The American election industry is the democracy of the wealthy, we have recently seen. The election campaign, especially if it includes the presidency, does not deserve to be called so unless billions of dollars are spent. Barack Obama spent a record amount while on his way to victory, but it was also a special number because the candidate did not depend very much on big donors and the well-known lobby groups. Using technology, he went straight to ordinary voters and obtained $100 and $200 donations, exceeding the amount raised by John McCain and the Republican Party. I think that Obama's good luck, or the “Obama effect” as some in the US are calling it, will continue in the 2010 mid-term elections. There is no logical reason for me to expect that the Democrats will lose their majority in the House or the Senate. I have read items that indicate a possible increase in their majority, although I remain cautious. I have been following American elections for decades, and the general rule is that the majority party loses in the following round of mid-term elections. The Republicans are apparently playing the economy card, although it was they who destroyed the economy. They are saying that the US economy has yet to recover, and that unemployment is at about 9.5 percent, which is a high number, affecting millions of American families. However, the Republicans are forgetting that the next elections will take place in a year and some months from now (2 November 2010), and it is likely that the US economy will stabilize, if it does not noticeably improve. If this happens, the Republicans will pay the price of their mistakes once again. The economy is the most important issue; some polls say that American voters are not happy with the performance of the administration, although others show that the president and his policies continue to enjoy high confidence. Obama has truly improved the image of his country around the world, and over a few months has visited Europe and Latin America, addressed Muslims in Cairo and traveled to Russia and Africa, while the White House has received half of the world's leaders up to now. He works every night past midnight, while George Bush used to play sports and turn out the lights at 10pm. Perhaps I can add here Vice President Joe Biden's role in supporting Obama's efforts. Biden has 36 years' experience in the Senate and has visited Europe; he delivered the first address of the new administration on foreign policy. He has also visited Latin America and paved the way for the Summit of the Americas, with Obama in attendance. Biden visited the Balkans and Beirut; he spoke to supporters of Israel at their annual meeting about the necessity of the establishment of a Palestinian state. In short, Biden has returned respect to the office of the vice-president, which had been lost by the leader of the war cabal, Dick Cheney. Yesterday, I said that the Democrats had 58 seats in the Senate, as two independents vote with them, compared to 40 Republicans. The two independents are Joe Lieberman from Connecticut and Bernie Sanders from Vermont, two of the smallest states in the US in terms of population and size. Lieberman is a Likudnik who represents Israel in the Senate. The Republican Party rejected him and he ran as an independent, with support from the same lobby. Lieberman attacked his opponent Ned Lamont and the fiercest accusation was that Lamont did not sufficiently support Israel. I had hoped that Lieberman would be running in the mid-term elections, so he might lose, but his term will not end until 2014. I think he is a shameful presence in US politics. Is it a coincidence that Lieberman left his party, like Arlen Specter? The latter resembles Lieberman in that he usually votes liberal, unless the issue is Israel. Both are on the right of the Likud; they represent Israel and not the interests of their country. I have read many letters published in American newspapers written by Americans who think as I do. I have cited some of them in this column. The Likudnik Specter was afraid that the Republican Party would select another candidate for Senate, so he jumped to the Democrats, to run in the mid-term elections. He is 80 years and is a five-time representative of Israel and the Republican Party. I read that Representative Joe Sestak wants to run for the seat and I hope that he defeats Specter. He has what is wanted and is a retired admiral, which guarantees the support of conservatives. He supports Obama's programs, which means that liberals will lean toward him. People like Lieberman and Specter have made Pat Buchanan say that the Capitol is “Israeli-occupied territory,” and perhaps it will be liberated, along with Palestine.
