Events, my dear boy, events
James Forsyth 10:37pm
Russia’s assault on Georgia is a reminder that events could take this presidential election in unexpected directions. Just imagine the impact a similar event in the week before polling day could have on the result.
In crude political terms, the current situation appears to benefit McCain. It places his strongest issue—national security and foreign policy—centre stage and allows him to remind voters of his prescience about the danger that Putin’s Russia, which it still is, poses to Western interests. Indeed, the McCain campaign has been blasting out emails with the video (linked above) of his previous warnings about Putin's intentions.
If this is a 3am test, then McCain has come out of it much better than Obama. Obama’s initial statement sounded like something that a State department official would say if you woke them up at 3am and asked them for an instant response to a generic international crisis while McCain’s statement was clear in its condemnation of Russia. Obama has now caught up with McCain’s position.
Ted Tedford
August 12th, 2008 12:29pm Report this commentAnd how long before the tin-foil helmet brigade start accusing President Bush of asking Georgia to start the war in order to give McCain a bounce?
Augustus
August 12th, 2008 1:36pm Report this commentOblahblah! Again!
TGF UKIP
August 12th, 2008 5:37pm Report this commentGuido has an interesting little piece at order-order.com on a new book that has rocketed to the top of the Amazon and NY Times bestseller lists. "Obama Nation" is not another hagiography but quite the reverse. The author is the guy who wrote "Unfit for Command" the Swift Boat veterans book that sank John Kerry.
The more that becomes known about Obama the less chance he will have. And still two weeks to the Democrat Convention.
Incidentally, James, are you going? I see according to Guido yesterday the BBC are going to have more personnel there than many of America's own major networks - boy, the way they can waste our money.
Verity
August 12th, 2008 6:12pm Report this commentNot to pick nits, or anything, James, but didn't MacMillan say, "Events, dear boy ..." and not "Events, my dear boy..."? I seem to recall reading it without the possessive.
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