but as you likely know I am on a trip around the globe. Funny little story:
The day after elections back in the States, I went into work there in our Dublin, Ireland office - and I got a standing ovation. Simply for what our country did and me being a citizen. Truly an inspiring thing - especially when you consider this was mostly European engineers (few are actually Irish in the office but those that are stood and applauded too).
This applause wasn't because we chose the candidate Obama, but because we chose the 'new choice' for our voting record. Again, this wasn't because he is Democratic party member but because he wasn't a Bush clone or an 'old white guy'. Again, not against John McCain but we showed the world something different for the first time in over 200 years of Presidential elections and people are saying 'whoa, those American's aren't quite what we thought' (in the bad way of thinking of Americans).
They simply didn't think we had it in us. It wasn't so much the black thing* but it was. It wasn't Obama specifically, but it was. Not sure I can explain it but people stopped me on the streets in Dublin, asked if I was an American (why, is it *showing*???!) and then asked me what I thought - usually after saying some positive things or sometimes before saying extremely positive things.
Then I get to China - and its more of the same. Except here in China they assume because 'we love Mr. Bush' as an American public, we agree with all his policies. No use trying to tell them that his approval rating is the lowest in recorded history and that 'not too many Americans are that much in favor of his actions'. The point is, they too are reassessing their opinion on the American peoples.
And that is a cool thing!
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*re:"black thing" - it was surprising just how little the folks in Ireland knew about the racial divide in the US - they were shocked that race was the 'main problem' of people potentially not voting for him when I talked to them. Not his age, not his background nor even his policies but that his race was even possibly an issue was shocking to them. Then I asked how likely they might be to vote for a Protestant for Prime Minister. They got it then. So racial problems = religious differences in Ireland. The rest of the EU folks here, like the Polish - simply didn't see any of that being a potential problem.
To them, it was 'either you like his point of view of policies or you don't' as to how/why you voted. Not even liking someone but agreeing more with their platform you should still vote for candidate A. Funny. Of course, few of them understood why so few Americans vote too.
Ah Democracy, win some ya lose some!
Its nice to win one for once.
PPS - Most people over here simply didn't see it much as a choice but a 'you got to be kidding me with the old guy who is farting around saying 'stuff' but not saying anything but the old 'those dems suck' and the woman he chose didn't even know that Africa wasn't a country but a continent full of countries'. And don't give me that bit about how that was a 'made up' story. It broke in Ireland over two weeks ago.
Let's see, the inspiring, well tempered, even keel, non-fundamentalist, well spoken guy - or the same ol' same ol'? Going with something new - gave the world something new to think about.
