Elections: from afar

It's interesting to hear New Zealanders talk about the U.S. elections.

If the American media is biased, you know the international media plays it all off kilter!
The things that matter most to the overseas pundits is foreign policy and economics.

Many Kiwis speak of the elections, and their outcomes, as experiments.
As an American abroad, I don't like the idea of experimenting with my country of birth!

New Zealand will be holding elections this year too and the MMP system means lots of deals can be made to form coalition governments. The elections do matter, but the system isn't really reflective of the regular person going to work everyday. The news today was talking about another Winston Peters scandal and the colours of the respective parties' billboards.

I was able to watch part of the Republican convention and have downloaded some of the speeches from iTunes.

Sarah Palin speaks well, presents well, appeals to a wide swath of American voters. Thus her place on the ticket. Question is, not will she make a good vice-president, but will she make a good president?

A mayor and governor possibly have a better picture of what it looks like to sit in the seat where the buck stops. A senator sits amongst many where there is power in the numbers.

McCain we know. Biden we know. The others we'll be discovering as we go. I'm not sure I like that scenario.

Check out this chart to see where the major candidates stand on some of the issues.
BBC's link to U.S. Elections USA's ABC link.

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