Due to the difference in time zones we were able to watch the U.S. election results on CNN at a very reasonable time in the afternoon. Thanks to mail-in ballots we were able to vote before we left on our trip. For the first time in a long time we were happy with the results. It seems the Australians are fairly satisfied also. The comedy and even news shows here are as fond as we are of making fun of Bush and Sarah Palin.
Australia has a parliamentary system which I’ve seen bits of on news programs here. It can be quite amusing to hear how straightforward they are at hurling insults at one another. The current Prime Minister is Kevin Rudd (known as the Kevinator) from the center-left Labor Party. He has only been in power about a year, having replaced the center-right Liberal Party’s John Howard, whom author Bill Bryson describes as “by far the dullest man in Australia.”
