| November 05, 2008 | Wednesday | Ziqa'ad 6, 1429 |
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Life after the election
By the time you read this, we will know who is going to occupy the White House for the next four years. And I will know the fate of the bet I have placed on John McCain. Actually, I lie: I did try to put 50 pounds on the Republican candidate, but was told by the Ladbroke website that as betting was illegal in the country I was accessing it from, they could not take my bet. Tell that to the Pakistani bookies who take millions in bets at horse races and cricket games.
Friends have raised eyebrows at my intention, but I justify it as a covering bet. Among gambling circles, this is a bet placed to cover yourself in case the horse you have backed heavily loses. In this case, as I have invested scores of hours watching news, analyses and debates on TV, and even more time reading acres of newsprint about election news, I thought I should have something to take the edge off my disappointment if Barack Obama were to lose unexpectedly. The other question that remains to be answered in the wake of the US election is how we are going to pass our time when the dust of the campaign has settled. As a long-term observer of the American political scene, I can safely say that this was the most gripping election I have ever witnessed. No political drama approaches it for excitement, suspense and tension. Even though it seemed interminable, I didn’t see any of the audience slipping away.
Given the time difference between the US and England, the TV debates began at 2am in Devizes, and ended at 3.30. So I watched recordings the next day, even though I would wake up in the early hours, and wonder briefly how Obama was skewering his rival. In real life, of course, the debates were pretty boring affairs in which the candidates played safe. Only Sarah Palin provided a little light relief by her winks and her hillbilly mannerisms.
So what provided the long contest its electricity and excitement? Clearly, it was the contrasting personalities that lent the campaign its gripping tension. First, the Democratic nomination race saw Barack Obama pitted against a formidable Hillary Clinton. This battle raged on across the United States, with neither side giving quarter. While it went through its various phases, the Republican contest was reduced to an insignificant side-show. Even when poor McCain won his party’s nomination, he was ignored by the media and the rest of us as we watched the Democratic race going to the wire.
If McCain does manage to pull off an upset, I’ll kick myself for not having placed my bet before I left England last weekend. Actually, given the narrow margin that has continued to separate the two candidates for months despite Obama’s popularity and financial advantage, this would have been a pretty good bet. Ladbroke’s was offering 7-1 odds against McCain a couple of days ago, so I would have made 350 quid on my little flutter, had I been able to place it. Given the fact that around seven per cent of likely American voters had still not decided whom to vote for two days before election day, there’s every chance of the election turning into yet another cliff-hanger. As I said, this would have been a good chance to pick up some loose change, as well as giving me a reason to celebrate despite an Obama defeat. But as usual, I’ve blown it by not being more organised. Story of my life.
What has been amazing and heart-warming is the way the whole world has been plugged into this election. And it’s not just because of the fact that the front-runner is black. Obama has an intensity, an integrity and a fierce intelligence that is not usually found in politicians. Granted, we should judge politicians by their deeds and not their words. We in Pakistan are all too conscious of this tribe promising us the moon when seeking our votes, and then forgetting their pledges when they are in power. Maybe Obama will similarly disappoint us. But my gut feeling is that he will try his best to deliver.
In a sense, it’s odd that he’s so popular in Pakistan. Here, the establishment is happier with a Republican president as the conventional wisdom is that the Democrats tend to push for democracy and human rights. Republicans, on the other hand, are generally more relaxed while working with dictators. For them, it’s useful to be able to transfer terror suspects to Pakistani safe house for ‘interrogation’ by our hardened and practised intelligence agencies.
In addition, Obama has often declared his intention to pursue Bin Laden and his cohorts into Pakistan if we cannot tackle them ourselves. While this has caused some adverse press comment, there is no question about his support here. Indeed, a worldwide poll would have given him an overwhelming mandate. Unfortunately, the rest of us can only follow the contest as distant spectators. Even though the outcome affects the rest of the world so directly, we are nevertheless disenfranchised. Perhaps non-Americans could be given half a vote each…
As I write this, I am conscious of a little twitch in the hand that aims the TV remote control. I am aware that CNN will soon be bringing its latest update, and although I know there will be nothing new, I am still tempted to get up from my desk and check on what’s happening. But I shall remain strong as I have a deadline to meet.
Whenever I log on to the Internet, I get many emails forwarding me articles and video clips relating to the campaign. I have spent hours watching YouTube clips about gaffes made by Palin and Mc Cain. Articles from the American press clog my inbox. So I return to the question: what will I do once the election’s over. ‘Get a life’, I can hear some of you say. But is there life after the 2008 election?
Luckily, the next one isn’t until 2012…
