In Sundays Raleigh News and Observer, they print editorials from around the world. As an off note, I am glad to see that they did not, at least this week, use the Guardian. I would like to think that a letter I wrote to them helped with that. But, they had an interesting one from the Irish Times (here is the article from the N&O: have to pay to see it at Ireland.com from when it was originally printed, Oct 26)
The world wants Kerry
It has been said with justice that this U.S. presidential election is a world election in which the world has no vote. Rarely if ever has a presidential election in the United States attracted so much international attention, based on the assumed worldwide consequences of a Bush or Kerry victory.
… The balance of international opinion decisively favors a Kerry victory — and especially so in Europe.
In evaluating the international effects of the election, these facts about a deeply polarized United States — and a polarized world — must be taken fully into account. But so must the possibility that either man would in fact pursue a convergent and surprisingly similar agenda. If Bush wins he would feel more free in a second term to repair international relations hurt by the Iraq war and less constrained by his conservative base. If Kerry is victorious, he would apply his more multilateral approach to the same objectives, especially over Iraq. Neither man would be in a hurry to repeat that exercise in unilateral pre-emptive intervention. They would both have to grapple with declining U.S. influence abroad and the weakening performance of the American economy arising from trade and budgetary deficits.
(emphasis mine) So, the world wants Kerry, despite them being the same in the eyes of the world.(?) Funny how the original analysis from The Irish Times has the title “Countdown to a World Election.”
In a follow-up article, The Irish Times does endorse Kerry. However (isn’t there always?):
The powerful US economy has driven world growth and innovation for two decades, but is now saddled with twin budgetary and trade deficits created over the last four years which will place great constraints on whoever wins next Tuesday. Mr Bush believes freer markets and trade will overcome these problems, while Mr Kerry promises prudent economic management and would face growing calls for protectionism. This would limit the Democrats’ ability to deliver on his detailed pledges for fairer distribution of education and healthcare resources and a more egalitarian taxation policy.
To paraphrase “we want anyone but Bush, no matter how ineffective he would be.”
