Surprise US result should not come as a surprise

The world will wake up to a new US president today, ending an almost two-year wait. If the opinion polls were anything to go by, Democrat Barack Obama would have made it to the White House, though he can take charge of office only on January 20.

But what if the polls were wrong? What if the pollsters and the Western, especially the US, media overlooked the proverbial slip between the cup and the lip? What if Obama lovers wrongly assumed all their eggs would hatch into chickens? What if all that talk about America and Americans being desperate for change was a bit preposterous?

In that case, Republican John McCain would take over the most powerful office in the world. The US and the world will, for better or for worse, see another four years of Republican rule. The US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will continue. A lot many issues, which the US has interest in, will continue making headlines for all the wrong reasons.