How many candidates for any political office can day they’ve had nearly the entire cast of a highly praised TV show campaign for them? Probably not too many, I’d guess. Here’s how that went.
If that doesn’t impress you, perhaps the Financial Times’ endorsement will.
US presidential elections involve a fabulous expense of time, effort and money. Doubtless it is all too much – but, by the end, nobody can complain that the candidates have been too little scrutinised. We have learnt a lot about Barack Obama and John McCain during this campaign. In our view, it is enough to be confident that Mr Obama is the right choice.
At the outset, we were not so confident. Mr Obama is inexperienced. His policies are a blend of good, not so good and downright bad. Since the election will strengthen Democratic control of Congress, a case can be made for returning a Republican to the White House: divided government has a better record in the United States than government united under either party.
So this ought to have been a close call. With a week remaining before the election, we cannot feel that it is.
Mr Obama fought a much better campaign. Campaigning is not the same as governing, and the presidency should not be a prize for giving the best speeches, devising the best television advertisements, shaking the most hands and kissing the most babies.
Nonetheless, a campaign is a test of leadership. Mr Obama ran his superbly; Mr McCain’s has often looked a shambles. After eight years of George W. Bush, the steady competence of the Obama operation commands respect.
But hey. John McCain just got Dick Cheney‘s endorsement. And who wouldn’t want that?
Hmmmm, I’d be sure to get the guy who played the smooth-talking, chronically corrupt state senator out there on the stump! That fella could give a good speech!
The first season of The Wire was arguably the greatest feat in the history of recorded drama – breathtakingly, incomparably truthful and so well-written it made a generation of writers envious. I’m not sure the political views of its cast matter much, but perhaps North Carolina has a particularly large number of cable subscribers!