The Republicans may have built it, but will the voters come?

I’m having a severe case of déjà vu all over again. My original vu was Thursday, September 1, 2005, and the news about a hurricane called Katrina heading for New Orleans was all over the US bulletins coming in via satellite to Sydney that night. I was preparing the rundown for the Sunday Program on …

Paul Ryan: The deer hunter who would be president

“Once there were two brothers. One ran away to sea, the other was elected Vice-President, and nothing was ever heard of either of them again.” That witty quote came from Thomas R. Marshall, who just happened to be US Vice-President for two terms (1913-1921) under Woodrow Wilson. In his early years, he took to drink, …

Let the Political Games begin

“I was very involved in the McCain campaign, and I love McCain a lot. But I never felt this good about our chances four years ago.” That was Brian Ballard, a co-chairman of Mitt Romney’s finance team, talking to the New York Times about the Republican candidate’s chances of beating Barack Obama in the November …

The Diggers’ light shines in the darkness

“The dive bombers and the zeros came so low, you could see the pilots’ faces as they dropped their bombs.” Reporter: “You can remember seeing their faces?” “Yes, I can still see it, yes. I didn’t recognise any of them. It was the same mob that did over Pearl Harbor, the same Japanese fleet.” That …

Pundits declare: The party’s over

“The fat lady’s singing. No matter how you put it, it’s over. There’s no way he’s going to be able to stop Romney at this point.” That’s Howard Dean’s former campaign manager, Joe Trippi, talking about Republican candidate Rick Santorum after the front-runner, Mitt Romney, won primaries in Wisconsin, Maryland and the District of Columbia …

A Super Tuesday with Jimmy Breslin

Super Tuesday became Mediocre Tuesday, or Predictable Tuesday, according to US pundits this week. Mitt Romney won six states, including the bellwether, Ohio, but impressed nobody, except himself. Rick Santorum took Oklahoma, Tennessee and North Dakota, and came close in Ohio, blessed by evangelical voters, but is nowhere near the Holy Grail. Newt Gingrich easily …

Mitt sets the scene for another Super Tuesday

It was Super Tuesday in America yesterday, and Mitt Romney was the winner. Wait a minute, you say, it’s not Super Tuesday until next week when ten States hold their primaries and caucuses in the Republican presidential race to choose a nominee to take on Barack Obama in November. Yes, but that’s a different Super …

Is God really on their side?

The major problem with American politicians is that they not only think God is on their side, but have to say it publicly. That was my conclusion after watching the Iowa caucus results on Fox News and CNN (with frequent  switches to the cricket to watch Ponting and Clarke score their centuries). Okay, it wasn’t …