The Cedar Lounge Revolution

Already the tongue in cheek -well, one hopes – articles are out about how the end of the longest Election process in history will leave people bereft. What are we – those who engaged in this – to do with the hours spent anxiously picking through the entrails of the primary elections, the nominations, the almost continual polling data?

I have a ludicrously detailed sense of some elements of that vast patchwork quilt that is the US electoral system. What on earth good is it for? And there is an irony. I didn’t pay the Russian elections anywhere near as much attention. Now, in fairness, that’s not entirely unreasonable. Media coverage was much lesser, the languge entirely different and the sense of context – for one reason or another – much less. Nor do I get overly exercised about contests in many many different places. But blame the global hegemon for that.

But look. There are other political contests racing into view. We have the local and European elections in our fair state. And being European elections, we have the prospect of focussing greater attention on them on a continent wide basis than ever before. Mind you, the locals don’t sound that much fun. And whatever effort I make to whip up enthusiasm I can’t say that ten extra Labour councillors, or five extra Green Party councillors, or a brace of new Sinn Féin councillors is really up there with the race to the White House. I mean the fate of government will not rest on the outcomes early next Summer. Or at least not immediately enough to make it worth fretting about.

The European Elections are a bit better. But, we elect such a handful of MEPs relative to the total number, that the interest there is almost purely domestic; in other words party positioning. And even that is a dubious pleasure since, as we’ve seen, even a gain by the left of a seat, as with Sinn Féin at the last election, does not seem to translate obviously to Dáil gains.

So what’s left?

Well, we have a British General Election. But for many of us a certain G. Brown will have to exhibit a more clearly left wing face to get us enthused. Although, in all honesty, such is the deep seated detestation of the Conservatives, that even New Labour’s wiles seem somehow less noxious than the prospect of Cameron in power. And this election is going to be a tight one.

Beyond that? Well, name me an election and I’m sure I have a horse in the race. But I don’t have an huge interest. At least not yet. I guess that will change as each gets closer.

Not to worry though. There’s recession, continuing wars in the Middle East, a near-dead Peace Process in Israel and Palestine (and an election too in Israel), the North (although even the weekend saw such a lack of activity as to make one wonder whether it just isn’t newsworthy), Europe (Lisbon 2 – not any time soon I’d guess). And so on.

There’ll be something. There always is.