Fall of the Governor, Fall of a President

I don't normally blog about international issues.

Firstly because I don't have anything original to say and secondly because they don't have direct relevance to day to day life on Oxted. But i thought I would comment on two tonight.

First, that of Elliot Spitzer, NY Governor. Now I believe that all human beings are fallible and I also believe that politicians deserve a private life. However, when a politician commits a crime or campaigns on the moral high ground I think they become fair game. And Governor Spitzer has certainly fallen off his pedestal in a big way. For a man who made his reputation trashing those of others he must have been off his rocker to have thought he could get away with being connected to a Vice-ring. Makes the peccadillo's of Ministers in the Major back-to-basics years look very very minor indeed.

Second, that of a Presidential race. I write not about the US election, which is fascinating an has captured British (at least British press) imagination like no other I remember, but that of Zimbabwe. Robert Mugabe looks to face his first serious challenge since independence, that of a former rising star in Zanu-PF. I have little doubt he will prevail as the Police state apparatus at his disposal combined with a divided opposition will work in his favour - but it does give some hope that that awful regime may be in its sunset years (although unfortunately not yet its dying days).