THE WALRUS

It seems very likely that the US will soon have its first black President. It is probable that the US may even have a female President within the next few decades. But it will be a long, long time (if ever) that the US has an atheist (or at least a confessed atheist) President. Despite all the evidence to the contrary, most Americans still seem to think an atheist is necessarily immoral or amoral and a Christian is bound to give them a fair deal.

Most non-Americans can only view the US political process, especially the Presidential elections, with amazement. Is it really necessary to spend a year or more and several hundred million dollars to elect a President, powerful though he may be? Is it really more democratic a process than elsewhere? Or do the rich and powerful end up with the man they wanted, thoroughly beholden to them and myriad other lobby groups?