Bush. Clinton. Bush. Clinton?

Headline in The Times:

Fear of a dynasty denies Hillary Clinton votes.

Good, as far as I am concerned.

Now I’m not going to get bogged down in a debate about Clinton’s relative merits – or lack thereof – as a Presidential Candidate. But fuck me, it is a bit worrying if the best the US can come up with, since 1988, is people from the same two fricking families, isn’t it? Population – over 300 million. Number of families the president is drawn from – 2. Hardly reinforces your belief in US democracy, does it?

One quote is particularly striking:

"Peggy Noonan, former speech-writer to President Ronald Reagan, noted in The Wall Street Journal last week that Obama was beginning to win support from Republicans and independents who "see him as a Democrat who could cure the Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton sickness"… She added: "I say sickness because on some level I think it is driven by a delusion: ‘We will be safe with these ruling families whom we know so well’. But we won’t. They have no special magic. Dynasticism brings with it a sense of deterioration. It is dispiriting.""

Of course, Noonan will have an agenda that is worth acknowledging – as a Republican, another Clinton in the White House is not good news for her. But her points still stands. The thought of Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton (and with Jeb waiting in the wings in four to eight years time) is not edifying.

I’m unsure of who the best candidate would be – whilst Obama has a certain (albeit deeply vacuous) charm I rather think Giuliani will be the more capable administrator. But it would be depressing if the very best the US can offer is more of the same two families who have dominated US politics since the 1980’s.

I once read about an old saying that went around the USA when JFK was President (and Bobby was eyeing up the White House for when his big bruv stepped down) that went something like this:

"We’ll have JFK until 1968, then RFK in 1968 and 1972. We’ll then have Teddy Kennedy in 1976 and 1980. When he steps down, well, then it will be 1984."

I can’t quite see the US disappearing into Orwell’s dystopia just yet – the growth of these dynasties reminds me more of the stagnation of the Roman Empire, or the shameless nepotism associated with the Borgias. Either way, neither option is an outstanding example for the world’s supposed leader in democracy.