Super Tuesday: super tedious

Now of course, I am English and we English chaps are not known for our sense of fun, excitement, entertainment and exaggeration.  We prefer understatement, moderation, stiff upper lip and good sense over exuberance and self elevation.

We don't want our every comment and opinion to be heard by people in however a distant and detached a corner of the crowded restaurant which, by dint of misfortune, they find themselves ensconsed with us.   Unthinkable, the idea that we could rename the FA cup the World Series in Soccer, just because we know that our Premiership sides are the best in the world.  And we just think that the wearing of brand new white training shoes with chinos is all wrong.

And so it is when one compares British democracy with American. The Westminster Model versus the politics on Capitol Hill.  When a national poitical leader is elected in the UK it happens in a dignified way, with votes taken amongst the consituency network and Parliamentary parties following a mercifully short period of hustings and sound bites. 

Such a contrast from the world wide froth and fuss over Super Tuesday.  Will there be a Wonderful Wednesday and a Mega Monday is my first question?  But beyond that, what is this Super Tuesday all about?  Apart from an effective way to burn many, many, many millions of dollars on lobbying, influencing, tele-marketing, press conferences, media appearances, rallies, hair spray and super whitening toothpaste?  The most expensive pre-election election by a very long shot, it turns out.

This is not the Presidential election.  In fact, this election, when it comes down to it, decides very little of global significance and means even less.  This is just yet another tedious episode in the crushingly long winded effort to vote for the people who will be put up to be voted for again during the contest for the Presidential election later in the year. Where no doubt, many more mega millions will be shucked out.  If only this money was spent on the scandalous American public health care system.

Now don't misunderstand me.  I think these are exciting times for US politics. The idea of either a black or a woman President is ground breaking indeed, and if I had to express an opinion, I would probably incline more towards Obama.  Still too many stains left from the first Clinton era.   McCain?  Too old in my view but please don't tell Khun Samak that I said so.

We have seen Primaries in the world famous venues of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina already.  Earth shattering stuff.  Now we are faced with Super Tuesday and the fun still won't be over for a while yet.

So I am moved to suggest, as the Americans might say, enough already.  Poop or get off the pot.  Just decide won't you.  This is democracy not pantomime or soap opera.  How hard can it be to elect the national leader of the two main political parties?  And if you have to have all of this messing around with balloons and banners, why can't you do it all on one day and call it Fabulous Friday?

I wanna watch more interesting news on the telly and in the papers.  Like about a turnip growing contest in Solihull. Or an interesting report on the worrying increase in the prevalence of verucas.  There won't be anything that exciting on the US domestic political front until the end of this year, after all, when the really important election takes place.