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Published on January 2, 2008

No country in the world has such an arduous political process as the United States of America. Any person who wants to lead the world's most powerful country must undergo at least a two-year campaign struggle under extreme conditions, with an hour by hour performance test in front of the public and the media. Any misstep along the way is likely to derail the presidential ambitions of any candidate. Because the stakes are so high, the American election campaign is a highly manipulated enterprise; it is absolutely not for the fainted hearted. The runners this year who are now at the forefront include Hilary Clinton, Barack Osama, John McCain, Mitt Rooney and Rudy Giuliani. All are tough individuals who will not yield easily to others under any circumstances. They are like predators ready to gobble up their prey whenever the opportunities arise.

Just look at how each candidate is preparing to do battle in the primaries in Iowa and New Hampshire.

But this is just the beginning of a long trail. The candidates have nearly a full campaign year ahead of them with the inevitable intense debates and mudslinging.

The question for each is how they can differentiate themselves from their opponents, especially those from the same party.

Since the political path is long and winding, every political move, every verbal attack or retort has to be choreographed from the beginning to end. This is where the spin gurus - of all creeds and colour - come into their own. The Karl Rove-like super campaign manager can make the difference between success and failure.

When Obama campaigned with Oprah recently, it was a show of black power. The idea came from his campaign manager, who believed that highlighting black power would win over more black voters. When Mitt Rooney attacked John McCain in TV advertisements, the attacks were planned in a meticulous way, aiming to have the maximum impact on voters who can make the difference in Iowa.

Generally, American voters are a conservative bunch of people. They do not like candidates who are too liberal or progressive. They want the American way - the status quo. That explains why there are often low turnouts in the US presidential election.

Of course, the American version of democracy is rather special and unique. It is not something aspiring Asian democracies can, or should even attempt to, emulate. Presidential primaries can be likened to the lobbying of industries, with hundreds of millions of dollars in planned expenditure. Of course, Asian politicians spend money too, but differently. They give to it to the potential voters, for good or for worse.

But there remains a paradox for the United States, even after all these years of democracy. Even though the country has one of the most open and democratic systems and is also the world's "melting pot", the leaders the American people elect are often isolationist. Their fields of dreams are in Iowa, not Timbuktu. This explains why, quite often, American presidents perform better after their retirement. Both former presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton are more famous now than they were when they were in power. Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize for his ongoing work in conflict areas. Clinton travels all over the world on his crusade against HIV/Aids. They are able to do this now because they can be themselves and pursue their own passions and causes. They have associated themselves with important global issues.

It is interesting to note that the so-called new American people, those millions of foreigners who have been naturalised as citizens and have made the United States their home, are sometimes more American than earlier generations in that country. These newcomers want to protect American interests and they are often more conservative than older generations. They do not want the US to get engaged in conflicts around the world. They want the US to remain a supreme detached nation, of which they and their families are part of.

It will be nearly a year before a successor to President George W Bush is known. The world will be different by then. Whatever pledges each candidate has made during the campaign probably won't matter much. The new US president will have to start all over again.

The Nation