Iran: what if McCain was president?

by Ed Bowsher on 22 June 2009  |  0 comments
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The recent history of Iran might have been very different if John McCain had been elected president last year.

What if John McCain had won last year's presidential election? Would things have gone differently in Iran?

Well, Boris Johnson reckons it would have made a big difference.

'The key point is that I do not believe it could possibly have happened had John McCain been elected. Why? Because McCain entertained American journalists by singing, to a Beach Boys' tune: "Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran." If you want a population to abandon a hardline leadership, you don't threaten them with nuclear war.

Barack Obama has shown the Iranian bourgeoisie that America is willing to engage, to treat their country with respect, and it is that sudden hope – of a new role and status for Iran – that is driving the protesters to see if they can be rid of their crazy regime.'

I suspect Boris is right on this.

And even if Boris is wrong, I reckon McCain would have made a mess of this crisis. As soon as there was any suggestion of ballot-rigging, he would have made statements supporting Moussavi and that would have played right into the hands of the mullahs. They could have wheeled out all the old lines about 'Great Satan' and so forth.

Obama still appears to be an astonishingly able politician. But I'm under no illusions. Something is bound to go wrong sooner or later. No leader is perfect.