Bye bye Sarah

Wonderful. Obama wins.

However, in the interests of political balance, I must admit that the high point for me was the most beautiful sight I have seen in many years - Sarah Palin choking back the tears. Bless.

Sadly, Alaska didn’t go Democratic (though I can’t help feeling that’s mostly because Palin's environmental policies pretty much decimated the polar bear vote), but you can’t have everything.

I feel quite sorry for Obama – a great guy to elect, and a truly crushing victory, but what a dreadful time to be elected. An economy in collapse and two wars with no politically acceptable way out of either. Iraq already in the hands of fundamentalist Shi'ites and Afghanistan completely unwinnable.

Not that Obama will be short of goodwill – after 8 years with Dubya, Obama could hardly be more welcome. I think most non-Americans would have welcomed a three-headed Martian. Or a bucket. Going by the vote, so would most Americans, if only the bucket went to church.

Yet to tell you the truth, I was quite looking forward to McCain winning. Nothing to do with the policies (puh-lease...), but I was rather attracted to the image of him dropping dead right after his inauguration and watching Ms Palin run the planet for four years.

I agree that total environmental collapse and global war is a high price to pay for four years of Sarah Palin accidentally satirising herself 24 hours a day, and there is something quite draining about the prospect of a president who makes Dubya look deep. But on the plus side, it would finally awaken Congress to the need for more terminal measures against pitbulls, no matter how pertly the lipstick was applied.