the foreign-policy issues are absolutely critical in the US, it seems. They hardly figured at all here during the election.

Previously, Latham (the opposition candidate) DID distinguish himself with strongly anti-Bush comments, and a promise to return all Australian troops from Iraq 'by Christmas'. That must be why Kerry supported him, and why this election does have significance for the US. However, all this hardly figured at all during the election campaign here, strangely enough. Economic and domestic matters were much more prominent.

In any case I wonder whether Latham really would have returned the troops - politics here is very pragmatic, and, unlike the US, not particularly ideological, apart from the Greens. Latham has already had to retreat on his previous anti-Washington stance; he is very adaptable, and learns quickly. Similarly (with regard to election promises), Howard ditched whatever election promises didn't suit him after his first victory in 1996, by referring to them as non-core promises. (I kid you not - and he got away with it, too.)