The Billiken's Bluff

With our own presidential election heating up during a week where Yankees and Red Sox are preparing for an equally bitter play-off rematch, it doesn't come as much of a shocker that the collective American attention span has little appetite for a slice of the Australian political pie. But given that Saturday's Australian election represented a major test of international support for the current administration's policies in Afghanistan and Iraq and has profound significance for our electoral battle here, it's a slice we here at Billiken would have to serve up hot - with a scoop of NDot biased opinion on the side. As Arsenio would say, Mmmm mmm - that's some good-ass pie!



Quick take: The reelection of Prime Minister John Howard gives anyone serious about fighting terrorism a reason to crack open a Fosters in celebration. The disparity in resolve and vision was clear going into this weekend: while Prime Minister John Howard has long been a strong ally of America in general and was committed to supporting the United States in the Afghan and Iraq wars, Labor Party leader Mark Latham had run on a firm Anti-Bushocrat platform (or the Australian equivalent) and had committed his party to bringing home Australian troops in Iraq by Christmas. Had Latham claimed a victory, it would surely have been seen as a dramatic setback for the American president and British Prime Minister who claim international support for the intervention in Iraq, as well as a sign of weakening resolve in the face of a terrorism threat that has already been successful in replacing a US ally in Spain with a Socialist government that ran on an Anti-Bushocrat platform (or the Spanish equivalent). It would have been celebrated exuberantly by the following, in no particular order: France, Germany, terrorists, Middle Eastern despots, the United Nations, various international NGOs, the DNC, and other Anti-Bushocrats throughout the world.

Thankfully, Howard won. And not only won, but cleaned up; after three terms in office - when most voters are getting a little sick of seeing your mug and hearing whats coming out of your pie-hole - Howard actually increased his majority to a big dog 30 seats and gained control of the Senate, marking the first time since 1981 that the conservative Coalition has controlled both Houses.

In other words, it's John Kerry's turn to scowl. While the Kerr-bear has been on the mic dissing our allies ("that's not a grand coaltion!"), flip-floppin' around on whether the undertaking was a mistake or not, and vehemently trying to convince the world that international support is crumbling, its genuinely inspiring to witness the victory of a leader who took an unpopular stand and stuck with it, ultimately convincing his electorate that an Australian alliance with the US that has been strong since 1917 was worth keeping. Score one for political courage abroad - even as some of us once arrogant and self-assured are a bit more nervous about its victory at home.

Still confident, though. Same with the Sox.

Speaking of events abroad, the Billiken readership still awaits word of our intrepid correspondents in Thailand. Gotim, St. Nick - are you receiving our signal? Over.