerika haven't caught on, for the most part, and even if they did, the denial of admitting the magnitude of being taken for a fool will preclude most from mentally "going there"...it's too painful.