I could admit now that I must have been too prompt on my views when I had boldly proclaimed that the Republican Party would most likely lose next U.S. Presidential Election unless a miracle happens—like the coming of a messianic “wonder boy” among their lot to present to the American electorate as someone not merely viable, but someone who could be amiable enough to defy and counteracts President George W. Bush continually unpopular Iraq War Strategy and record-low public approval rating.

I forgot about this guy named John McCain, the senior senator from Arizona and the one guy who could have been president now if President Bush wasn’t carrying his father’s heavy name in 2000 Republican Party primary polling. He subsequently turned down an offer to become the presidential running mate for the Grand Old Party in that year’s U.S. elections.

I could remember how he was so calm and eloquent in conversing issues during the presidential debates and I was sure that I had decided that if I were an American voter then, he was surely my man. With the kind of intelligence he had shown, it would be such a pity if he could not be president of the most powerful nation in the world.

Now if you ask if he could take the Hillary Clinton challenge, I can dare say that he is in fact the most probable candidate that could neutralize the highly perceived adroitness of Ms. Clinton—you could say mano-a-mano. If both would turn out to be the main contenders for next year’s U.S. elections, it could be the first time in years that we’d actually be regaled with two very intelligent and insightful presidential nominees especially in the series of debate to be had by then.

In fact by now, Senator McCain shows a clear advantage on issues, demonstrating heavy experience and sharp insights.

He called Hillary Clinton’s and Obama Barracks plan to reduce or withdraw troops from Iraq to be “lacking in logic” where he opined that subtracting forces from the region could mean disaster as this would lead to widespread genocide and ethnic cleansing. True to form, McCain’s ‘logic’ may be very valid at this time where in the northern province of Najaf in Iraq, 600 insurgents were thwarted by combined U.S. and Iraqi forces from massacring hordes of Shiite Iraqis bound to celebrate an important religious observance. 31 Shiite Muslims have died from that encounter.

And besides, Senator Clinton flip-flopping on the Iraq issue has now become so publicized where in the beginning she had supported the Iraq War—albeit conditionally—-and then detesting it now and calling it as “the war he (President Bush) had started”.

We could see now how on matters of issues and debate, Senator John McCain may be more proficient than Senator Clinton and may give her a good run for the money come 2008.

For the first time in many years (if not in decades), something interesting is brewing in American politics nowadays; I mean really interesting.

With the popularity rating of President George W. Bush at an all-time low—only better than of Nixon when he was about to abdicate—and with the Democratic Party having had the most dramatic triumph in 2006’s Midterm Election, ensnaring control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives for the first time in 12 years, the democrats are bound for a smooth ride in the next U.S. Presidential Elections come 2008; unless something sort of a miracle happens on the Republican side by that time, pitting as a nominee a kind of a “wonder guy”, one that could overcome President Bush’s highly unpopular Iraq War strategy and low public approval. If no Republican messiah comes to save the day for the Grand Old Party within the next few months, then it would only be up for the democrats to choose their spear header and everything will come smoothly afterwards. Call this a bold prediction, but I think it won’t take a rocket scientist to anayze these things going on in the American political arena.

Now here comes the interesting part; the leading presidential contender is none other than New York Senator Hillary Clinton herself. Yes, the former first lady has gotten about 40% approval from polled Democratic Party supporters and that’s a whopping lead she got considering that the next other contender has only gotten some 17% in votes. So what we see here is the possibility of a first woman president for United States. Not that we should be happy about that (but I am sure feminists around the world could celebrate as early as now) but it is just that it makes American politics so interesting this time around, becoming worth watching out for. And besides, for a country like the Philippines, it is of moment who would be president for America after 2008, for it may affect some salient things about our country—like aids channels, military support, economic investment, tourism and so on and so forth.

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IT WAS ALREADY LATE LAST SATURDAY NIGHT when I finally snapped open the television with the slippery black remote control on my right hand and then immediately surfed towards the sports channels, particularly to the one that would be carrying live soccer matches straight from England at that time. My head was a little heavy from a medium dosage of beer that I sipped (or swallowed) about a couple of hours ago just to steady the nerves and stay-off some cold wind that somehow seeped into the room that night; it can get so cold in the evening these days. I was mighty glad that Chelsea and Liverpool was in the middle of the first half of a match that could have huge bearings on the present Premier League standings and I have become even more glad when I realized that Liverpool was leading 2 goals to none. I couldn’t believe it at first. My favorite English football team wasn’t as proficient against powerhouse teams like Chelsea. I know they have beaten Joseph Murinho’s team in last year’s UEFA Champions Cup semifinal match held at Anfeld Stadium but that was European soccer. In the Premier League, Liverpool wasn’t as forthcoming as that excellent game they had against Chelsea last Saturday night. Liverpool did win that game and narrowed the diffrence between their third placing and Chelsea’s second place spot. And since Arsenal had a wondrous win over Manchester United last night (Star Sports was cruel enough not to have carried it live on our shores last night—after advertising the game for almost a week), Liverpool’s chances to finally get that Premier League championship is better than ever; in fact never been better in almost a decade if I am not mistaken.

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LOOKS LIKE BEAUTY IS NO LONGER within the grasp of the one we often call as ‘the beholder’. Scientists from the University of Aberdeen in United Kingdom have found out through a very simple but fairly compelling experimentation process that human attraction can be largely based on influence rather than on innate qualities, or in simpler terms, one can be considered attractive depending on the number of people who will approve of the way you look.

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WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT that it was President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who have put to the fore what to me is the most conspicuous ASEAN predicament, that is, the Aung San Suu Kyi dilemma in Myanmar and the lack or absence of democracy there.

You could say, “Of all people.”

Despite herself being the subject of severe accusations for human rights violation in her own country—where an alarming rate of disappearance of radical activists have been appertaining in recent months—President Arroyo had showed no qualms at all in broaching the very sensitive issue on the discussion table, risking bruised emotions and possibly deteriorating relations among the member nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. (more…)

I WAS JUST SCOURING THE NET for some fresh news when slowly I deduced that America seems to be everywhere. Not that I didn’t know much about it but somehow it came to me as a realization that America has now become more immersed in global affairs than what was usual; maybe not as much as what it appears to me now, maybe just a tad more but still, even a keen reader of news as myself could not help but noticed how President George W. Bush is getting his hands so muddled into a lot more conflict than what is typical; like hefully believed that America alone could police and manage world order and of course, world peace. (more…)