GEORGE BUSH is almost certainly on the way out of the White House, with Democrat challenger Bill Clinton set to become the 42nd president of the United States America. Should November 3 be Chanksgiving Day for the left?
Of course, t's always gratifying to see rightwing politicians lose elections; in the case of former CIA chief Bush, it will be a real pleasure. If you want to see the real Butcher of Baghdad, look no further than the Oval Office.
Three Republican governments since Ronald Reagan took office in 1980 have openly operated in the interests of capital, from Pennsylvania to Panama, by armed force if necessary.
Cutting edge
Reaganism constituted the cutting edge of the international new right ideologically and militarily, just as Thatcherism did economically. In his 'kinder, gentler America', Bush kept up the bad work. For him to be defeated -even by the far from radical Clinton challenge - will strengthen morale and could raise combativity among many working class people fighting back in the USĂ and elsewhere.
Republicans have lost their way. Their last Party convention fell under the thrall of hardline anti-gay, anti-abortion Christian fundamentalists, with Bush sitting in on the prayer breakfasts.
Vice president Dan meanwhile, has become an worldwide running joke, proof positive that the bourgeoisie doesn't make it to the top on intellect alone.
In contrast to the so-called Grand Old Party, the Democrats have traditionally been seen by radical Americans as the lesser evil. While not a European-style mass working class party, Democrats are portrayed as close to organised labour and black people and at least ready to listen to the concerns of women, and lesbians and gay men.
Yet as the American slump continues, neither party offers answers to Page 10 25 Oct, 1992 pseudo-debate centred around intangible symbolism utterly dominates official politics.
The Democrats take their liberal, black and union constituencies for of granted and pitch their appeal solidly to the (mostly white) middle class, many of whom currently face economic hardship, albeit not on the scale of South Central Los Angeles.
Clinton has built his entire campaigr around not being George presents himself as youth against age, new blood against a tried and proven failure - JFK, the second time as farce.
The Republicans campaign in kind, accusing him of draft dodging, tramarital relationships, student dope smoking (but not, apparently, inhaling) and KGB-funded freebies to Moscow. Clinton can only counter by pointing to the qualities of the man running mate.
Vietnam vet Al Gore - one of the strongest Democrat supporters of the Gulf carnage - cancels out draft-dodging claims, while wife Tipper - a noted 'clean up rock' campaigner - provides the family values ballast against Hillary Clinton's ostensibly hot-headed liberal feminism.
Poverty
Many Americans frankly don't give a damn. According Bureau statistics, 35. 14.2 per cent of the population - now live in poverty, up considerably over Quayle, the Reagan/Bush years.
Four out of five Americans are worse off than in 1980, as wage rises don't keep up with inflation. employment can reach 70 per cent.
In a deliberate echo of Roosevelt's New Deal rhetoric. promised a 'New Covenant. But what's on offer is anything but radical. In the British terms, right of the present all-party social market consensus.
Alongside UK Labour Party-style calls for infrastructural investment and better training, measures the Tories still only dream of implementing, most notably workfareNo. 30