the inevitable political post

[xparrot]

(I'm American, it had to come up sometime!) Just mailed in my absentee ballot today, so it's on my mind. Don't worry, you probably won't hear much more from me on the subject, but I had to get my piece in.

I'm not going to campaign much, I'm sure you all are getting that from enough sources. And if you're American and have already voted, or already have decided what your vote is, you can stop reading here. If you haven't decided, though, if you're still on the fence, or if someone you know is on the fence...I just want to say, please consider voting Obama.

I'm not asking you to give in to the hype or believe in the Obama message of hope. He's a politician, and it's only reasonable to be wary of his idealism. I'm not sure I believe it myself - I want to, very much, but even when I believe he's sincere (and I admit I do) I'm too much of a cynic to think he'll really be able to do all he'd like to.

But the world wants Obama. So many of my Japanese students, and my fellow English teachers from the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, are watching this election like hawks. Every time they see me they ask me how it's going. The President of the USA is probably the most influential political position in the world; the decisions of the president affect not just Americans, but everyone. Obviously Japan has even closer ties than most nations, but everyone has a vested interest in this election, and as stressful as it is for Americans, it's almost as bad for everyone else who can only watch, unable to do anything. And pretty much all of them would be voting Obama if they could - if this were a worldwide election, it would be Obama's victory by a landslide. Bush is a pretty terrifying figure these last few years because of his stupidity and incompetency, no one knows who he might want to attack next, and McCain is mainly known abroad for following Bush's lead. And Palin's even scarier. While as Obama is intelligent and charismatic and well-spoken and not terrifying - his sincerity and hype has convinced much of the planet even if not all Americans, and so many non-Americans will feel differently about America if he's the man at the helm.

And we need that cred. We've got a global economy now, we're not alone against the planet. What other nations think of us matters, and the President is the face we present to the world. And Obama is the face I want representing me, a face that millions worldwide already trust and respect.

More than anything, I want Obama to win because for once, I want to be able to be abroad and tell people, "I'm American," and say it proudly, and not have to immediately append, "And I didn't vote for the president, honest, it's not my fault, I'm so sorry!"

Comments

[menuriko.livejournal.com]

Thank you!!! This is my thoughts exactly!

Hope to see you in a few days. E-mail?

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Hee! (if only you could vote!)

Will email soon, but yes, we're here!

[droolfangrrl.livejournal.com]

Hear! Hear!

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Only 2 more weeks! then we'll know!

[trystings.livejournal.com]

And if you're American and have already voted

I am and I did XD! I just want to share my happiness about Colin Powell endorsing Obama. *\o/*

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

(hmm, are you Dutch-American, then?)

Oh GOD, Colin Powell's endorsement was fantastic. So well-said and well-thought and moving, and I am so, so glad that it was a Republican saying it, that there are still sane people reaching out on the Other Side of our great political party schism.

[airairo.livejournal.com]

Well said.

This election has me extremely stressed. We're at what could be a real turning point for our country, if we let it. And I'm like you, I don't really think Obama can do all that he promises (it's probably not possible), but I do believe his sincerity, and I do believe that he can start to make these changes, and maybe begin to set us on the right track. These last 8 years have been rough.

And, man, I wish it were a global election! I know I've talked to many people from other parts of the world, too, who wish they could vote. (Even the JE group I follow has a very interesting cover (http://pics.livejournal.com/alissa/pic/000a1fpb) for their most recent single. ._.)

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Yes, and yes and yes...he's the right track, the right direction. In a lot of ways it's not really about Obama at all, it's about the symbol - the man, I don't know if I can believe in, because he's just a man. But the symbol, that I can believe in.

(And woah, yeah, interesting cover! As I said, the Japanese are at least as stressed as Americans right now about this - with good reason, we still control their military, after all! American foreign policy has a LOT of impact on Japan...they're got good reason to be biting their nails about this.)

[naye]

♥

Yeah, I wish there was more the rest of us could do about this, but - I'll be keeping my fingers crossed, come November. (Though whoever gets the job, I really, really don't envy them! Cleaning up this mess... gah.)

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Yeeeeah, it's not gonna be a fun job. But I just hope the cleaning up does start, rather than making more messes...

[lifevolutionary.livejournal.com]

I'm English and yeah, your completely right. I'm sitting here with my fingers crossed hoping like hell that Obama will win and wishing there was something the rest of us could do.

xXx

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

I have a lot of international friends, and man, I feel for all of you - the American president really should not be this important to the world, but it is. If it makes you feel any better, we really wish you had some say, too!

[tipper-green.livejournal.com]

*Wild applause*

Very well said. It's funny, living where I live, one of the "bluest" states in the country--even the radio announcers are begging people to vote Obama, just in case. I vaguely wished I lived in Michigan or Florida, so I could swing the vote in those states. My fingers are crossed for all of us.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Heh, yeah...that's the thing about voting with our incredibly broken democratic system - as a Massachusetts resident it's not like my vote's gonna count in the presidential election anyway, it's more the principle of the thing (well, that, and Proposition 1...my dad being a state employee, my parents rather strongly encouraged us to vote on that...!)

[jakrar.livejournal.com]

Already voted by mail for Obama; I have no great confidence that he'll actually win, but I'm desperately clinging to hope. McCain and Palin scare me to death!

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

McCain doesn't terrify me - at least not the way Bush does - except that he's old and sick and if he falls Palin takes the reins, and Palin is maybe even scarier than Bush...

[3rdof4.livejournal.com]

Yep, I agree with all that you have said. This election is the first in a long time that I have dared to hope for a man of integrity and sincerity. Like you, I know it will be just a beginning, but we need something to bring us hope! I lived my first 25 years in Massachusetts, then lived in 7 more states, currently I am in South Carolina, every state has it's different viewpoints. This election will be HUGE for the world!

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

(ah, a fellow Massachusettian! wicked! ^^) All the states, all the citizens, yeah, we all see it a bit differently...but hope, yeah. This is the first presidential election that I'm actually voting for a candidate, not just against someone else...

[nerowill.livejournal.com]

I lived abroad in 2004 and it was so galling that I had to explain over and over again how we could have reelected Bush when I sure as heck had done my best to prevent it... Hopefully you won't face a similar problem. :)

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Yup, I've been living abroad almost 3 years now, and spend a lot of time explaining that it's not my fault...! Will be so nice not to have to apologize for my nation.

[angellec.livejournal.com]

I am completely with you on this. We desperately need Obama to win because if the idiot makes it just shoot us cause we are done,also as a resident of Pennsylvania which is usually republican state I do see a lot of Obama signs, which is encouraging.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Several of the swing states have a blue tinge right now, it's very encouraging! *crosses fingers & toes*

[littlehollyleaf.livejournal.com]

If I was American, I'd vote for Obama. Just so you know :D

[littlehollyleaf.livejournal.com]

Sorry 'were.' If I 'were' American. Where HAS my Queen's English fled to?

The President of the USA is probably the most influential political position in the world

[ender24]

Interview with Bernard-Henri Lévy: Why Europeans Love Obama - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - International

hee, i thought, that was fitting to what you wrote:
SALON: A lot of Americans do not understand why it even matters what the rest of the world thinks about who the American president is.

LEVI: Because you are the most important, the most powerful country in the world. But don't be too narcissistic, you Americans. Everything matters to everybody. The next president of Iran matters to everybody. Who is president matters to everybody. Who presides over one of the most little states in the world, which is Israel, matters to everybody. The entire world matters. Even more little -- Gaza. Hamas or not Hamas? Everybody has the eyes on that. So it is a principle, a rule in this time of globalization: Everything matters to everybody.

Re: The President of the USA is probably the most influential political position in the world

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Exactly, exactly! I completely understand everyone's interest in this election, world-wide - and we Americans should be caring about other elections, too, more than we do. Though America probably is the more intimidating country right now...

[katheli.livejournal.com]

I sure hope Obama wins this thing.
I´m from Austria and the general view of Americans in Austria is...not that good. (*I* like Americans, mind you, but hey, I study English.XD)And that has a lot to do with the fact that Bush was elected (TWICE)to be the president.

Most european countries range far more left than the US does, so your Democrats would be our conservative party and your Republicans would be...uuuh. Probably considered to be religious fanatics.

This is mostly the reason why Europe would vote for Obama. It doesn´t have that much to do with the person of Obama or the hype around his person - which I´m wary of, I have to admit. But like you said, this election shapes the world (I mean, really, who cares about the president of Austria? XDD) even if the financial crisis may or may not change that for the the future. I don´t think the economic system is doomed just because a few banks have problems, but I don´t know how serious the crisis is in America.

Anyway: Vote for Obama! XDD

[kurifurinkan.livejournal.com]

/applauds/

I'm sorry, you don't know me, but I had to thank you for posting this. I'm so scared what's going to happen to my country if Obama doesn't get elected; and I think what happens is that we all feel so powerless. This is the election for the president of the United States, yes, but it's going to affect the world, but us in other countries don't have any say.

It looks so grim. People who come to the Caribbean now can't say they're American, for the past few years- things down here are just that bad and everyone's gotten so bitter, we're kind of scared to hope that a good choice will be made this time around.

Thanks again for posting this.(And to think, I just came for the fic!)^_^

[flingslass.livejournal.com]

Hi I got the link from naye. I'm proud of you for standing up and having your say. It's not who you voted for but THAT you voted. We have compulsory voting in Australia as the view here is that it's part of our duty as Australian citizens.

And just to let you know about the icon..It's Melbourne Cup Day and we get a holiday for a horse race...Oh, and that's the mighty Phar Lap. Winner of the 1930 Melbourne Cup and Legend. :D

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Yup, I always vote in the major elections...I wish we had compulsory voting in America - or gave tax breaks to those who voted, or some kind of benefit. We have a terribly inactive democracy...though I'm hoping for a high turnout today, this election has everyone so charged.... *crosses fingers*!

[l0t0phage.livejournal.com]

I so agree about Katheli's word.

For my part, I'm French, and it pained me those last year when my People said "I hate Americans", because really, they didn't know any American, they just hated the image Bush gave of it. Which is very sad. America has always been a pretty violent politically wise country, but you can't blame all the people, some of them weren't responsible and fought not to have freaks for presidents. I think the president of America is something extremely important for the World, since it's the first World Power... It's important that people have a good image of America so the relations between countries can develop in a good way.
I don't get how French can be so stuck on some things (like hating the English for wars that happened many centuries ago ¬__¬), when they tend to forget the help Americans gave us during WWII.

I truly, deeply wish the relationships between the people of America and France will get better. I love America/ns, it's a dream of mine to go there, it's such an interesting nation history-wise!

I am happy beyond words that Obama passed. I'm sure things will get better, in some ways. I'm happy to see all those proud and happy Americans, it's very moving.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

The thing is, I believe the rest of the world really does have good reason to fear us, if not outright hate us - we are way too powerful for our own good, and we don't always do worthy things with that strength. Really, I'd rather we were less powerful - that we stood *with* other world powers, instead of over them. But America itself is also afraid, so we're always grabbing for that bigger stick...

I hope that Obama might help lead us to a future without fear, or with less fear - to a world that doesn't fear America, to an America that doesn't fear the rest of the world. I think this election showed that Americans are tired of being afraid, and maybe if we get along better with the world, we won't have to be.