For the sake of the world's ears please don't let it be Shrillary.

Also we already have a Bush dynasty - we don't need a Clinton one - its plain undemocratic.

All the way with BHO (Barack Hussein Obama) I say.

Pete

For heaven's sake, leave American elections to the Americans!

Their long, drawn out election process is even more boring than ours, and we get far, far to much of it on the ABC to need more of it here.

It would be interesting to see just how much time is devoted to Australian elections in America, or any other country.

I must disagree with Leigh when he complains about the ABC coverage of the US presidential election.

Although I agree with him on the extremely boring nature of the coverage, I think it confirms how much better our current constitutional system suits us than the American one (which, I believe, has never been successfully exported anywhere else). I never thought I would see the ABC campaigning against a republic, but that's what I think is happening. It's just that they don't realise what they are doing.

It just shows how you can never predict what will happen. As everyone knows, with the ABC any rise in interest rates is a calamity, but last november they were applauding a rise (mainly, I think, because they thought it would hurt Howard).

The speed with which the media as a whole turns like a flock of birds in the latest direction of the wind shows more about their lack of real talent and need of change for change's sake, than it does about any considered view of events. In any case, the economic philosophy of the media, particularly the ABC, can usuall be summed up in ten words:

"Go, sell all you have, and give to the poor."

Surely, the best thing to do is heed the advice of that famous movie mogul, Sam Warner, who said:

"NEVER make predictions, particularly about the future"

Some say Hillary may be an improvement on Bush. Yet even her husband's charismatic yet lapsing attentions may not be a plus.

Behold this shocking vision http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9Cz9DdOfHY

Scary? We should all be scared.

Be afraid. Or "The horror, the horror" as Colonel Walter E. Kurtz would say. For someday this person may have her finger jabbing at the superpower nuclear button.

Though I'm not biased. Just rely on 25% of eligable American voters to elect yet another Leader of the Free World... :)

Pete

Clever Dick analysis of election outcomes is just so much wasted effort.
It is based on the idea that there is some sort of underlying rational or analytical reasoning taking place in the minds of voters. This of course is totally false. Voters vote emotionally. They vote on what they think is in it for them (make them feel good) and how much they are impressed by the speaker. Stupid comments like “I liked the way she did her hair” “I liked his strong deep re-assuring voice” influence a voter’s choice. “I didn’t like his cocky attitude” are the things that take precedence over rational.
On top if that, the bulk of the voters have no real idea of what is important or best for the country or what has to happen to bring it about.

No, the electorate will get the leader it deserves. Usually one that will do the most harm to the people who need it the least. The more parasites the government creates with hand outs for doing nothing the more they burden the few that are still trying and willing to work. The more hand-outs they give to vested interests and the more parasites they create the more votes they get from both. In the current American situation you have the insanity of an insolvent country trying to solve its situation by making itself more insolvent. Don’t be surprised when the voters vote for the very person that will make it worse. Look for him. That’s your winner

The American oligarchical presidential system and its wretched and highly expensive elections to dump more of the same stupidity on the rest of us is the reason I am a monarchist. At least we get educated heads of state and it doesn't cost billions each year to get them elected. And it saves a great deal of worthless hysteria.