THE American presidential election had me gripped all week. I know many are sick of the whole thing and wonder what it's got to do with us, but I think it's been amazingly addictive viewing.

I'll make no bones about it, for me, John Kerry was undoubtedly the man for the job. I was sure he would win the fight and be forced to move out of his luxury Boston pad in favour of Washington and the White House.

As the results came through on Wednesday, I was shocked and astounded that Mr Bush, arguably the worst president the USA has ever seen, was given a second term by the American electorate. Have these people gone crazy or are the majority just inherently unintelligent?

With the release of the controversial film Fahrenheit 911, the increasing number of American soldiers being killed in Iraq, the apparent total absence of weapons of mass destruction, and not to mention the proposed tax cuts for billionaires, I thought Dubya had very little real chance of success.

My view was also influenced by the huge amount of verbal gaffes the man in power has made during his first term. It's clear to me Mr Bush is not exactly the brightest spark and seems to have little understanding of the English language. With phrases such as "I think war is a dangerous place," and "More and more of our imports are coming from overseas," what hope did he have of winning any of the election debates?

Yes, Kerry was a bit awkward throughout the campaign and yes, he does have a slight resemblance of Herman Munster, but I thought overall he had done enough to win the election.

With high-profile people behind him, including movie actors and pop stars, I was sure he would just about steal it. Sadly for him, his most relaxed and natural speech of the election came in the form of his words of defeat, when he tried hard to fight back the tears of frustration and disappointment.

Bush's win was undoubtedly resounding with an enormous 3.5 million margin. His success can be attributed to his emphasis on the war against terror and the values he promoted throughout the campaign. His outdated right-wing views on abortion and homosexuality seem to have won over conservative Middle America, coupled by his enthusiastic approach to America's gun culture.

What this election has shown by its overwhelming turnout is that the USA is a nation divided and that there are two radically different cultures living side by side, namely the social conservatives and those with a more liberal agenda.

Our own interest in the election has been driven by the effect the outcome will have on world politics and indeed on our own Government. We've already been criticised by the American electorate for interfering and have been branded "Arrogant Brits," but why shouldn't we take an interest when American foreign policy is now so intrinsically linked to our own?

I'm sure our own Prime Minister will be exhaling an enormous sigh of relief at the election result as Blair, Bush and Bin will be able to continue their conflict together.

So what does the next four years have in store for America? Most likely a move towards the right on a number of moral and social issues, as well as extra focus on Bush's aggressive foreign policy and the quest to stamp out the axis of evil.

Interestingly, it will also see the emergence of America's next Democrat candidate, which is likely to be Hilary Clinton, alongside possible running partner the African American Barack Obama. I can see the Alabama red necks starting to sweat already.

If the United States rejected a middle-class Bostonian for being too left wing and unable to quell their fears, God forbid their reaction to the possibility of a woman and an African American in the White House.

Hilary and Barack might be ready to take on America, but will America be ready to take them on, or will the chants of "Four more years" be once again heard echoing across the States?

Updated: 11:13 Saturday, November 06, 2004