The best midterm political commentary you'll ever read

[NineToTheSky]

My daughter, who is at university, and who I am always chiding for her lack of political awareness, has just sent me this email:

this is a completely pointless email as im ultra proud of myself because i made myself watch Newsround (it was a struggle believe me, 10 minutes of news) yesterday, and i feel ive learnt an AWFUL lot about american politics…so i thought id write to you to show off how much i know,
ok so in america they have the midterm (?) elections at the moment, which arent as exciting as the main elections, but still pretty interesting because they show how well each party is doing. Mr Bush though isnt very happy because he is discovering that his party isnt doing so well. they still have the most power, but less power than they did whenever they did this last.
Now in america they have the democrats and republicans (?), but i cant remember which one mr bush is the leader of…possible the republicans!!! but either hes not doing so well, and he cast his vote with his mrs bush the day before yesterday. now that seems a bit wrong if u ask me…that the most powerful man in the whole world does something as peasant like as VOTING???..For HIMSELF?!! but i may be wrong about him voting for himself because i remember you saying he’s not allowed to be president anymore so maybe he was voting for some other leader in his party? but anyway…i think thats about all my knowledge. Oo they did say that some defense secretary has decided to step down because of the arguments over Mr Bushs decisions about the war in iraq?? and so mr bush isnt happy about that either.

so all in all mr bush isnt a very happy bloke at the mooment. if u ask me he should just buy himself and the wife a camper van and retire in a golf village in florida. i think hes much more suited to that. not that i really know…

so thats the end of my little pointless story…newsround then went on to talk about Britney Spears divorce, which was MUCH more interesting. shes getting divorced after only 2 years of marriage…shocking! and shes got two little babies. really shocking.
O Newround did also say that Mr Bush lives in Washington DC, and they mentioned something about Congress??? but i dont know what that means so i glazed over at that point.

i think thats it. im very proud of knowing all that, because i know uve told me before, but i think now its really stuck in my brain…so i dont feel quite so clueless as i did the day before yesterday. mind u though it is so boring so ill probably forget it all within a week.

NOTES
Newsround is a BBC TV childrens’ news report.
I told her that Mr Bush had to go away in two years.

I really do think that’s a great summation!

[zoid]

I get the feeling I’m missing something

[jsc1953]

Well, it’s probably more than I know about British politics.

I could give a point-by-point clarification, if you like. In the interests of fighting ignorance, etc.

[monica]

@Nine to the Sky's Daughter

if u ask me he should just buy himself and the wife a camper van and retire in a golf village in florida. i think hes much more suited to that. not that i really know…

Nope. Our President Bush is a Texan, and he’s proud of it. If he’s in a camper van anywhere, it’ll be in Texas…

[NineToTheSky]

I could give a point-by-point clarification, if you like. In the interests of fighting ignorance, etc.

Err…thanks but no thanks. Like my daughter said “mind u though it is so boring so ill probably forget it all within a week.”