A Breath of Cold, Clear Air

That was an interesting one. Seeing George Galloway take on the US Senate. The man did well, he was hard, clear, consistent and he put Senator Norm Coleman well into his box where one hopes he will stay. And I say that as someone who dislikes Mr Galloway intensely. He's a sleazy, permatanned, rabble-rousing self-publicist who looks like Swiss Tony without the bouffant - though you know he'd have one given half the chance and the necessary folicles.

Whilst not a - proven - criminal, the smell of semi-legitimate corruption hangs thick around Galloway, like a day old Big Mac. Though like many such characters, no one's managed to lay a hand on him: all charges against him remain unproven. Galloway's clearly a formidable operator. Underestimate him at your own peril and underestimate him is exactly what the Senate sub-committee did. Now, whilst Galloway's performance was impressive, he said nothing we didn't know already. Indeed, I'd imagine his speech was not disimilar to the speech many of us dream of giving in the Senate Sub-comittee of our minds. And he disproved nothing that was in any way complex - his demolition of the charges against him seem to have involved less than ten minutes research and not even a Google check.

But here's the thing - everyone goes on about how slick and professional these Senators are, wheels-within-wheels, power games hidden to the naked eye - but if one publicity-hungry British upstart can leave them speechless (which is exactly what Galloway did) then what does it say about the quality of the guys he was up against? The newer Republican Senators in particular, men like Coleman, were hand-selected and chosen by Karl Rove. They're there because they'll tow the line - no other reason. And it shows. And if one guy, speaking out for 40 minutes is a shocking injection of abrasiveness and radical information to American viewers - then they're in for a harsh surprise. Because Galloway wasn't that harsh - it's just their body politic has grown so limp and flaccid.

This is something that's been creeping up on me for a while now... it's not that Bush and Rove are particuarly great operators, they aren't. It's the culture has been narcotized into meaninglessness. Coleman's a lightweight - Jesus, put him up against a real bareknuckle politician, an LBJ-type, and he'll be a puddle on the floor - but the mainstream culture has been rendered meaningless, the mainstream press has been reduced to nothing and the political culture, both Republican and much of the Democrats are empty vessels afraid and unable to voice real resistance. Galloway didn't do anything particularly special, he just showed what a real voice of opposition, unafraid and unrestricted, sounds like.

And it sounded pretty clear.

Octo's lesson no.1 of politics: if you stand up and get counted, if you do it clearly and eloquently, then people may not agree with you... but they'll always respect you. Which may or may not be why Swiss Georgie's party is called 'Respect'.

So pay attention, Democrats.