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9-3-2000 Daily Record DULL OR DIM ONE OF THESE TWO WILL SOON BECOME THE MOST POWERFUL MAN IN THE WORLD, THE CHOICE IS. . . GETHIN CHAMBERLAIN THE phoney war in the race to become American president is over. For a couple of fleeting moments, it looked like the underdogs might do it. But this isn't a Hollywood movie and the good guy doesn't get to ride into the sunset. In the real world, it's the men with the biggest wallets who win. The bad news is that the outcome of the much-hyped Super Tuesday polls to select candidates is just the beginning of the real battle - the two-horse race ending in November's election. The latest primary elections have merely placed Republican George W Bush and Democrat Al Gore at the top of their parties - with millions of dollars already blown on campaigning. Republican Bush, the establishment's man with a seemingly bottomless pit of campaign funding, has bludgeoned his way to the brink of victory against his rival, former senator John McCain. But it has cost Bush dearly and not just in financial terms. Bush appealed to Republican party elders and those voters grateful for a chance to elect a president with a name they knew - his father had the job just a few years ago, after all. McCain appeared to speak out for ordinary right-wing Americans. The image of a genuine war hero struck a chord with voters. And McCain's attacks have left their mark on his Republican rival. Some pundits believe McCain has exposed flaws in Bush's character the Republicans would have been well-advised to have kept hidden. Bush has come across as a man with little to say and even less ability to say it - traditional qualities, cynics suggest, for the leader of the free world. But McCain's big mouth also cost him dearly and, barring a miracle, his failure to capitalise on his early success should mean he is forced to bow out of the race this week. His attacks on the hugely influential Christian right backfired badly and he never quite soared to the heights some thought he should. His best hope now is that Bush will realise the importance of the voters who rallied to McCain's flag and invite him on board as vice presidential running mate. One thing that is certain after Tuesday's elections is that current vice president Al Gore is the Democrat candidate. He will obviously hope that McCain has wounded Bush badly enough to persuade some wavering Republican supporters to give the status quo a chance. Unlike Bush, Gore had little difficulty seeing off rival Bill Bradley, who struggled to get out of the starting blocks and, even when he did, prompty fell flat on his face. Gore won from New York to California and Bradley yesterday put his hands up and admitted defeat. "He won, I lost," he said, in what will undoubtedly turn out to be the single most accurate and concise speech of the entire campaign. He intends to bow out of the race today and endorse Gore. Bradley's failure was all the more spectacular given his opponent was a man who gives the impression he would be out of his depth in a paddling pool. Gore has tried to reinvent himself in much the same way that John Major did to emerge from the shadows of Thatcher - taking off his jacket and loosening his tie in a bid to appeal to the ordinary Joe. But Gore, who has been slated for his wooden image, is a man who makes even Major look charismatic. Cynics say the best thing about Gore is that he is too dull to get into the sort of trouble which has dogged Bill Clinton. Quite what Bush and Gore stand for is another matter. There appear to be big differences between them on everything from gun control, to the environment, to abortion. But, with eight months still to go, there is plenty of room for their views to converge to the point where voters will just pick the one they like the look of best. If reminding Americans of presidents past is the key to the White House, Bush is already there - even though he does it by combining the bumbling incoherence of Reagan with his own father's complete abscence of personality. If clean-cut and uncontroversial is what they are after, Gore will be their man. But come November, Americans will have to make their traditional choice - dull or dim. Pic caps (below) GEORGE W BUSH GEORGE W Bush is living proof money can buy you love. The son of the former president has much deeper pockets than rival John McCain, left - thanks to his upbringing in an oil-rich political dynasty. One opponent described him as "born with a silver boot up his a***". And in the US system, that could be enough to swing things his way. AL GOREAL Gore's biggest problem in the Democratic race against Bill Bradley, left, was his bland image. But he has made up lost ground thanks to daughter Karenna, who has portrayed him as an interesting man with a passion for Bob Dylan and The Simpsons. Now he has to convince voters he is more than Clinton with his zip done up. |
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................................................................................................................. Copyright ©2004 Gethin Chamberlain. All rights reserved. |
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