# Describe and discuss the aftermath of The Disaster: "Bush Wins The Election"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/describe-and-discuss-the-aftermath-of-the-disaster-bush-wins-the-election/268692>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [October 11, 2004, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/describe-and-discuss-the-aftermath-of-the-disaster-bush-wins-the-election/268692 "2004-10-11T19:41:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![pantom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/34f0e0/32.png) [@pantom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pantom)\
**Post date:** [October 14, 2004, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/describe-and-discuss-the-aftermath-of-the-disaster-bush-wins-the-election/268692/61 "2004-10-14T02:42:16Z")

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According to [this factsheet](http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/opecrev.html) from the US Energy Information Administration, OPEC revenues this year will amount to around $240 billion this year. That’s a significant chunk of demand for dollars, assuming all that trade is in fact done in dollars. But the reserve status of the dollar is supported by a lot more than just Saudi Arabia’s decision to price oil in dollars, as that Guardian article implies. And I don’t think Bush would have gone to war merely to preserve the dollar’s reserve status. First, he’d have to comprehend the concept, after all, and on the evidence that’s being mighty generous.  
Anyway, todays _Financial Times_ editorial (I swear that paper has the sanest editorial board in the world) on the Kerry/Bush race expressed my opinion perfectly, by savaging Bush while at the same time being skeptical of what Kerry has said so far:

> [@](#):
>
> On balance, Mr Kerry would probably be a better president for the economy than Mr Bush. (He could scarcely be worse.) But this judgement rests on the assumption that, like Bill Clinton, Mr Kerry in office would adopt more substantial policies than the insipid populist pabulum he has served up on the campaign trail.

I did hear Kerry mention China’s currency manipulation in tonight’s debate, so there’s evidence that, unlike the Chucklehead-in-Chief and his less-than-useless Treasury Secretary, he does comprehend what’s going on out there. That’s a good sign.

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