British Invasion
One Eye on the US Horse Race
by Nicola Mitchell

Feb. 23, 2004 -- NEW YORK (apj.us) -- So... while Janet and Justin's 'nipplegate' affair and the trials and tribulations of Tony Blair have been taking up most of the European column inches, we have been paying a small amount of attention to the diminutive matter of the presidential election race.

Of course, we've followed the rise and subsequent comedic fall of Howard Dean's campaign, and are now declaring that we never thought him to be presidential anyway.

Then there's Wesley Clark. Many a comment piece has been dedicated to just exactly why this man, so seemingly perfect as a Democratic candidate what with his good looks and war hero status, has been forced to drop out. The answer, it seems, is that he's just not Bill Clinton.

John Edwards has also been garnering small amounts of interest with many liberal papers encouraging him to stick at it and pinning him as the most attractive running mate to the clear leader, John Kerry.

And what of Mr. Kerry? Well, the English press have him down as a pretty likable chap, strong on war and foreign policy, but weak on domestic issues. And like everyone else the world over, that old phrase 'electable' keeps cropping on up again, as for once the UK press agrees with that of the US in saying he is the only man who has a real shot at Bush.

But wouldn't you know -- leave it to the English tabloids to inject a bit of scandal into proceedings after they took heed from Matt Drudges infamous online gossip-fest and dedicated pages to the Senator's alleged Clinton-like affair with an "intern."

One left-leaning paper, the Daily Mirror, even had a quote from Rush Limbaugh on the whole affair. Rush Limbaugh! I ask you -- is there any wonder us Brits think most American politicians are crooks and adulterers?

But scandal aside, it certainly looks as if Shrub and his cronies are rattled by the sudden Democratic rallying cry. Why else would the White House communications team allow Bush, a man never known for his eloquent public speaking and all-around general knowledge, to be placed before the cameras for an hour-long Meet The Press interview?

And so we find ourselves approaching Super Tuesday next week with hope in our hearts that there could be a slight chance that Bush might be unseated, and being the self-absorbed nation that we are, the inevitable question turns as to how this might affect us.

On the outside you might think that Tony Blair would be relieved to see Bush deposed so he can again realign himself with a politically similar counterpart. However, as a recent opinion piece in the Guardian newspaper reminds us, Tony Blair has now become synonymous with Bush and war, just as he was once seen as a friend and ally to a peace-building Bill Clinton.

Will the election of an antiwar Democrat really help the prospects of Tony Blair's already unpopular policy choices, or will they just serve to highlight them? Having always placed massive importance on the inner workings of American politics and how they affect the British model, these are questions surely being asked in Downing Street, particularly with a general election looming on the horizon.