Ask The Foreigner!

Why an Independent Foreigner Thinks Obama '08?

There was never a core America in which everyone looked the same, spoke the same language, worshiped the same Gods, and believed the same things. Even before the Europeans arrived, American Indians were constantly at one another's throats. America is a construction of mind, not of race or inherited class or ancestral territory.

On the fist day of October the political philosopher John Gray, the former professor at the London School of Economics, wrote in the London paper The Observer: "Here is a historic geopolitical shift, in which the balance of power in the world is being altered irrevocably. The era of American global leadership, reaching back to the Second World War, is over... The American free-market creed has self-destructed while countries that retained overall control of markets have been vindicated." He continues, "How symbolic that Chinese astronauts take a spacewalk while the US Treasury Secretary is on his knees."

As a man who loves politics, pays attention what is going on around the world on a daily basis I try my best to keep up with every major news paper around the globe. A lot of people around the world including developed countries would love to be an American. Do you know why? Take a guess? I am sure you are gonna say "oh because we are a free nation, we have democracy not just on paper but we actually practice it." About 18 or so months ago when B. Obama announced that he was going to run for the highest office in the world my instant reaction as a Bush supporter was "Well if America actually elects Mr. Obama, I am sure sure he will change America's reputation around the world." Well not long after a French newspaper, Libération, said that the arrival in the White House of “a black man, married to a black woman, [with] a black family” would be an act of “atonement” that would restore the image of an America “shunned in every corner of the planet”. A German tabloid, Bild, offered praise for Mr Obama's “sexy” charms, under the headline: “This Black American Will Become the New Kennedy!” In Spain El País trumped all others, telling readers: “The question is whether the United States is ready for a president who is black?"

After John McCain clinch the nomination for the GOP, Mr. Obama and Mrs. Clinton were fighting it out to make history. It became clear to me then that America is ready to show the world why America is America. Mr. Obama kept impressing me with his presence, his passion for America, being able to punch after taking punches from every corner, his wisdom and ideas to bring Americans together under one umbrella. He showed America and the world that he is indeed ready to take on the great responsibility of being a leader of this great nation lead its nation to greatness. As an independent foreigner who supported president Bush both in 2000, and '04 and after watching the performance of Mr. Obama until October 5, 2008; I now give my full support to Mr. Obama. I was really torn between Mr. McCain and Mr. Obama because both are equally great people. I wanted Mr. McCain because I wanted him to be responsible for the mess that his party has made the past nearly 8 years. I do not believe in cleaning someone's mess unless they are kids. I mean, I am pretty sure my roommate does not expect me to clean after him when he leaves his shoes in down stairs where we watch tv. If I see his shoes around the house and I want to clean the house, I clean everything around my house and leave his shoes where it was because I expect him to pick up his shoes.

I tried my utmost to watch this election with unbiased opinion, because for once I wanted to believe in our (though I'm a foreign but I consider myself an American) president. In 2004 president Bush looked the American people through the camera eye and said: "My plan begins with providing the security and opportunity of a growing economy. We now compete in a global market that provides new buyers for our goods, but new competition for our workers. To create more jobs in America, America must be the best place in the world to do business. To create jobs, my plan will encourage investment and expansion by restraining federal spending, reducing regulation and making tax relief permanent. To create jobs, we will make our country less dependent on foreign sources of energy. To create jobs, we will expand trade and level the playing field to sell American goods and services across the globe. And we must protect small business owners and workers from the explosion of frivolous lawsuits that threaten jobs across America." You can google the complete speech of the 2004 President Bush's RNC speech. Today look where America's economy is and by no means do not forget about John Gray's article, do not dare to forget the nearly $800 bailout that president Bush urged Congress to pass so the government can clean up the mess that was made by greedy Wall-Steet. The GOP has failed to keep its promise, therefore it is time to give the Democrats an opportunity to see if they can clean up the mess that was made by the GOP. Even though I do not believe the Democrats should not clean up the GOP's mess, but the current GOP candidate is running on the same platform and ideas that will lead America to another 4 more years of failed GOP agenda.

I am confident that Mr. Obama has a better judgment when it comes to making decisions on a daily basis to protect America, restore America's reputation, increase allies by his amazing diplomatic policy and overcome this recession. Economists generally define a recession as two consecutive quarters of economic contraction, something that can only be measured after the fact. The US economy grew at a scant 0.6 percent rate in the 2007 fourth quarter. This recession and the nearly $800 billion dollars Government bailout is the most serious since World War II. Watching Mr. Obama overcome vicious negative attacks from the GOP including the incompetent VP nominee Sara Palin, gives me confidence that he can protect America and he is ready to lead. Watching the VP debate opened my eyes the fundamental difference between John McCain and Barack Obama. His policy for the economy, education, foreign policy, Iraq, homeland security, immigration, women etc makes more sense than of Mr. McCain's.

Senator McCain is portrayed as a war-hero in the GOP's eye and the rest of America's eye, but Sen. Kerry is just a soldier who threw away his purple heart. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having a temper when it comes to a GOP presidential candidate, I wonder what Howard Dean thinks about that? Hmm...? John McCain would not have problem winning the presidency had he been running the John McCain way, confident. He first began by breaking his words which were not run running a negative campaign. That was the first turn off, but then I realized it was "politics" so I brushed it off and started following the campaign more. The more I payed attention the McCain's campaign, deception, blank check, do whatever it take to win, more of the same, and desperation were the only thing I kept finding. Deception, when he tries to attack Obama on his character, black check when he does not have a clear plan for the war in Iraq, but plans to stay in Iraq for 100yrs, do whatever it takes to win, when he suspended his campaign, desperation when he chose Sara Palin as his running mate, more of the same when he voted with Bush 90% of the time.

Dear Sen. McCain, you have shown over and over that you are desperate, you have bad judgment when you chose Sara Palin as your running mate only after meeting her once, suspending your campaign to regain momentum yet claimed you were going to Washington to work on the bail-out bill and now trying to relate Mr. Obama to terrorist, and question his fund raising. He did not take the $80 million dollars tax payers money like you did, you tried to link Obama to Bill Ayers...flash back Obama was ONLY 8 in 1960. I am tired Mr. McCain; I am tired of your negative campaign, and your hypocrisy...the American people are not going to not ask you about the Keating Five, I am tired of hearing your VP's voice, and mostly I am angry with you because you think the American people are stupid. I have news for you Mr. McCain, NOT this time. You cannot distract the American people from the REAL issues, the economy, the soldiers, the education. Oh by the way no child left behind act that you supported sucks!