It’ll Be President John McCain
The scene seemed innocuous enough. I was speaking in a big conference room at the Holiday Inn Grande Prairie Alberta. I had just finished speaking to the Association of Alberta Agricultural Fieldmen and it was question and answer period. From the back of the room, somebody asked who I thought was going to win the American election.
This was after an hour and a half of me speaking about Canadian agriculture and biofuel and several questions on the subject. I was a bit taken aback, but I gave my standard answer in November 2007. I told the selected audience, the next American President would be Hillary Clinton.
If I was taken aback by the question, I was equally taken back by the reaction to my answer. For whatever reason, the questioner and the room seemed to shudder on the confidence of my answer. It was like they couldn’t believe it. Then I said don’t doubt Illinois Senator Barack Obama, he had quite a bit of juice.
I doubt if I have a future career as an American political analyst, but I’ll always be indebted to the man from Lloydminister Alberta who gave me that question. I follow American politics like most people in southwestern Ontario. I’ve always liked Hillary Clinton. Barack Obama was pretty unknown to me. However, moving forward I felt Hillary Clinton would be the next President of the United States.
So now that the last democratic primaries are over, it looks just like everybody else, I missed my prediction. Senator Barack Obama has the most delegates and Mrs. Clinton is just behind him maybe by about 190 voting delegates. It is so close. However, at times like this former Boston Celtic and eight time world champion Bill Russell’s words ring true. When his opponents complained about yet another loss to the Celtics, he’s say, “that’s why they keep score.”
At the end of the day, score one for Barack Obama edging Hillary Clinton for the coveted Democratic nomination. Clearly, it’s looked for some time now that the winner of the Democratic nomination would be President. The unpopularity of the Iraq war and an American economy on the verge of recession has hurt the Republicans. 72-year-old Republican nominee John McCain is going to be tied with the Bush record. It looked like the Presidency was the Democrats for the taking.
That’s what must make this so bitter for Hillary Clinton. In my opinion she’d make a great President. Ever since her husband left the Presidency you’ve witnessed her posturing toward the Presidency. Even when the primaries started she looked unbeatable. However, she was beat fair and square by a candidate who seemed to transform race and bring a younger generation into the political process. Seeing it all slip away when it was such a sure thing must have been crushing.
Of course there is the VP slot. However, I don’t think so. Hillary as VP would not work. She’s too Presidential. However, if Obama really wants to win, he might hold out an olive branch. Hillary Clinton is formidable. Having her in an American cabinet would be fruitful.
Some of you might be thinking I’m being a bit too charitable to Hillary Clinton. I know, there are a lot of Hillary haters, many of whom are women. Case in point is a young woman I often correspond with in my other genre of agricultural economics. She told me that Hillary’s face almost brings her to violence. Ditto for some of my other American female agricultural colleagues. I don’t quite get it, but it is what it is.
So how about Barack Obama? I dunno. However, the man can speak, whoa. He has been running on a platform of “change.” Nonetheless, I’m not quite sure anybody knows what that really means. There has been such a groundswell of movement against the Republicans, it would seem everybody is piling on and Obama has been the beneficiary.
Clearly though, I would be remiss to write off the Republicans completely especially when large areas of the United States have conservative leanings. They see Obama and Hillary Clinton as too liberal. Race in the United States remains an issue and you can bet it will be there, as November gets closer. The Republicans also have a solid campaign team who knows how to exploit all of the Democratic weaknesses. With John McCain’s background as a Vietnam War POW, he’ll certainly have many opportunities to “pull rank” during the upcoming campaign.
So who’s going to be President in November? I say it’ll be President John McCain. However, think back to my Presidential prediction back in Grande Prairie Alberta last December. Sometimes, my prognostications don’t work out so well.