“Senator Barack Obama in Detroit 5/07”, by Radiospike photography

“Yes we can”. It’s a great campaign slogan. Inspiring, certainly when set to Will.i.am’s music. A rhetorical talent. Flashbacks of a new Martin Luther King. And what he tells seems to makes sense.
Barack Obama seems to be winning the campaign, this and that side of the Atlantic.
“From Germany: If Europe were allowed to vote, it would not even be a contest – Obama would win in a landslide. And I think that’s not because of policy, but because he is a great leader, one that can bring people together and inspire them, someone who is sorely needed in politics today“, writes Fabian.

I hope Fabian also has a strong opinion on Angela Merkel.
Because my burning question is: Why should I care? About him, or about Hillary. About John or about Mick.

Why the big fuss about who stands a chance of becoming “the most powerful man on earth” (or woman if it gets to be Hillary), if even the worst possible person for the job – I’m talking George W. Bush jr. here – could not mess it up so much as to cause irreparable damage?

Why is it then that the American primaries get so much attention in the Belgian press? Foreign news these days seems to be 80% American Democrats and Republicans choosing delegates, 20% for the rest of the world.
Why am I called upon to fill in voting tests to see which American Democrat or Republican is closest to my political beliefs? I can’t vote for them in any case.
Why should I know that Hillary’s campaign manager got fired because she couldn’t lead an organization of 500 people?
Why should I know or care about the subtle differences in proposals for health care reform between Hillary and Obama?
Why should I learn all the ins and outs of the health prospects of a 76 year old man called John McCain?
Why should I know the voter-demographics in 50 states?
Why is half of Digg and del.icio.us and Reddit devoted to Ron Paul, Huckabee, Diebold machines and other noninteresting stuff.
I feel like I am being over-informed here.

Please wake me up the day the American president was chosen, and inform me at that time about what his plans are and later about the actions he takes. But leave the current primaries for what they are: inland American politics.

“Yes we can”? “Please do – whoever it is – and get on with it” would be my answer.