The Worldwide Election

8/4/2019 The Worldwide Election

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The worldwide election

1. Domestic and foreign context

The historic election of Barack Hussein Obama was an international event of profoundmagnitude. But one has to take into account that this is due to various factors related todomestic problems, racial relations 1, international conflict etc. The novelty of his campaignwas his platform- very progressive and ambitious.

What is probably the worst economic downturn since the 1920s served as the major factorin his rise in voter options . The legacy of the George Bush Jr. administration was indeeddisastrous and, many say, led to the economic downturn in the American economy and as aresult in the international economy. Although this can be easily disproven at a secondglance 2. However, the fact of the matter remains that most Americans were now looking todisprove their reputation as world police and start ignoring the former isolationist policies.The war in the Middle East was nearing its eighth year and still no real resolution isforeseeable, economic turmoil promised to shake the core of the American economy andEuropean support was growing thin. All of these were credited to the former administration.John McCain, the Republican candidate, had initially run on a populist campaign thatresembled much of Bushs policies. He was quoted on more than o ne occasion saying

something along the lines of how successful president Bush was in foreign matters and howhe vowed to continue his policies. But half-way through the campaign he changed his pointof view and promised a new and fresh start in policy. This did not go down well among hismost ardent of supporters and earned him wide criticism in the media. On the other hand, theObama campaign kept a steady pace. He not only promised a green future for the industry asan economic resolution to the crisis, but also vowed to establish and stick to a realistictimetable for the complete retreat of troops in Iraq; a war that many voters grew weary of 3.

The selection of vice-presidents also played an important role in the race for the WhiteHouse 4. Obama went with Joseph Robinette Biden or Joe Biden, a long-term and experienced

senator from Delaware. This, at first seemed to be a poor choice compared to the Republicannominee for vice-president, Sarah Palin. She earned John McCain a considerable lead at firstbeing an outspoken person and a pure celebrity for the camera. But in the long term this was

1 Sheryl Gay Stolberg and Marjorie Connelly (The New York Times, April 27, 2009)2 Alan Greenspan, The Age of turbulence (Penguin Group, 2007)3 Jeffrey M. Jones, Pubic continues to express pessimism about Iraq war (Gallup.com, November 16, 2005)4 John M. Broder and Julie Bosman, In states once reliably red Palin and Biden tighten their stump speeches (TheNew York Times, November 2, 2008)


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to cost McCain a considerable amount of support. Also, Barack Obama had earned thepresidential nominalization of the Democratic presidential candidate after what can only bedescribed as a dog-fight against Hillary Clinton. This assured him strong internal support,especially after Clintons endorsement. John McCain, on the other hand, also faced difficultywith his candidacy nominalization but this wasnt projected on a national scale. He facedtough opponents such as Mitt Romney and Rudolph Giuliani. However, none of these figureswere comparable in notoriety and budget to Hillary Clinton. Also, there was more attentionfocused on Obamas battle due to the perspect ive of an African-American becomingpresident.

2. Platforms and funding

At the beginning of his campaign, John McCain associated himself with the formerpresident, George W. Bush Jr. This was in spite of his commentaries of ridding Congress of lobbyists and alien interests that do not meet in any way with those of the American people.He was also a firm advocate of the war in Iraq. He was in a way forced to do this sinceGeorge Bush Sr. yielded most of the internal support in the Republican Party. Most of thefunding was provided by Cindy McCain who has a net worth of 100 million dollars. He alsoaccepted public funding although he smeared his counterpart for doing so. All and all JohnMcCain ran a populist campaign banking on the war in Iraq and his general conservatoryposition and image. He also proceeded to make himself known as the typical Americanveteran-hero through his experience as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. This earned him more

votes and, until the end of the presidential campaign, when asked who would make a bettercommander and chief 5, Americans believed him to be more firm and decisive when it cameto foreign policy and international conflict. However, the outbreak of the economic crisis wasto deal him a tremendous blow. His promises did not focus initially on any of the issues at-hand such as green energy being the future of American industry or healthcare. He did havean opinion on these issues but didnt base his entire campaign on them. In fact, not until verylate in the race did he take official standings on these topics. Most of his fund andcampaigning was directed to traditionally red-states and did not proceed to make efforts towin any of the Democratic states. At a closer to the electoral map, one can clearly see thatsome of the traditionally-republican states such Colorado, Florida or Nevada 6 were lost to hiscounterpart. This was blamed mainly on his lack of responsiveness to the changes thatoccurred during that year. Despite this, he had managed to swing votes because of his vice-president option. This earned him considerable notoriety because of the star 7 Sarah Palin.

5 Lidya Saad, McCain vs. Obama as commander and chief (Gallup.com, June 25 2008)6 Realclearpolitics.com, electoral map 20087 Holly Bailey, Culvahouse on Palin: impressive but not ready (Newsweek.com, April 20, 2009)


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Hers too was the theme of domestic issues embodied by their slogan Country first. This waswidely perceived by the American public as a conservatory stance meant to address issuessuch as immigration and the economy. They both expressed their confidence in theAmerican worker but never really promised reform in the outbreak of the crisis . All of thisled to a confusion as to the general theme of the McCain campaign which resulted, towardsthe end of the campaign, in a public smearing of Barack Obama.

In contrast to the McCain campaign, Barack Obama maintained his general message of reform summed up in his campaign slogan Change or rather Change we can believe in.Although his tenure as senator of Illinois had earned him considerable notoriety on thenational scene, it was not until he defeated Hillary Rodham Clinton and won nomination asthe Democrat presidential candidate. General funding was provided through publicnomination and was mostly spent on campaigning in the battleground-states such as Ohio 8.Large amounts of energy were spent on building up his image of an ambitious and capablereformer who knew exactly what to do and when to do it. Although John McCain hadconsiderable more experience as senator, he soon made up for this by attending numerousrallies and being more consistent in his message. There was a scandal concerning his fundingby some of the non-profit organizations that the McCain soon capitalized on. However, waswidely perceived by the public as a smearing campaign. He also received aggressive blowsfrom Sarah Palin and John McCain on race issues when the two turned a blind-eye towardsracist slogans being uttered at Republican rallies. The race card was dealt with by the Obamacampaign staff by simply ignoring it and tackling the issue in the most minimalist anddiplomatic manner possible. He was strongly portrayed as a family man with religiousbeliefs. This was to usher in another scandal when his former pastor was caught on tape

spewing racist beliefs during a public mass. As with all other scandals, he employed a calmattitude towards this however not rejecting his pastor completely. During his campaign heproceeded to take positions on virtually any topic on public agenda. This enabled him to shiftgears in message and emphasize on which side of his message to focus on more. He alsoreceived endorsements from key and likeable public figures such as the Clinton couple. Hisfigure really became associated with those of people that have fought for the freedom of theoppressed such as Martin Luther King Jr. or Bob Marley. At one point though, his loyaltyand integrity was called into question by Republican vice-president nominee Sarah Palinbecause of his middle name Hussein and because of his Kenyan heritage. Despite theAmerican Muslim 9 paranoia his message prevailed as the promise of the future especially

after making harsh and definite statements on the issue of the failing motor companies.Choosing Joe Biden as his running mate only solidified his image as a level-headedcommitted-to-change individual in the eyes of the American public.

8 Realclearpolitics.com, electoral map 20089 Edward Luce, Muslim Americans in line with US values (financialtimes.com, May 22, 2007)


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At the end of the day, it is important to point out that this was a campaign seen as crucialfor the future of American policy in the world 10 . It is important to know why the Americanpeople voted for Barack Obama in the end and how realistic his promises are. It is evidentfrom a first glance that America opted for change and the discontinuity of the Bush policies.Although this might seem an internal debate that concerns the American public only, weadmit that they dominant topics in the campaign were the war in the Middle East andshrinking world economy generated by the failing of the American economy. In many waysthis was an international event that will resonate and stick with us throughout Barack Obamas tenure. Therefore, an analysis of the campaign is crucial because it is necessary toknow on what grounds the voters made their choice and to what degree Obamas promisescan be carried out. For example, Obama admitted that such issues cannot be dealt withcompletely in his first term. What can be done is laying down the foundation for a new andpromising future.

3. The importance of the campaign and election worldwide

During the final stages of the Obama-McCain campaign a rumor circulated that Al-Quaedareleased a tape in which they expressed their preference for John McCain 11 . This was atypical example of how foreign structures were reacting to this event. It was not only a signof close observation, but also of calculation as to how and what American foreign policymight look like in the not-so-distant future. Scandals aside, the importance of knowing how

this campaign was one and because of what promises on what issues still remains. Theterrorist organizations vote of confidence imp licitly underlines the mistakes of the Bush Jr.policies and the need for change.

The war in Iraq and Afghanistan is costing the United States billions of dollars and thiscould prove deadly in the current international environment. The shrinking economy spellsdoom but it could also mean opportunity for a complete change in worldwide lifestyle. Itcould mean a strengthening of renewable-energy research and with the current economicclimate there is one man that can influence most of what will go down and up. That manneeds to rise up to the occasion and to not be afraid of ambitious, long-term planning. One of

the main issues that proved fatal for John McCain in the end was his being suspect of melanoma and his vice-president option. The latter proved to be his undoing because of numerous scandals of fraud in the state of Alaska, embezzlement and weak and inconsistentmessage. It is heart-warming to know that the American public picked up on this and that

10 Mark Hosenball, The latest intel on intel, (Newsweek.com, November11, 2008)11 Mark Hosenball, Homeland security blues, (Newsweek.com, November 11,2008)


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they acted in consequence. But why have they reacted with hostility against political short-sightedness now?

When talking about such an issue, one cannot look past the 2000 elections when the teamBush-Cheney was elected into office in the run against Gore-Lieberman 12. Al Gore was at

that time former vice-president under the Clinton administration and was generally renownedfor his advocacy for reformative issues such as stem-cell research and clean energy sources.The reason for this outcome are many and can be widely discussed. But there was one keydifference the 2000 elections and the 2008 elections and that was global context. TheAmerican economy was doing reasonably well and there was no immediate cause for alarm.Come 9/11 and post 9/11 reactions and development, the whole dynamic changed. 13 TheAmerican people did not feel the need for change in 2000 and didnt vote for it. After that thepicture of Middle Easter countries harboring terrorists and terrorist organizations was paintedwhich resulted in a total shifting of gears in American foreign policy. Afghanistan happenedand then Iraq happened and by 2004 Bush Jr. had built the reputation of a country-bringer of peace and exporter of democracy in the not-so-fortunate regions of the world (not so differentfrom the equality-bringing Guevara if you think about it). For whatever reasons the war wasstarted has been waged for so long, be it a vendetta or adventure, the administration hadsomething to be proud of, at least generically: the freedom, in theory at least, of the Afghanpeople from under the oppressive Taliban regime and the ousting of the dictator SaddamHussein. Americans lost support of its strong European allies and the second term of theBush Jr. administration was marked by scandals with a final job approval rating of only 34%.In a related poll, only 4% of Americans believe that he will go down in history as anoutstanding president and 36% believe his tenure was poor 14. The victory in 2000 against

Gore was obtained after a long battle with only a small margin in the end of 271 to 267. YetObama won almost by a landslide: 365 to 173.

The 2000 election reflects the general, mellow consent of the public but 2004administration-policies and 2008 represents just how much international input and output goin to and from a well-backed administration. In 2004, George Bush Jr. had the support of most of his citizens even after the 100 th-day-in office mostly because of Christian-orientedorganizations. If that is taken into account along with his previous term, there is considerableinternational leverage in a US election in times of crisis. Obamas presidency is veryprogressive on that account. He is seen and promises to be a man of both solutions and action

but with level-headed steadiness, the opposite of this being exactly what lost McCain theelection. Change, the current president promises, will not only involve the economy andeverything that goes with that. But it will also involve the dialogue with partner states from

12 Realclearpolitics.com, electoral map 200813 Noam Chomsky, Interventions (Vellant, 2008)14 How Americans say Bush will go down in history ( Gallup.com, January 16,2009)


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Europe, China, Iran Cuba and North Korea. These are key issues that the formeradministration had played either the threat card or has shown he cold shoulder.

The reputation that the USA gained through its army s actions during the Bush-era ismainly one of maniacal self-proclaimed heroes who do whatever they want, be it illegal or

not, and dont get trialed for it. A nd although this cannot be realistically changed, Obamaintends to at least tear down the symbol of all of this which is the Guantanamo Bay facility.He also intends to put a stop to the habit of secret orders being issued to attack targets in Iranor Pakistan. This is almost too good to be true, but the whole point to it is to show the worldthat openness is the key and that there has to be a new way of doing things in general thataims for thawing down relations between states worldwide.

Also, this dialogue and openness that president Obama strives for is more easily attainablewhen most of the world outside the United States is cheering for his victory. For example,key Muslim countries such as Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Turkey or the Palestinian teritories

favor Obama15

. Most Japanese say that Obama would be better as president.

The 2008 elections will powerfully influence the world on the long term for now is the timeof change and how that will be implemented remains to be seen. The fact of the matter is thateconomically, the United States represent the biggest consumer market and if the Americansloose more and more of their power to buy, many countries that rely mostly on export andgenerally doing business within this market will also loose, creating a dangerous dominoeffect. This simple economic rule has already been felt in China, the largest exporter to theUS and Germany, the largest exporter in the world. What most are afraid of is the fact thatcurrent policies aim at complete self-sustenance which will leave countries such as Saudi

Arabia at less than half their market. However, there is good business to be done in times of crisis such as this. Now, there is a big demand for know-how and the US is in the front-rowseat for this deal. Large brain exports are being amassed by the US particularly fromcountries such Japan or Germany who have been banking on this during the 90s up untilnow.

4. The stakes

With its massive exports and imports, the failing US economy generates turmoilworldwide. Than has been plainly evident worldwide. The direction in which it is currentlygoing may represent a huge opportunity worldwide. Alvin Toffler said that the digitalindustry is the third wealth-generating wave, after the agricultural and the industrial one 16 . If

15 Jihad Fakhreddine, Obama favored in key Muslim countries (Gallup.com, October 21, 2008) 16 Alvin Toffler and Heidy Toffler, Revolutionary Wealth (Antet, 2006)


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that is so, than the fourth one could be the eco-industry. There is cause for massivecirculation and redistribution of wealth around the world. This direction is not new at all. Theconcept of eco- industry itself came into being in the 1970s. However, now there is a sharpturn in this direction, partially fueled by the crisis and the need to generate income fromsomething in demand and partially because of the emerging US policies.

Bjorn Lomborg anticipates that if massive funds are now pumped into research andpromotion, than clean living will spread including in the Third World countries 17. This willnot only make for a cleaner environment and as a result a cleaner living, but it will also helperase differences between the West 18 and the Third World. With the outcome of the 2008elections, the world has taken a more decisive turn in this direction at least in theory. Howsoon the US industrial infrastructure will be replaced with environmentally-friendlyinfrastructure remains to be seen. Government bailout plans for the major American carmanufacturers were conditioned exactly on this: the promotion of environmentally friendlyideas and technology and the promise for change. So, in a way, one could say that most of the worldwide economic integrity relies on how firmly and quickly change will actually beimplemented in the White House and to what degree others will be to cooperate.

5. Conclusions

To conclude with, the nature of the US campaign reflects nature of things to come, in away, both in the US and abroad. No matter how you look at it and what aspects are studiedmore, a shift in gears has been made due to Barack Obamas election . However, this mightbe speaking too soon but the fact remains that John McCain was associated with the GeorgeBush Jr. administration and its failing policies. An end to the former way of doing businesswas needed and the world was deeply in tuned with the Americas sent iment. This event waspropelled to a worldwide importance mainly because of current international event.Secondary reasons would be the United States sheer economic size and military power andtherefore influence in different parts of the world. One thing is for sure tough: the time forchange is here and the right people for the job just might be at the right time and in the rightplace.

17 Bjorn Lomborg, The Skeptical Environmentalist (Cambridge University Press, 2001)18 Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad Badawi, The real challenge for Muslim nations is economic (financialtimes.com, May27, 2007)


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Bibliography:

1. Alan Greenspan, The age of turbulence , Penguin Group, 2008.

2.

Jean-Francois- Revel, Obsesia antiamericana, Humanitas, 2004. 3. Alvin Toffler and Heidy Toffler, Revolutionary Wealth, Antet, 2006. 4. Noam Chomsky, Interventii, Vellant, 2008. 5. Bjorn Lomborg, The skeptical environmentalist, Cambridge University Press, 2001. 6. Realclearpolitics.com7. Gallup.com8. Newsweek.com9. Thenewyorktimes.com10. Financialtimes.com11. Foreignpolicy.com

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The Worldwide Election