Obama

I am currently listening to the presidential debates in real time over NPR that I am getting through a cell phone connection to the internet. Its a pretty remarkable thing. However, its not the technology I want to talk about. People here know more about the American elections than they do about the political situation in their own country. This is because it is likely that the U.S. government has more affect on their lives here than there own: coup d'etats make it difficult to govern effectively. However, its more than that. Obama has not just captured the hope of the American people, but without trying he as also won over the world. A lot of people are aware of this and much has been written of it. However, I'd like to confirm that it is in fact true. When I meet people in my village, one of the first, if not the first, question they ask me is who I want to win. I get news about the race from people on the street. Paint is expensive here and it is therefore rarely used, but walking around my town you can find Obama's name painted on things from fooseball tables to shops. Obviously, a significant portion of this support is because he is black, but it is not all of it. Its pretty remarkable to see people of another country rally behind our potential leader in such an enthusiastic way. It is certainly true that we should not let the world vote for us, but we would be stupid not to pay attention to what it is saying.