Monday, November 10, 2008

US Presidential Election

The 2008 US presidential election was memorable in many ways, but for me it was particularly unique as I experienced it in Australia. When I arrived here in February, I was surprised at the level of coverage the Obama – Clinton primary race received. By now I am used to the interest in and knowledge of US politics, and have enjoyed getting glimpses of our election from an Australian viewpoint.

It was Wednesday afternoon here when the election results were in. I was in Melbourne, finishing my walking tour of the Royal Botanic Gardens. There was an Aussie woman who must’ve heard me talking with the guide, and between my accent and the mention of Thanksgiving it probably wasn’t hard to guess I’m American. So I found out who won the election when, in Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens, I was told, “Congratulations on your new president.”

“Obama?” I asked, as it seemed like he would win.

She confirmed, “Yes.” This was an interesting way to find out who won, I thought. A short time later I was on the tram and a huge picture of Obama was on the cover of the free afternoon newspaper people read on public transportation. The headline informed all that he was projected to win; by the time the paper was actually out, McCain had conceded.

A majority of Australians wanted Obama to win. President Bush is deeply unpopular here, and McCain seemed to represent a continuation of Bush’s presidency. Under John Howard, Australia’s previous prime minister, the country followed America into the war in Iraq. (As a side note, Australia has been a US ally in every conflict since we entered WWI.) The Iraq war is opposed by most Australians, who are further disgusted at reports of American torture. There is also a sense that the Bush administration has an inflated sense of American self-importance. Australians want a US president who is going to be part of the world community, not set apart from the world community.

Of course people have noted the significance of having an African-American president, but there is something a bit more remote about that here. Setting aside the fact that Obama’s ancestors were never slaves, the labor in colonial Australia came from British convicts, not slaves, so people of African descent in Australia are very few (though some refugees come here now). It would be closer to home if Obama were Native American, because Australia has significant challenges relating to equality for indigenous people. Nevertheless, Aussies recognize that, as the media has been proclaiming, a racial barrier has fallen.

There was an Australian Associated Press article in Saturday’s Mercury (Hobart’s newspaper) informing us that Kevin Rudd was one of several national leaders to call Obama and congratulate him. According to the article they talked for 10 or 15 minutes about the expected topics: the economy, security, and the environment. Kevin Rudd was widely quoted as saying “I'm convinced that we are going to have a first class working relationship with president-elect Obama.” (Read the article at http://www.livenews.com.au/Articles/2008/11/07/Rudd_has_first_talks_with_presidentelect_Obama)

Elections here are announced, then held three weeks later. The length of this campaign has astonished Australians, who generally think it’s excessive. Moreover, they are confounded by the idea of voting being voluntary. Voting in Australia is mandatory, and failure to vote results in a fine. It is a civic duty here, and voluntary voting is seen as one of the odder aspects of the American political system.

While I’ve been learning Aussie perspectives, Australians have enjoyed asking me for my viewpoint. Since Australians are generally blunt, I was surprised that nobody asked me who I voted for. A lot of other questions have come up, though. I’ve been asked who I thought would win, how I vote from Australia, and if I come from a red state or a blue state.

All in all I believe Australians share the general view that at last the election is over, we know who the next president will be, and life can move forward.

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