US presidential vote under way, close so far between Obama and Romney, but big business already won before a candidate was named, ordinary Americans lose out again

Dear All

The big story of the day is the voting for the next President of the USA.

This is a contest between President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney.

In a real sense, despite the offerings of both men, the people will lose out.

Obama came to office four years on a platform of change; the reality for many Americans is that domestically their situation never got better.

Today isn’t about electing the best man for the job; it is more like keeping the least objectionable in place.

US President Barack Obama has been a failure, he hasn’t cleaned up Wall Street, and he hasn’t restored America’s reputation after the disastrous tenure of George W Bush.

Afghanistan is still a corrupt country, Iraq is ruined, Libya has become fractured and Syria, the next country in the chain is collapsing. Elsewhere in Bahrain, riots are happening and the breakdown of law and order must surely follow. The Americans in Bahrain aren’t cheering on this breakdown; they are using Bahrain for the stationing of the American Fifth fleet in the Gulf.

So far early voting shows it is a two horse race with Obama and Romney level pegging.

 Politics in America isn’t cheap, this campaign is said to have cost more than $2bn (£1.3bn).

Whoever wins, one thing is certain, big business that has financed both campaigns is set to clean up as usual; they are the real winners.

Smart money I suspect will be put on Obama, it is said that recently he has picked up because of the Super storm Sandy; some said he had a ‘good’ storm, but Romney cannot be counted out just yet as early voting shows.

America is much the poorer for the present two party political systems which have operated as a cartel to the detriment of all.

Voters need a real choice and sadly until more people start to vote for alternative candidates in significant numbers and question more the direction of travel of Federal Government, nothing will change.

The gap between rich and poor is growing and both the Democrats and Republicans are in the pockets of the big Corporations.

This election was already bought before the candidates were named.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University