Election

Originally published May 6, 2010

Another extra, published on the Thursday of the last general election - the one no-one won. Originally a Millie strip, recast as a Smith cartoon as my perception that no-one voted positively for anything any more has grown stronger over the years. Though to a certain extent that because no-one says anything positive we can believe in any more either. Ed Milliband is currently making an attempt at creating policies that might do some good for the ordinary British voter without going all populist and appealing to our baser instincts, but even then no-one believes that he'll follow through if he gets into power. Expect to see this strip run again in May 2015.

2016

It's all over. Time to start preparing for the next one.

At least our elections up to now have only lasted a month, and the new PM's usually installed in Number 10 the morning after the elections. None of that waiting two months for an inauguration business for us. However, that may change. David Cameron announced that from now on we'd have fixed five year terms between general elections. So far we haven't seen any sign of us starting to enter the state of perpetual campaigning that the US seems to suffer from. But it's only a matter of time.

For the record, I'm predicting a narrow Obama victory, at least as far as the popular vote is concerned. Whether that converts to electoral college votes is another matter. I expect no change in the House or the Senate. In short, paralysis as normal.

Smith endorses Guy Fawkes

It's Guy Fawkes Night tonight. Hence the fireworks.

It's also the day before America going to the polls. Once again, hence the fireworks.

Somethings gone wrong this year. Who to chose? The so called messiah who turned out to be a huge disappointment, or the man who might be a right wing nutter, might be a centre right moderate, but is most likely to be a stuffed shirt filled with absolutely nothing. It's very dispiriting.

If your candidate doesn't get in, better luck next time. If he does get in, remember, it's your fault. And if you can't be bothered to vote, you have no right to spend the next four years grumbling.

On balance, this cartoon strip endorses Obama. Mainly because he's the one least likely to involve Britain in a third senseless war in the Middle East. And there actually appears to be someone inside that shirt.

(The original title before I edited this post, due to a mistype, was 'Smirg endorses Guy Fawkes'. Smirg. I like that. It has a Middle Earth ring to it. Smirg may return...)