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Spanner in the US elections

Some of the more pressing items which both candidates — Senator Hillary Clinton of New York and Senator Barack Obama of Illinois — had until just recently presented to the American people as their electoral battle horse, such as health care and the war in Iraq, have been temporarily sidetracked as the two candidates started trading underhanded tactics.

The Clinton campaign accused Obama of distributing a misrepresented version of Clinton’s health plan. And on the reverse side of the coin Obama’s people accused the Clinton camp of leaking a photograph of the Illinois senator dressed in what was supposed to be traditional Kenyan garb. This riled Obama but of course the Clinton people denied having anything to do with it.

Other than the fact that it’s not a very becoming photograph of Senator Obama, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the picture. These things happen to politicians when they visit foreign lands; locals believe they are honouring their foreign visitors with the ultimate compliment — bestowing upon them a piece of local culture. The fact that this may turn against their guests down the line never enters the mind.

Back in 1975 when Henry Kissinger was secretary of state during a visit to Jordan he was offered by the prime minister at the time an Arab headdress, a keffieh, which the prime minister preceded to ceremoniously place on Kissinger’s head. Short of starting a diplomatic incident there was little Kissinger could have done, but to accept his predicament. The photographs of Kissinger with the keffieh made the covers of Time and Newsweek magazines, among others. Obama’s Kenyan picture made one website. Granted, Kissinger wasn’t running for president.

Now if those campaigning shenanigans are not enough distraction from addressing the real issues of the campaign, along comes the man accused of handing Bush the White House, and all the troubles that have accompanied the Bush presidency; the war in Iraq, the scandal over the torture of prisoners, etc.

Nader’s announcement this week that he was running again — for the fifth time — brings to mind the film comedy, "Groundhog Day" starring Bill Murray, who was stuck in the same day, day after day after day, for weeks on end, until he reformed and was then able to move forward. Republicans are jubilant, recalling that the votes Nader took from Al Gore in 2000 in the State of Florida gave Bush the presidency by 537 votes. Democrats are livid, recalling that the votes Nader took from Al Gore in 2000 in the State of Florida gave Bush the presidency by 537 votes. Am I repeating myself? It must be the Groundhog Day effect.

However, the results of a very unscientific poll conducted this week whilst attending a reception celebrating Kuwait’s independence, which included, among others, one Democratic congressman, seem to show that this time around Ralph Nader is only likely to make a fool of himself. As the saying goes, fool me once, shame on you; but fool me twice, shame on me.

There is just too much at stake in next November's elections for the American voters to allow themselves to be sidetracked. And because decisions taken by the president of the United States often impacts much of the rest of the world, who gets to sit in the Oval Office is just as important to the citizen of Baghdad, and Dubai as it is to the resident of Bangor, Maine, or Duluth, Minnesota.

The next resident of the White House will be faced with such burning issues as the sub-prime mortgage real estate crisis at home, the dollar losing value against the euro, oil topping $102 a barrel, Iran and its nuclear proliferation, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as the war on terrorism; the Israeli-Palestinian dispute; Syria, sanctions and the crisis in Lebanon; Turkey and the Kurdish question; North Korea and its nuclear weapons, etc. According to my own un-scientific research, all indications are that the only chance Ralph Nader has of getting into the White House, is by taking the visitor's tour. --

- Claude Salhani is editor of Middle East Times and a political analyst in Washington, DC