Daniel Johnson, the editor of Standpoint has an interesting Op-Ed in today’s New York Sun:
LONDON — Are American voters susceptible to blackmail? Ever since Sarah Palin lifted John McCain’s campaign, it is becoming increasingly clear that America will be branded racist if Europe does not wake up on November 5 to find that Barack Obama has been elected.
Here is what Jonathan Freedland of the Guardian had to say last week: “If [the election] is deemed to have been about race — that Obama was rejected because of his colour — the world’s verdict will be harsh.”
His view is that the anti-Americanism that has demonized President Bush will be as nothing to the global wrath that will greet a McCain presidency. “Suddenly Europeans and others will conclude that their dispute is with not only one ruling clique, but Americans themselves.”
Such self-fulfilling prophecies are to be heard at all the most elegant dinner tables in London. This week’s crash on Wall Street is already evoking a new round of gloating among those who always wanted to believe that the free market was ultimately doomed.
Now both American democracy and American capitalism are on trial in the court of European public opinion. And the only plea that the court will accept from America is: guilty.
I hate to break this to Mr. Freeland and his ilk… This election isn’t about race, it’s policies. I personally I disagree with Senator Obama’s policy positions and I won’t vote for him on that basis and on that basis only. Period.
For the record I’m not terribly happy with the alternative either. Particuarly after the way John McCain has been spouting populist crap about the credit crisis over the last couple days. Yes, greed and mismanagement played their part but we can not and should not overlook the role policy decisions made by Federal Government in 1990s played in creating this crisis.