The view from abroad

At the suggestion of the great Nimzy I bought last week's (6/7-13) issue of the Economist for their take on the U.S. primaries. It was a really interesting look at our process through English eyes, stripped of the baggage American journalists bring to the process. They bring their own baggage, but it is a refreshing change and offers new insights.

For example, many of us see the primaries as overly long, overly expensive and inefficient. But they remind us that this is the only country in the world where this process takes place, publicly and with the participation of everyone who wants to participate, while the rest of the world nominates its party representatives behind closed doors. Any American journalist saying such a thing would either be kicked out of the journalism club for boosterism or hired by Fox.

There were lots of other interesting observations; perhaps my favorite, in part because it is so British in tone, is their take on Bill Clinton's role in Hillary's campaign: "Most Democrats love him. But he is also a cad and a narcissist."