After listening to Mrs Palin's acceptance speech, I am, as a European, very worried. Karl Rove is a political genius and one guesses at his master hand behind the choice of this woman: she's an excellent orator and preaches just the sort of family plus tough-girl message that appeals to the least educated who vote what's nearest their gut feelings - not policy issues.

37% of Americans still support G W Bush. Around 30% apparenlty still believe Cheney's claim that Saddam was in league with Bin Laden. Some 30% believe Obama is a Muslim. Most of these 30% groups are doubtless the same people - but enough to swing the election for McCain.

The fact that the hugely impressive Obama who actually understands the issues (see for example his masterly foreign policy piece in Foreign Affairs Aug 2007, see for example his Kennedy-like ambitious plan to provide the means to find energy alternatives to end "oil addiction") is "black" means he has an appalling handicap given the immutable racism of so many Americans - (the same 30% again?)

AND he has the possibly equally great handicap of standing as a Democrat when that party is so widely perceived as "politically correct" favouring abortion on demand, gay marriage, sex at will, and the desire to force such values on others by legislation. Seems to us onlookers that maybe this revulsion is shared by many others than just those 30percenters.

Many of us here in Europe see with dismay that this election - absolutely key for us - will be determined by irrational gut prejudices and not by rational considerations.

Yet is is essential that the US renounce confrontation and lead towards an era of international cooperation that became possible with the end of the Cold War.

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