US Elections

Yeh, I know a strange heading for a Welsh blog, but I think I’ve worked out why the BBC and other useless media we have in this country are so obsessed with what goes on in the US, even though no-one in Britain gives a monkeys.  It’s because, as the old saying goes, we follow (or lag behind) America by about 5 years. Now that is rather frightening for many reasons, but here is just one.

If you look at Cameron, Clegg and Miliband you can hardly see the joins, but at least all three of them, well, two at least, mmm, OK, one maybe, can speak. You know what I mean, form words, and in some cases coherent sentences…

Well, let’s take a quick look at the US candidates:

Barrack Obama

‘When I meet with world leaders, what’s striking – whether it’s in Europe or here in Asia…’ – mistakenly referring to Hawaii as Asia (Nov 16, 2011)

‘The Middle East is obviously an issue that has plagued the region for centuries.’ (Jan 28, 2010)

‘The reforms we seek would bring greater competition, choice, savings and inefficiencies to our health care system.’ (July 20, 2009)

‘It was also interesting to see that political interaction in Europe is not that different from the United States Senate. There’s a lot of – I don’t know what the term is in Austrian, wheeling and dealing.’ – confusing German for ‘Austrian’, a language which does not exist (Strasbourg, France, April 6, 2009)

‘No, no. I have been practicing… I bowled a 129. It’s like – it was like Special Olympics, or something.’ (March 19, 2009)

‘I didn’t want to get into a Nancy Reagan thing about doing any séances.’ – after saying he had spoken with all the living presidents as he prepared to take office (Nov 7, 2008)

‘What I was suggesting – you’re absolutely right that John McCain has not talked about my Muslim faith…’

‘Let me be absolutely clear. Israel is a strong friend of Israel’s. So that policy is not going to change.’ (Amman, Jordan, July 22, 2008)

‘On this Memorial Day, as our nation honours its unbroken line of fallen heroes, and I see many of them in the audience here today, our sense of patriotism is particularly strong.’

‘I’ve now been in 57 states, I think one left to go.’ – at a campaign event in Beaverton, Oregon

‘Why can’t I just eat my waffle?’ – after being asked a foreign policy question by a reporter while visiting a diner in Pennsylvania

‘It’s not surprising, then, they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.’ – explaining his troubles winning over some working-class voters

‘Come on! I just answered, like, eight questions.’ – exasperated by reporters after a news conference

‘In case you missed it, this week, there was a tragedy in Kansas. Ten thousand people died, an entire town destroyed.’ – on a Kansas tornado that killed 12 people

Mitt Romney

‘Everything corporations earn ultimately goes to the people.’ – Mitt Romney, when asked if taxes should be raised on corporations as part of balancing the budget (August 2011)

‘I like being able to fire people who provide services to me.’ – Mitt Romney (January 2012)

‘I’m not concerned about the very poor. We have a safety net there.’ – Mitt Romney (January 2012)

‘I should tell my story. I’m also unemployed.’ – Mitt Romney, speaking in 2011 to unemployed people in Florida. Romney’s net worth is over $200 million.

‘My wife drives a couple of Cadillacs.’ – Mitt Romney, (February 2012)

‘I believe in an America where millions of Americans believe in an America that’s the America millions of Americans believe in. That’s the America I love.’ – Mitt Romney (January 2012)

‘PETA is not happy that my dog likes fresh air.’ – Mitt Romney, responding to criticism from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals following revelations that he had once put the family dog in a carrier and strapped it to the roof of his car during a 12-hour road trip

‘We have a president, who I think is a nice guy, but he spent too much time at Harvard, perhaps.’ – Mitt Romney, who despite being as thick as two short planks somehow managed to get two Harvard degrees (April 5, 2012)

‘I love this state. The trees are the right height.’ – Mitt Romney, campaigning in Michigan (February 2012)

‘I get speaker’s fees from time to time, but not very much.’ – Mitt Romney, who earned $374,000 in speaking fees in one year (January 2012)

‘I’m not familiar precisely with what I said, but I’ll stand by what I said, whatever it was.’ —Mitt Romney (May 17, 2012)

So there you have it, the thoughts of two of the most powerful men on the planet. Still, at least Sarah Palin isn’t standing.

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