God takes sides...

God takes sides….
(An Editorial article without the usual links and what not)

Or so we have been lead to believe in the last few months. In India,
when the elections happen, religion comes to the forefront rearing its
ugly head. The socialists are quick to pounce on it and start
aligning themselves with the so-called non-religious groups trying to
castigate the religious right. This sort of politics has been one that
has earned ridicule for the country both from within and from the
outside. Even being a person of faith, I was disgusted to see the
temple or mosque or church and state coupled so tightly together in
determining the future of the country. For long I looked at the US as
that democracy that strictly delineated the church from politics. The
country elected its leader not based on his faith but his adherence to
his principles for the better good of the country. While the 2000
elections first sowed the seeds of doubt in my mind, this election
confirmed the fact that say what one may, the US is as religiously
fanatic as any other country in the world, albeit in a different form
and manner.

Ohio was the most affected state in the entire union due to the
economic downturn. While the bosses in the Eastern seaboard continued
to prosper (thanks for some good tax cuts), much of rural America
struggled as more and more manufacturing jobs were lost and more sons
sent to the war in Iraq. The Iraq war has been the bloodiest in the
last couple of months and marines are lost everyday to suicide
bombers. Estimates put the civilian deaths in Iraq at more than
100,000. Given all this statistics, one would expect anyone standing
against the GOP candidate and now President elect George Bush to win
with overwhelming margins (Reagan, anyone?). But that was not to be.
Not only did the President wrap up Ohio but he gained all of 4 million
votes more than last election and won the popular vote which he lost
by half a million to Al Gore. The states that lost the most since 2000
were the states that overwhelmingly voted for Bush. The lower and
middle-income people turned up in droves to vote for their President.
What happened?

Well, for starters, the opponent of President Bush should have been
Howard Dean. People were finding it hard to differentiate between Bush
and Kerry. And for those who didn't, the GOP hype machine created
enough fear in the minds of people to make them vote Republican.
Fear, as someone said is always the key. This time it definitely was
the case. But what really clinched the deal for President Bush was his
ability to reach out to the vast evangelical moderates and Christians
who in the past had not voted or divided their vote between the two
parties. This time, the issues of embryonic stem cell research, gay
marriage and abortion stuck a very big chord with the increasingly
religious American populace. While Kerry initially downplayed his
religious beliefs, he was forced to play that card for the risk of
losing a big chunk of votes and lose he did.

For once, the economy, a losing war and a possible draft did not rank
among the issues that made a difference in the presidential elections.
Instead, fear and a generous helping of church going voters ensured
that the President stayed in the White House for another four years.
While I hope for a more sanguine and fiscally and environmentally more
responsible government in the second term, it definitely scares me to
think that in America too, religion is given that much importance in
the election of its Commander-in-Chief.

Election 2004 - Its finally here !!!

So it is finally here. After almost a year of hectic and by now, mind numbing campaigning, it all comes down to tomorrow. Senator John Kerry, the Democratic candidate from Massachusetts squares off against the Republican Party candidate and President George W. Bush. In what promises, at least according to the gazillion polls and surveys and statistical analysis, the results are too close to call and until the last bunch of results come in late night tomorrow, nothing is certain. In fact, predictions of a repeat of the 2000 elections where the Chad and Florida were at the center of a electoral controversy unlike any other have also not been ruled out.

Watchdog organizations believe that a turnout greater than 115 million could favor Senator Kerry and a lower turnout would help President Bush. Early polling numbers indicate that the turnout is expected to be much better than the last elections at least because of what is at stake this time. At stake are the country’s foreign policy and also the economy. While pundits predict that it might be homeland security that eventually decides the winner, many believe that some core issues like the environment and pollution have conveniently been swept aside.

Senator Kerry goes into the polls hoping that he has convinced the American people hard and enough that he is not the flip-flopper as he has been made out to be. His questionable decisions to support and oppose many bills in the senate have gotten him into much more trouble than he would have wanted them to. But he has made his bones working hard and uncovering major scams like the BCCI bank issues in the nineties. This points to a resolute individual who does not give up on anything he has started. In addition, the fact that he did go to Vietnam and came back to protest against the war talks of an individual who does his duty for the country but does not hesitate to question the purpose of the very war he went to fight. To stand up against what he thought was a wrong war after fulfilling his responsibilities for his country fighting the very same war speaks very highly of John Kerry’s character. In the final count, what would matter is if people believe he can safeguard the country against future terrorist attacks.

President George W. Bush has been the forerunner for most of the election campaign barring the weeks following the presidential debates. While his ability to relate to the locals in rural America has got him all the support he needs and more, his performance over the last four years have not really been as perfect as the Republican Party machinery has led us to believe. While the Afghan war was fully justified and supported by countries world over, the Iraq war has never quite been truly justified. The weapons of mass destruction are nowhere to be found nor are even the evidences of one such policy by Saddam Hussein. The 9/11 committee has categorically ruled out any significant relation between Al Qaeda and Saddam. The war is far from over and even as I type this blog, Fallujah is being ravaged by one of the most intense battles in the last couple of months. Last week alone has seen the death of more than 15 Marines not to mention the scores of innocent Iraqi civilians. The war seems to be never-ending and the insurgents seem to be gaining the upper hand by the day. This is far from the phenomenal and catastrophic success it has been made to be by President Bush and Vice President Cheney. In addition, it is undeniable that the respect and reputation of the US in the World arena is at its lowest in many decades. From being the liberator and champion of democracy, the United States has become the poster boy for the evil effects of being a superpower. This reputation needs to change and it seems unlikely that it would happen with President Bush at the helm. But to the Presidents credit, his popularity among the conservatives in America is at the highest in many years and so is his unique ability to reach out to the masses especially in the heartland states of America. The economy has not made many strides since 2000 even if we choose to ignore the lost jobs and fall in manufacturing. The President is campaigning on the sole platform of national security and it would be interesting to see if that alone gets his elected to a second term at office.

This election, there are more swing states than ever before not to mention the possible surprises that can be thrown up by traditional Red and Blue states like Arkansas and New Jersey respectively. In the heart of the swing states are people who have started complaining about being inundated with calls and ads and visits from party cadres to the point that they are tired of it. Residents of Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Iowa, New Mexico, Arizona, New Hampshire and a few other states not to forget Florida are at the unique position of determining the next President of United States.

In all, the elections and the days that follow will make for tremendous drama and very many surprises. But what is undeniable is the fact that the voting public is divided as they have never been before and this kind of divisive politics will continue to haunt the next President of United States.

And by the way, if this blog from me is any indication, there are million such and some important ones are listed here.