Democratic Convention

The election of the next President of the United States matters to you and me.

If you doubt this, imagine if the close US election of 2000 had produced President Al Gore, rather than President George Bush.

No Iraq war, probably. Certainly greater international co-operation to tackle climate change - to name just 2 big differences.

So it matters to us all whether President Obama or President McCain is elected on November 4th.

I had the good fortune to attend last week's Democrat Convention in Denver, as I now shadow the Foreign Secretary, David Miliband. So I witnessed speeches by Barack Obama - as well as those of Hilary and Bill Clinton and Joe Biden.

I also attended seminars given by US foreign policy experts, setting out the differences between Obama and McCain.

Obama's team stresses international co-operation, and making sure military solutions are genuinely the last resort, after more active diplomacy. The Democrats want a break from the Bush era, where neo-Conservatives pretended the US could act like the world's policeman.

So far it seems John McCain would, as Democrats say, be "more of the same" on foreign affairs, continuing President Bush's policies. After all, he backed the Iraq war - unlike Obama. He wrongly thought the war in Afghanistan had largely been won - unlike Obama.

Indeed, a poster popular at the Convention ran the line "McBush".

For those of us who believe we need America to repair its damaged reputation, so it can provide fresh leadership for our shared values, then the choice is obvious: President Obama.