[The Economist, U.K.]
Diario Economico, Portugal
McCain is
the Best:
Three
Lessons from
the American Race …
"For a
liberal, center-right European, John McCain is the preferred North American candidate …
There are few things better than to see a free politician."
By João
Marques de Almeida*
Translated By Brandi
Miller
February 7, 2008
Portugal
- Diario Economico -
Original Article (Portuguese)
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John McCain: Taking a small bite out of Obama's European support
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For a liberal, center-right European, John McCain is the
preferred North American candidate. For his liberal views of society and the economy,
he's preferable to any other Republican candidate. I have the greatest respect
for the Christian religion and its unique place in Western history (of which,
incidentally, I am very proud), but I think that years of sermons in churches
of the southern United States, where one rapidly loses rationality, is not the
best preparation for taking power.
Neither does this position expose any particular dislike for
the Democratic candidates, despite the fact that Bill Clinton’s
hyper-active promotion of his wife causes me some discomfort. As a matter of
principle, it's not good for an unelected person to have such enormous
influence over a future president, as would happen if Hillary Clinton were
elected.
As for Obama, he undoubtedly has
political talent and charisma. However I'm not convinced that he's prepared to
be the American president. I identify much more with McCain’s vision of
the world and its dangers and threats than with the positions of Clinton or Obama. There are four questions that from Europe’s
perspective are fundamental: keeping troops in Iraq; preventing Iran from
obtaining nuclear weapons; engaging in World Trade Organization talks to
reinforce the global free trade system; reforming the trans-Atlantic alliance
and reforming NATO in 2009. I'm not sure a Democratic president will endeavor
to accomplish these four objectives like McCain would.
In addition to these reasons, there are three other reasons
that lead me to look even enthusiastically to McCain’s candidacy. The
first has to do with McCain’s character and personality. There are few
things better than to see a free politician. When during the 2006 elections the
majority of Republican leaders - including the other candidates (with the
exception of Giuliani) - concealed or changed their opinions about Iraq, McCain
maintained his position. He passed the big test: he was faithful to his
convictions even when they were profoundly unpopular. He gave priority to what
he considered to be the North American interest at the expense of his immediate
political career. At the end of last year, he was almost finished. A month
later, he's the heavy favorite to win the Republican primaries. This is the
lesson of McCain.
Secondly, if McCain is elected president in November he
could change the Republican Party. As with all great parties of bipartisan
political systems, the Republicans are an alliance of various political and
ideological families. The Bush presidencies reinforced the power and influence
of religious conservatives. However his two election victories don't seem to
have sparked a longer-term trend. Almost all the other winners of the Bush
years, particularly the heirs to Reagan and the neoconservatives, stand by
McCain. Ironically, in view of many European commentators, the neoconservatives
could play a critical role in defeating religious conservatives at the heart of
the Republican Party. Despite the complications of recent times, the
Republicans seem to understand that ideological radicalization is the worst
thing that can happen to a party that wants to win elections. This is lesson of
the Republican Party.
WORLDMEETS.US
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Mitt Romney:
Rejected despite his knowledge of economics.
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Finally, the electorate seems ready to challenge a truth
that has up to now been almost absolute: that in times
of economic crisis, the economy decides elections. After the Michigan primary, Romney
found his campaign theme: he would be the best qualified candidate to solve
America's economic crisis. He accused his main rival of not understanding
economics. But despite this, McCain won in South Carolina and Florida. And
since it isn't expected that the economy will improve by the end of the
primaries nor that by then the senator from Arizona will become an expert
in finance, we can assume that this
is a truth that has stopped being absolute. And thank goodness, since this
"truth" is based on erroneous ideas.
WORLDMEETS.US
It isn’t governments that solve economic crises,
create jobs or increase economic growth. What we ask is that they don’t
take decisions that undermine the economy. As in many areas including the
economy, governments have much power to do evil - and little power to do good. If one understands this, then it's clear that in times
of crisis, it's more important to have a politician with experience than one
with an understanding of economics. This would be the third lesson of the
Americans … and the most useful of all for Europeans.
*João Marques de Almeida holds a Doctorate in
International Relations
SEE ALSO:
Diario Economico, Portugal
Definitively,
Barack Obama
is the Candidate of Europe …
http://worldmeets.us/diarioeconomico000014.shtml
CLICK HERE FOR
PORTUGUESE VERSION
[WORLDMEETS.US Posted February 11, 10:20pm]
