THE Americans say “politics is show business for ugly people”. Well, they got that right. At time of writing, the egregious Donald Trump had closed in on the battle-scarred Hillary Clinton who, we fondly hope, is poised to give him the thrashing he so richly deserves.

But it won’t be the end of him. Trump has opened a can of very ugly worms and they will spend the next four years treating President Clinton the way they dealt with her predecessor – like some foreign interloper to be opposed at every turn.

In 2012 President Obama warned that America was becoming “ungovernable”; sadly, four years later his prediction is starting to look prescient.

OUR own political personnel are not much prettier. Last week’s threat by Tony Abbott that a Cabinet recall would end his destabilising campaign against Malcolm Turnbull was thoroughly unpleasant. The only thing worse than Abbott in Cabinet would be as his preferred Minister for Indigenous Affairs. This is the bloke who, in 2014, called Australia “unsettled” until the arrival of the Brits.

AND what of the execrable Bob Day, who scuttled away from the Senate after bankrupting his building business with massive contributions to his Family First party leaving hundreds of home buyers and tradies bereft?

Doesn’t get much uglier than that. Unless, of course, you include Kevin Rudd’s vicious attack on Turnbull who spurned his quest for UN Secretary General. Rudd’s specious denial that he was the architect of today’s disgraceful Manus/Nauru refugee “solution” simply beggared belief.

THANK goodness our own local pollies are easier on the eye and ear. Neat, little Alistair Coe, for instance, named almost his entire team as front-benchers with the charming Korean-born Elizabeth Lee as shadow Environment and Disability minister. Even former leader Jeremy Hanson doffed his disguise as the friendly neighbourhood undertaker and smilingly promised full support for his “very, very capable and effective” former deputy.

THE Melbourne Cup was a pearler with Almandin just beating the aptly named Heartbreak City into second place after a fabulous battle down the straight.

But spare a thought (or not) for poor old Sheikh Muhammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, with no fewer than five runners in the race and the best he could do was third. And this after spending a reported $1 billion over the last 18 years trying for a winner. Now that’s heartbreak city (so stop chuckling).

AT last the cricket season is upon us and the first Test at the WACA bolted from the blocks on day one as we skittled the Proteas for a measly 242 and ended it at 0-105 with David Warner’s mighty blade carving up their bowling attack. With a start like that, what could possibly go wrong? Oh well, that’s cricket.

GUILTY secret time: As an antidote to the awfulness of the American presidential campaign, we have been pigging out on the last season of that fabulous TV series “The West Wing”. It was always a bit Pollyanna but these days it feels like a fairytale about good people… remember them? But the big issues from 10 years ago – globalisation, abortion, race, climate, the Middle East – are exactly the same today! Now, that’s a worry.