The US elections - why do I care?!

Okay, normally I don't do this sort of thing - comment on political issues, etc - but in an attempt to be more in tune with issues, etc, I've decided - what the hell!
So what follows is a bit of insight into Alan's view on the Democratic and Republican party nominations...

THE US elections. Well, not really. Actually, they're only the party elections for a presidential nominee, but they've drawn my attention like never before. And I don't really know why.

Well, I have a clue, I think it may be because I feel that in Barack Obama, the US has a chance to turn the corner and this time, choose a leader that they could be proud of, that the rest of the world might actually take seriously. Of course, first he needs to get elected as his party's nominee - something that looks unlikely!

Few people get at me like Obama - Tony Blair did, Mandela always does. Obama is just someone that you can look at and... believe in - which for a politician is a big thing! While Hillary Clinton, Obama's rival for the Democratic seat, seems forced and fake, her rival has inspired people - so much so that the Kennedy's have come out endorsing him, the daughter of JFK saying recently that she hasn't seen anyone inspire like Obama since her dad was around.

The other thing is, he's black - which would make him the first black president if he was to go all the way. Of course, Hillary is a woman, so the Democrats should be making history either way this time around.

Feminists around the US are lobbying behind Hillary - which in a way is a pity cos I think they're knda missing the point. Oprah was slammed by woman's rights groups recently for supporting Obama with comments like "We have the chance of putting a woman in the whitehouse and you support a man - how could you betray us," etc. That kinda says to me that many women are voting for Hillary because she's a woman - and not because of what she's saying / doing. I suppose that might be true for many black voters and Obama too, but I hope not.

Besides, if that's your argument, there have been lots of woman in the white house before - Hillary herself - but never a black person!

It's ironic also, that someone pertaining to be the hero of women is so often relying on her husband to get her support. One sees Bill Clinton on TV talking about Hillary at rallies almost as often as you see Hillary. Who's running again?

Anyhoo, all of this has had me up watching TV into the morning, feeling like a total nerd - but I just have the feeling that something historic is happening - and it's pretty interesting watching to see how white, male voters vote, how female voters vote, how black voters vote, how the young vote, etc - as they break it down state by state. And that's just the Democrats. There are 3 Republican okes still in the running! (Correction: latest development: 2 now)

(The above photos are from CNN.com)

THE FOLLOWING is an article lifted from The Irish Examiner which pretty much explains how I felt. Even though I cheated and went to bed at 1am.

IN THE small hours of yesterday morning a giddy crowd of 250 gathered around televisions at the Lime Café Bar in Dun Laoghaire.

It was the Champions League Final and a Sky Sports Super Sunday bound up in the intrigue of a Big Brother elimination night.

But those of us transfixed to the CNN commentary did not arrive to cheer as football fans or reality television addicts. This was a rare occasion for us who excite at Dáil (Irish Parliament)debates and Seanad shenanigans to come out and bask in the joy of being a "political nerd".

And what better motivation than watching the frequently incomprehensible voting process unfold behind what was America's most competitive Super Tuesday in living memory. The utter complexity of the race and the level of interest in Ireland was almost enough to give most people a legitimate excuse for buying a ticket to the event organised by the Politics.ie blog.

"It is just so close. Last time out we knew John Kerry was going to get the Democrat election and George Bush was going for a second term there was nothing at stake on Super Tuesday," explained Isobel O'Connor from Dublin.

"It is also about the fact we don't get to elect a president who carries the same power and influence around the world."

"It is democracy in action and it is not even a general election. So it is fascinating to see how the people have their say. You can see how they are pulling the numbers together and who they are targeting to get votes," said James Lawless from Sallins, Co Kildare.

Senator Dan Boyle, who spent his early years in America and arrived to Tuesday night's party with a cohort of other Green Party members, attributed the level of interest to the polarising affect of President George Bush and people seeking something different.

However, most in the bar admitted their primary motivation for making the trip to Dun Laoghaire was not to cheer for senators Hillary Clinton, John McCain or Barak Obama.

We were there because we were all political junkies wanting to watch an historic event unfold.

Deep down the results were a sideshow for us political nerds. Either the Super Tuesday Fix could be sourced alone at home in a darkened sitting room or in a bar in south Dublin with hotdogs and debate.

The bar closed at 2.30am and the only stimulant left was the speeches of each candidate, the thundering predictions of CNN's Wolf Blitzer and the occasional cup of coffee.

While the crowd whittled down as the key states of New York, New Jersey and Illinois became clear the party remained intact.

The real die-hard addicts were still glued to the screens after 5.20am when the final predictions were made for the most important state of all — California.

With CBS reporting record turnouts in 24 voting states and American Samoa, it is abundantly clear that people really still care about an election.

This in the world's largest economy, where citizens are supposed to be among the most disaffected anywhere. And this enthusiasm told us nerds it is still okay to care, to be interested and to gather in Dun Laoghaire until dawn — getting excited about who might be selected to try and be elected as the next leader of a country on the other side of the ocean.

Roll on the remainingst of the primaries.