The Wardman Wire

Today America speaks

Today the American people go to the polls to elect their 44th President. Incidentally, the next president will actually be the 43rd different man to serve (Grover Cleveland served two terms that were not back to back). But what impact will this have on British politics and how will it affect the UK’s view of America.

Time to end America bashing

It is a shame that the fashion that has developed over the past few years has been for throw away comments about how terrible the US is. People forget all too easy that the UK was part of the invasion force that went in to Iraq, that Afghanistan is not some illegal war that was born out of American aggression and that while Europe often flounders on its international obligations, the US stands up to be counted. There is no pride to be had in letting another country do your dirty work and all too often we see France and other European powers do just that.

The US has its faults

The US is not blameless in all this however. George Bush has used the rhetoric of a blood thirsty tyrant at times and has forever put a blotch on American democracy with questionable tactics in the 2004 Presidential election. Then there is Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. How can America preach to the Cubans about democracy when it uses Cuban soil to pursue such anti-democratic means as locking up prisoners without charge or trial. America has to change and so does the world’s opinion of America.

The worst legacy that George Bush could give the world is an isolationalist America. Yet that it is what so many people want America to become – a country that keeps it nose out of the rest of the world’s business. Do these people honestly think that if America keeps out of world affairs that Russia and China, Iran and North Korea will sit idly by and the world will be a happier safer place? No. The world is not a safe place at the moment, but it is a whole lot safer with America at the wheel. The US just needs a new captain, a softer voice but also needs to continue the vigour to back it up.

Change

So the key word is change. America needs change and the world wants to see change in America. Obama is the change candidate and will be the only one who can satisfy the thirst of the rest of the world. He will also give hope to Americans, far more so than McCain can do. And so what would an Obama government do for UK politics?

Only the Tories can benefit

Despite the Democrats being far more aligned with the Labour party, I can only see a President Obama benefiting the Tories. The success of a candidate standing on a change platform will only add to the feeling of a tired old Labour government. Obama and Cameron are both young and great orators two things Brown is not. Cameron is an Atlanticist, Brown appears to want to want to distance himself from America. The first year of Obama’s reign will see Britain also wanting a leader in the ilk of Obama and will also want to have the refreshing feeling of change. This can only benefit David Cameron and the Tories.