When was the last time we could all fancy a leader or a potential leader of a country? Offhand I can't think of any in my lifetime: Bill Clinton - yuk he thinks he's God's gift to women; Berlusconi - double yuk he thinks he's God; Sarkozy - let's not even go there.
In Malta the only leader I know who had a certain amount of lady fans who, for reasons unfathomable to me, you could see swooning and giggling at his rallies was Alfred Sant.
Now, at last, on the world stage comes this tall, young, handsome-in-a-non-perfect way, charming-but-not-flirty, intelligent, candidate for US President. Yes, he has a funny name, and yes, apparently he leaves his socks scattered around the house, but it doesn't matter because he has the perfect walk, which thankfully is totally unlike a Texan cowboy swagger but more of an academic-meets-rock star kind of stride. He's the kind of man you'd want your daughter to bring home to dinner. Come to think of it, he reminds me of Sidney Poitier in the 1967 Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.
So I admit I've got a crush on Barack Obama. But mind you, I like his wife as well. I like their chemistry and the little bits of endearing information they give away when talking about each other. And no, it can't all be an act for the media - John McCain, his opponent, keeps his Cindy doll at arm's length when in public. You can tell there's no frisson there.
With Barack and Michelle you feel that they are equal, a team of two, independent yet inter-dependent. They're a younger and more upbeat version of our own Lawrence and Kate Gonzi, whose chemistry I believe won them the election this year. There's a different aura to Joseph and Michelle Muscat (don't you think she's a teeny weeny bit in awe of her husband?)
It is a relief to know that for the world's most important job there will (hopefully) be someone who has the potential to do it very well. After one of the debates on CNN, some of the 'experts' complained that he had been 'professorial'. Hello? We're talking vacancy for a world leader here. Don't you think the world desperately needs someone who shows a clear understanding of complex issues?
When I wrote about Sarah Palin and how she's an insult to women (I stand by that argument even more now), I got flak from both male and female readers because they said as a woman I should be supporting her. Pray, why should I ever applaud ignorance?
Part of what makes Obama fanciable is the fact that he seems centred and rooted and not afraid of chasing his ideals - the most refreshing being the fact that he refuses fundraising money from lobbyists and actually sends them cheques back. As the great George Clooney says: "He possesses the one quality which you cannot teach, he's a leader."
In a couple of days we'll know what the American people have decided for us. Despite the polls I have some worries. First off, I'm concerned that Obama will be shot. According to my uncle who lives in North Carolina, that's been the word on the street, across the states, for the past months. Initially I scoffed at this suggestion but last week it was confirmed by The Guardian. But we've got to be disciplined with our fears here, lest the Law of Attraction lures the calamity.
My second worry is that voters simply lie to pollsters. In that case, all the polls in favour of the Democrats would be fictitious. Remember Al Gore (intelligent but too robotic) and the interminable agony of 2000? Or John Kerry's (definitely unfanciable) crushing in 2004?
My third worry is that when it comes to voting, white voters will lean towards the old white guy because racism is the curse of humankind. We fear the unknown, we fear black people, we fear Arab-sounding names and we fear Islam. For goodness' sake we're becoming societies of silly ninnies, happy with pointing our fingers at scapegoats and happy to ignore the symbolic breakthrough of electing the first black American president.
Please let's keep our fingers crossed that as from Tuesday foreign news coverage will be spiced up with the daily featuring of a clever and sexy world leader.