Will America make the right choice?

To the outside world, the choice couldn't be simpler or more obvious: it has to Obama....hasn't it?

Except that the news coverage today suggests that McCain has narrowed the lead in the polls. Doesn't that send shivers? Should we brace ourselves for a replay of 2000 when the Democrats, confidently thinking they had it in the bag, sleepwalked to defeat.

Can you imagine the future under a McCain - Palin presidency. How many gaffes do we have to hear - the agreement/disagreement over 'racist Pennsylvania', calling a rally 'my fellow prisoners', wanting to fire the Chairman of an independent agency, thinking that Iraq borders Pakistan, and on - before it is fair to question if a 72-year old candidate may not be up to the stresses and strains of the Oval Office?

And consider his biggest mistake, the terrifying and unethical Sarah Palin, just a hearbeat away from leading the most powerful country in the world - someone who thinks that the theory of evolution is an opinion and thinks it should be put on a par with creationism, denies the evidence of global warming, and doesn't know if abortion clinic bombers are terrorists. Absolutely terrifiying!!!

But what worries me is watching British coverage of the US elections, when various vox pops ask the public why they are supporting their favoured candidate, followers of Obama articulate a variety of reasons. When it came to why people were supporting McCain, their answers were muddled, poorly expressed and had all the depth of bumper stickers. One scary bloke was queried why he was backing McCain, to which he chillingly uttered "Security" - the effort to venture those four syllables was visible as was his resentment to the fact that he had to provide a reason for his choice.

And that's the worrying bit. The victor will not be one which surely all reason dictates should win - it is up to an electorate many of whom will make a choice based on instinct and faith without recourse for thought.

Of course that it true for the UK electorate, but at least we pretty much only screw up our own country's future when we get it wrong - when America gets it wrong, we ALL pay!