Thomas Friedman, a columnist at the NYT and of course, the author of The World is Flat, writes in his column:
Now that we’ve settled that, and now that we’ve had an election that clarified which country is most important in shaping U.S. politics in 2006 — Iraq — I’ve come to visit the country that’s most likely to shape U.S. politics in 2008: China.
The civil war in the Republican Party, which you are about to see, will be all about Iraq — whom to blame and how to withdraw before the issue wipes out more Republican candidates in 2008. But the coming civil war among the Democrats will be all about China.
I’ve mentioned earlier that I expect a more protectionist US.
A long time ago, in a land far, far away, I’ve blogged that I’d like to see John McCain as the next President in 2008. With a Democrats-dominated Congress, I think I’d like to see a Republican President. A protectionist US isn’t good for the world. I feel McCain would provide the counterweight to Democrats lefties tendency without seeing too much of religious conservatives running around in packs and ruining the lawn.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record), considered the front-runner for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, intends to launch an exploratory committee next week, GOP officials said Friday. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid pre-empting a public statement from the four-term Arizona senator.
Run McCain, run!
If Obama’s running too — for the Presidency or the VP, regardless — it would be an interesting debate.
As for me, it would be simple. The person that comes closest to libertarian principle would be my pick. Well, maybe it wouldn’t be too simple a decision to make.
One reply on “[959] Of Friedman predicts 2008”
I wouldn’t mind McCain running and winning the presidency. Like I’ve said before, the only thing I have against the GOP is their overzealous Religious Right. Since McCain’s not beholden to that faction, I have no problems with him.
I’ve come to realise that my voting preferences is a tad bit more complicated than yours. I tend to like to think that I lean towards social democracy, but… On one hand, I am definately on the left on social issues. On economic issues, however, I am deadset a centrist on this. I definitely don’t want a more protectionist US, however, I also do not believe that a totally free-market global world is also all that it’s hyped up to be.
That was why when Bill Clinton and Tony Blair broke away from their party’s antiqued socialist influenced ideologies, they instantly became my political idols :P Paul Keating is their Australian equivalent here in Aus. All three of these leaders are proto-social democrats, or Third Wayers. They don’t want unions to dictate the economy, and hence cause increased protectionism, but they are not conservatives either.
In short, it’s not that I dislike economic rationalism, I just don’t like the New Right, which George W Bush and Karl Rove personified. I’m stumped as to how someone can come up with the idea to lump social conservatism together with economic rationalism. How is not providing any social services helping to maintain compassionate family values?
Anyways, I’m actually quote happy about all the potential candidates for the 08 presidency. On one hand, we have Hillary Clinton, which, me being a liberal, I can’t help but like and Obama, which is s shoot of fresh air. On the other, we have McCain instead of a Religious Right dummy like George W Bush. So yeah, either way’s fine with me :D