Will Hillary be Obamas VP? Well, who knows, eh? But Evan Smith, who is editor-in-chief of Texas Monthly magazine and an all-round smart guy, made a few bold predictions about the U.S. election during a speech to a magazine industry conference in Toronto yesterday.
By way of getting questions about U.S. politics out of the way, Smith (whos from Austin, the state capital of Texas, where folks like to talk about how THEIR capitol dome is a foot higher than the one in Washington) gave answers to the questions he hears most frequently on the speaking circuit.
Here they are: 1) Yes, he will. 2) No, she wont. And 3) No country for old men.
The questions to which those were the answers are: 1) Will Obama be the Democratic candidate? (This one got answered on June 3.) 2) Will Hillary agree to be Obamas running mate? (Smith thinks not.) 3) Can John McCain win the election?
Most interesting was Smiths take on Question No. 3. He argues that there is no way McCain can beat Obama, pointing to McCains inside-the-Beltway mentality and career, and of course his age. Smith says there is a thirst for change in America today, and believes Obama will win the electionand that it wont even be close. He even thinks Texas, a red state if there ever was one, could be in play come November.
Whats this mean for Canada? Well, as always, time will tell. But anybody whos been reading the posts here and in the magazine by Rachel Pulfer, our U.S. correspondent, knows that McCain is pro-free trade and Obama iswell, who really knows?
Of course, theres more to the Canada-US relationship than NAFTA, and Obama might well come to his senses on the issue of reopening NAFTA or pulling out of existing U.S. trade agreements elsewhereonce or if hes elected, that is.
* Of Texas, that is.
Blogs & Comment
Predictions from the capital*
By CB Staff
Will Hillary be Obamas VP? Well, who knows, eh? But Evan Smith, who is editor-in-chief of Texas Monthly magazine and an all-round smart guy, made a few bold predictions about the U.S. election during a speech to a magazine industry conference in Toronto yesterday.
By way of getting questions about U.S. politics out of the way, Smith (whos from Austin, the state capital of Texas, where folks like to talk about how THEIR capitol dome is a foot higher than the one in Washington) gave answers to the questions he hears most frequently on the speaking circuit.
Here they are: 1) Yes, he will. 2) No, she wont. And 3) No country for old men.
The questions to which those were the answers are: 1) Will Obama be the Democratic candidate? (This one got answered on June 3.) 2) Will Hillary agree to be Obamas running mate? (Smith thinks not.) 3) Can John McCain win the election?
Most interesting was Smiths take on Question No. 3. He argues that there is no way McCain can beat Obama, pointing to McCains inside-the-Beltway mentality and career, and of course his age. Smith says there is a thirst for change in America today, and believes Obama will win the electionand that it wont even be close. He even thinks Texas, a red state if there ever was one, could be in play come November.
Whats this mean for Canada? Well, as always, time will tell. But anybody whos been reading the posts here and in the magazine by Rachel Pulfer, our U.S. correspondent, knows that McCain is pro-free trade and Obama iswell, who really knows?
Of course, theres more to the Canada-US relationship than NAFTA, and Obama might well come to his senses on the issue of reopening NAFTA or pulling out of existing U.S. trade agreements elsewhereonce or if hes elected, that is.
* Of Texas, that is.