The most prolonged job interview in the world.

I find it amazing how vapour thin the politics behind this American presidential race actually are. It's a collection of campaigns that could only be made in the United States.

Every time I switch on the television, I'm greeted to all these news stories of state rallies, primaries or caucuses. Each candidate seems to have a meaningful promise of change, greater hope, and a better America. But where is the meat on the bone? I've heard stray little talk of actual politics other than the forecasts of analyists who seem to know more about each candidate's voting patterns than they themselves.

Mitt Romney, for example. His campaign supports pro life - or so we're told through the media - yet he was quoted as saying every woman should have the right to a legal abortion on his way to becoming Governor of Massachusetts. I don't understand how any American can justifably vote for a candidate when the closest you've got to a manifesto is a cry for change.

Surely it's the business of the Democrats and Republicans to decide on a candidate internally and present him or her to the public - in the same way that we didn't vote Gordon Brown as Labour's leader.

America is in a position where its reigning political power - the Republicans - are putting forward a candidate in John McCain who struggles to represent the party that he's standing for. How is that possible?

Similarly, I like Barack Obama. He exhudes charisma and makes a convincing leader figure. But that doesn't hide the fact that he's revealed precious little detail of what he'd actually do as President. And the same can be said for all the candidates.

John McCain, a veteran war hero who I personally wouldn't trust for ten minutes with America's economy in his hands.

It's unthinkable that a politician in the UK could ride the same wave of popularity and support without at least laying down the most basic building blocks of what he or she planned to act on. The presidential candidates appear to be relying on the power to connect with people rather than the gritty sandstone of what changes can be expected if they're voted to power.

As much as I dislike her, Hillary seems to be the only one with any legitimate political backbone to her name.

Maybe I've simply been sucked in to the American mindset, but I actually want Barack Obama to win the Democrat vote. This despite the fact that nobody really knows much of anything about his long term policy. He simply paints a Hollywood-style picture of a country which we'd all like to see.

And when you're calling the shots for the most powerful nation in the world, that as a manifesto is laughably vague.