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Who would you vote for in the upcoming American election? On November 2, 2004, the world will be waiting for its next leader, that is, the President of the United States, the most powerful country in the world. George W. Bush claimed victory in 2000 after the controversial voting results in the state of Florida were cleared in a Supreme Court judgement – his presidency has been characterised by endless conflict and controversy: 9/11 and the war on terror, the Iraqi war, his tax cuts for the very rich, his refusal to sign the Kyoto Protocol on climate control, and his opposition to have America become a signatory of the International Criminal Court. Yet, many Americans still have faith in Bush, the eldest son of former President George H. Bush, and many still feel seduced by his Texan charm and his many gaffes.
Senator John Kerry, the Democrat contender, has suffered great losses at the polls but has now inched back at par with Bush. His outlook, a liberal, centre-left American ideology characteristic of the Democrat party, is unlikely to turn back the tide of discontent created under Bush’s gung-ho war on terrorism, but he hopes to build bridges between a world which has been left affected by America’s
vicissitudes and unilateralism.
In what many perceive to be a world election more than anything else, MaltaToday asked several commentators and personalities who would they vote for if they had the American vote.
1. Jason Azzopardi (Nationalist MP)
“I would vote for Bush. The principal reason would be that Kerry is pro-choice, whilst Bush is more pro-life. Kerry is very liberal in that respect, in my personal opinion. The Republican party is also more akin to the Nationalist party. Another reason is that Kerry’s voting patterns in the US Senate on Iraq were very inconsistent.”
2. Leo Brincat
(Labour MP)
“It’s a bit confusing because both platforms look different, but at the heart it does not actually look like that. Although from a European perspective many seem to favour Kerry, when it comes to his policies on the Middle East or on Iraq I don’t see such a large difference. Both of them tend to be quite uninspiring.”
3. Guze Stagno (Author Nbid Ta’ Kuljum)
“I’m not even following the US elections. I don’t even know who is running anyway.”
4. Andrea Cassar (Liquorice, TVM)
“I’d think I’d go for Kerry. Firstly it’s healthy to have a change in government. But after watching Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9-11, I would be lying if I said it did not influence me. The film was very effective.”
5. Clyde Puli (Nationalist MP)
“This is one of the most difficult elections because in actual fact there isn’t even a choice here. With all due respect, Kerry is no Clinton and Bush is no Reagan either. At the end of the day you have to choose the lesser evil, but I don’t think there is much to choose from.”
6. Carlo Borg Bonaci
(Big Breakfast,XFM)
“I would definitely go for Kerry. I just can’t stand Bush’s attitude, not just as a politician but also as a person.”
7. Mario Galea (Nationalist MP)
“I would vote for Bush because he is determined in the war against terrorism, whilst Kerry’s policy on terrorism is too flimsy, all surface and no substance.”
8. Marie-Louise Coleiro (Labour MP)
“I would choose Kerry on the basis of his approach to the way he wants to fight terrorism. The aggressiveness of Bush’s strategy is something I absolutely cannot accept.”
9. Claudette Pace (Singer)
“Until some time ago I would have chosen Kerry, but no longer now. I don’t trust Bush anymore, but I think Kerry is not the right one for the Democrats. They needed another Clinton and this candidate is not strong enough.”
10. Mary Darmanin (Department of English, University of Malta)
“I would vote for Kerry. Firstly, George Bush’s foreign policy is a threat to peace, human rights and good relations between nations. The fact that he has no respect for institutions such as the UN is surely a reason I won’t vote for him. His internal policy for America is also disastrous. He’s also using religion to attack Kerry, who looks like he has good policies and credible backers like Clinton.”
11. Stephen Calleya (Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies)
“As far as I’m concerned, I would vote for President George W. Bush. He has demonstrated that he’s up to leading a superpower in difficult times.”
12. Joe Friggieri (Department of Philosophy, University of Malta)
“I think I would vote for Kerry. He’s the lesser of the two evils.”
13. Joanna Drake
(PN European Parliament
candidate)
“The choice is not very good, but I would definitely not vote for Bush. I think he is not an able politician, he doesn’t convince me that he has a sense of leadership or vision. And I absolutely do not agree with the way he waged the Iraqi campaign or the reasons for entering the campaign. The same would go for Tony Blair.”
14. Joe Mifsud (International Secretary, MLP)
“Kerry, obviously. I support the Democrats because they are closer to Labour’s policies in terms of social democracy, and he does have very interesting policies. However, my favourite candidate for US President would have been John Edwards (Kerry vice-presidential candidate).”
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