Editorials

THE U.S.ELECTION

The world is hoping Biden will win and remove the ‘Reality TV’ from the office of U.S.President, but don’t be surprised if Trump scores another term.

The Bookies have Biden $1.50 / Trump $2.70. Last time, after regularly flying to and from the States for years, I felt Trump would beat Clinton, and got on him at $5.80 with Sportsbet.

Polls have him increasing from 34% to 35% in the last two days. He needs about 47% to have a chance. BUT…

Sitting Presidents have been re-elected 32 times. 12 Presidents have only served one term, ten have served less than one. Like Australians, American voters tend to give their leaders two terms.

I don't trust Americans to do what the rest of the world expects.

Despite making 20,055 untrue statements*, Trump has done what he said he’d do: cut taxes, bombed ISIS, cut regulations, introduced conservative judges, and more^. Despite increasing military spending, (as he promised), he hasn’t embarked on any new wars.

We learnt during Bill Clinton’s first campaign, (ousting one term George H.W. Bush - who had increased taxes in a recession):
‘It’s the economy, Stupid.’ It’s how we all vote, eventually, as our morals seem to be firmly attached to our hip-pocket nerves.

When Trump took office the Dow Jones stock market indicator was 18,000. Today, even during the Covid recession, it is now 26,925. Many Americans have done well in the last four years.

If nothing else, I believe he should go because of his handling of the Coronavirus … but I am not an American.

3,168,079 of them currently have the virus, 88,905 new cases were added yesterday.

6,171,402 have recovered. But have they? Long term damage to lungs, hearts and other organs is still being studied. The
‘world’s best health system’ is out of the reach of many, especially those who have lost their jobs, as health insurance is largely tied to their employment. Will Covid-caused maladies be classified as ‘pre-exisiting’ in decades to come?

The family, friends and workmates of the 236,997 who have died need to get out and vote if they want this election to be about the Federal Government’s response to Covid19.

It's going to be a clear sunny 16-18C degrees, no rain, no snow in the northern states; so there’s no excuse.

It’s just gone 4 a.m. in New York on Tuesday 3rd November 2020. What happens in the next 24 hours is going to shock the world —one way or other.






* Washington Post
^ BBC