May sanity prevail!

TODAY, as many as 120 million Americans are expected to turn out to vote in an election that has in the past months dominated the media.

The interest that the American elections generate bear testimony to the power that the US yields in the world and of course the emotions that have been sparked by Bush’s global policies. While it seems too late now to sway those voters who have decided to maintain the status quo, some of us watching the events from afar believe that the sooner George W Bush vacates office the safer this world will become.While John Kerry’s reputation does raise some questions, polls from around the world have indicated that if it was up to other countries to decide who should lead the US government for the next four years, Kerry would win hands down.The world’s opinion of the US has deteriorated rapidly under the Bush regime.With Iraq falling apart and several other domestic issues such as health care, abortion and gay marriage and the economy raising serious questions, there could be no more opportune time than this for American citizens to opt for sanity this time around.As the Democrats have said, if Bush wins today’s election the world will have to deal with “more of the same” for the next four years.A victory for Kerry, on the other hand, would give Americans and the world a “second chance”.Kerry has indicated in his campaign messages that he plans to turn the US around and set it on the straight course.Bush, who sees himself as the master of the universe, has created more chaos than order – not only in his country but in the world as a whole.For instance, far more casualties ae being recorded in Iraq today than before Bush and his allies invaded the country.A recent survey of deaths in Iraqi households estimates that as many as 100 000 more people have died throughout the country in the 18 months since the Bush-led invasion than would be expected based on the death rate before the war.But in today’s election one cannot help but fear a repeat of the controversy that dogged the 2000 elections which pitted Bush against Al Gore.With Bush and Kerry neck and neck in major battleground states according to latest polls, the election result could be decided in the courts.This could prove detrimental for Kerry.American voters have been split in half in probably the nastiest run-up to an election in modern history.The campaign has seen heated rhetoric and shock television commercials from both camps.But hours before the polls open confusion still reigns over which candidate offers the best prospects for national security.Further chaos was created by Osama bin Laden’s entry into the fray at the weekend.In a message broadcast by al Jazeera television, Bin Laden warned of a possible repeat of the September 11 2001 terrorist attacks and said the election would have no bearing on al Qaeda operations, whether it was won by Bush or Kerry.However, Osama’s threat and other factors withstanding, one hopes that the American electorate will not reduce the occasion to simply “voting for an idiot you know rather than for an idiot you don’t know”.* Tabby Moyo is the Deputy News Editor at The Namibian.While it seems too late now to sway those voters who have decided to maintain the status quo, some of us watching the events from afar believe that the sooner George W Bush vacates office the safer this world will become.While John Kerry’s reputation does raise some questions, polls from around the world have indicated that if it was up to other countries to decide who should lead the US government for the next four years, Kerry would win hands down.The world’s opinion of the US has deteriorated rapidly under the Bush regime.With Iraq falling apart and several other domestic issues such as health care, abortion and gay marriage and the economy raising serious questions, there could be no more opportune time than this for American citizens to opt for sanity this time around.As the Democrats have said, if Bush wins today’s election the world will have to deal with “more of the same” for the next four years.A victory for Kerry, on the other hand, would give Americans and the world a “second chance”.Kerry has indicated in his campaign messages that he plans to turn the US around and set it on the straight course.Bush, who sees himself as the master of the universe, has created more chaos than order – not only in his country but in the world as a whole.For instance, far more casualties ae being recorded in Iraq today than before Bush and his allies invaded the country.A recent survey of deaths in Iraqi households estimates that as many as 100 000 more people have died throughout the country in the 18 months since the Bush-led invasion than would be expected based on the death rate before the war.But in today’s election one cannot help but fear a repeat of the controversy that dogged the 2000 elections which pitted Bush against Al Gore.With Bush and Kerry neck and neck in major battleground states according to latest polls, the election result could be decided in the courts.This could prove detrimental for Kerry.American voters have been split in half in probably the nastiest run-up to an election in modern history.The campaign has seen heated rhetoric and shock television commercials from both camps.But hours before the polls open confusion still reigns over which candidate offers the best prospects for national security.Further chaos was created by Osama bin Laden’s entry into the fray at the weekend.In a message broadcast by al Jazeera television, Bin Laden warned of a possible repeat of the September 11 2001 terrorist attacks and said the election would have no bearing on al Qaeda operations, whether it was won by Bush or Kerry.However, Osama’s threat and other factors withstanding, one hopes that the American electorate will not reduce the occasion to simply “voting for an idiot you know rather than for an idiot you don’t know”.* Tabby Moyo is the Deputy News Editor at The Namibian.