Today is D-Day in the USA

Yes, the day is finally here. Today is D-Day - Decision Day - in the USA, and by tomorrow we will know who's the next man to spend four years in the White House.

Hard to believe how time flies.

Back in January, when the whole spectacle of primaries and caucuses started and more than 30 politicians from the two large US parties put their hats into the ring, it was all very confusing, and even more so for someone like me, here in Ireland, where we don't have this kind of political circus.

When we elect our President - once every seven years - there is of course a modest campaign with all the candidates, and then the people vote. Our President is directly elected by the people, with no 'electoral college' in between, even though the office has very little political power and is more of a representative position, like it is in most other European countries as well.

But we take a lot of interest also in the US elections. After all, there are about 50 million Americans with Irish ancestry (that's one in six US citizens), and above that the USA are now the only 'super power' eft on the planet. So whatever they - and their President - do has a lot of consequences for everyone else in the world, regardless where they live.

I followed the developments in the USA with great interest, but as I said, my understanding of the process and procedures was limited. So I read a lot about it, in papers and on-line. And I did learn a lot from that.
However, there is only one blog I read that really impressed me. As it happens, it's written by another Irishman and called "Views from the Emerald Isle". (the URL is http://inishtrahoull.blogspot.com/)
This man seems to know his politics and has an amazing power of analysis and vision. He was the only one of all the journalists and bloggers whose articles I read who wrote back in January that the final contest would be between John McCain and Barack Obama.
While most of the Irish media - including RTÉ - were sure that Hillary Clinton would win the nomination of the Democratic Party and almost campaigned for her, this single blogger dismissed her and her chances back in January, and he explained his reasons in detail. I just read these articles again, and with hindsight they are even more impressive. I think this man should be on RTÉ or write for our major papers. They all got it wrong for a long time, but he was right from the very start.

But enough about the past. Today the Americans have to decide, and I hope they will make the right decision. Which - in my humble opinion - is Barack Obama. He's the only one who could bring back some decency and honour to the American nation that has been turned into the true "Empire of Evil" (the phrase used by Ronald Reagan for the Soviet Union many years ago) under the criminal and corrupt administration of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney.

John McCain was an honourable man eight years ago, when he ran against Bush in the primaries of the Republican Party. Had he won the nomination then, he would probably have won the election as well and - perhaps - been quite a good President. But a lot has happened since. In fact way too much has happened. And since McCain joined the Bush camp four years ago and sold his soul to Bush, Cheney and Karl Rove (the evil spin master behind Bush), he has become a differnt man and part of the evil machine that dragged America down into the gutter.

If one had needed more proof for that, his selection of Sarah Palin as 'running mate' said it all.
This right-wing woman, who could have made Adolf Hitler smile with pride and joy, is the personification of everything that is wrong with the USA today. Even the theoretical thought that she could be "one heartbeat away from the Presidency", which she would if the Americans elect the 72-year-old McCain, makes me shiver.

I have no vote in this election, and I would never want to live in the USA, no matter who is the President. But I can only urge the decent Americans - and yes, there still are some - to vote for the right man today, in their own interest and in the interest of the whole world.

Quite a lot of Americans visit this blog, so I hope they will read this and do the right thing. I will be sitting here and waiting in anticipation. My gut feeling tells me that Barack Obama is going to win the White House, and probably with a good majority. But as long as people like Karl Rove are around to muddle things up (as he did in 2000 and 2004), one can never be completely sure.

Please give yourself and the world another chance for peace and prosperity and vote for Barack Obama!