I've lived in the United States for 10 years now — and, allow me to mention, I would like to stay if the country will have me. But even in this nation of immigrants I've come to see that I'll always feel like a foreigner. I feel especially foreign during presidential election campaigns. Unfortunately, that means all the time.
It's hard to say when Hillary Clinton actually started her run for president — sometime in the 1990s — but she announced the official start of her latest effort last week, before taking to a van in search of everyday Americans to champion. Her declaration had been keenly awaited, and the delay had started to arouse concern. After all, she now has barely 19 months left to make her case.
When you think about it, isn't this a little excessive? The time, effort and money that will be poured into the battle for the presidency are enormous — and, let's be honest, the difference the outcome will make is limited. In the United Kingdom, where I'm from, the ratio is inverted. Elections matter more, and they're over in a flash. In the U.S., the disjuncture between input and output is extreme, yet it seems to trouble few Americans.