My Blind Spot for US Politics

You have of course noticed the increasing amount of coverage in the media, especially traditional media, of the US presidential campaigns. Perhaps like many Canadians you are paying attention to it and find it interesting. I am not paying attention except insofar as I can't avoid it whenever I turn on the radio, click on a news site, or on the odd occasions I find myself in front of a television.

I don't pay attention because I consider it all quite unimportant. Certainly it is of importance to Americans, but I would argue it is unimportant to Canadians. Yes, it is entertaining, if that's the sort of thing that turns your crank. It can also be titillating, if you enjoy the questionable tactics often employed. But does it matter? I say that it does not.

To my way of viewing US politics, the only event in this campaign that matters is the election result. Everything up to that point is time-sucking noise. I am not a US voter so the campaigns help me not at all. Apparently it isn't even important to the large proportion of Americans who will not vote.

Even the result of the election is of only moderate importance to this Canadian. Regardless of who wins, the impact on trade and foreign relations won't differ a great deal. The forces underlying those themes, the only ones of particular interest to non-Americans, are greater than any president. The US administration will have some sway, mostly in the way of minor adjustments to the greater forces of the country's economic and political interests.

So if you do like to watch the electioneering, go ahead. Just don't deceive yourself that anything of great moment is occurring or that it will impact you to any degree. The US will continue to be broadly open to trade, with selected barriers due to security concerns and industry pressure groups. The US will find a way to get of Iraq, no matter which candidate wins. Petroleum policy and security will continue to be priorities if only because the entire country believes in their importance. There may be bigger internal changes, such as in their approach to health care, but that does not affect us. As usual we can learn from their policy experiments, both the successes and failures, and perhaps emulate or expunge them in our own institutions.

If there is a federal election of our own this fall, I will pay close attention. That, to me, is truly important since it affects my life and my country.