Obamania may not last, but it has a chilling effect on our political elite

IT used to be said that everyone had two countries: their own and France. Nowadays, it’s the US. We all have a stake in the presidential election, even if we don’t unfortunately have a vote.

A few weeks ago I complained that some Irish newspapers were letting their prejudices get in the way of their better judgment and calling it wrong. Correspondents were — and still are — swooning over the Barack Obama phenomenon and joyfully performed the last rites on Hillary Clinton. Inconveniently, the Democratic primary voters in New Hampshire had other ideas.

Having spent a few days on the European mainland, though, I can confirm that the Irish media is far from alone.