http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=93887
and from my latest column.... getting political:
find the column here
Watching the upcoming American presidential elections unfold from overseas is a bit like watching theater from the last row of the highest balcony: it's easy to become bored and distracted by what should be a riveting drama taking place on stage. There are the main players and their assorted sidekicks, spouting hubristic monologues, participating in heated exchanges, and revealing character flaws which may or may not prove to be strengths. It's a classic story with a modern twist; instead of the typically white male cast of the past 200-odd years, we're presented with a different choice of casting: A strong-willed woman whom we've got to know through a previous production and a dark-skinned newcomer to the stage, both defying preconceived notions of who should get top billing for the next four years.
Every presidential election I can remember seemed like a fantastic melodrama, from the angry debates to the non-stop media coverage of each and every detail of candidates' lives. Researchers dig up dirt from the past, creating smear campaigns which seem like the worst kind of soap operas, and are just as petty or fictional. From my distant viewpoint in Turkey, it's easy to tune out the noise and forget that anything is happening in my motherland on the other side of the world. For the past few years, I've tended to turn off CNN when I see President Bush on the screen, reminding me of the actions and policies of the Bush administration that I deeply disagree with. It has been slightly uncomfortable in Turkey at times when people ask me if I'm American or not, asking probing questions about how Bush got elected, about my feelings regarding the war in Iraq or about the escalating tensions with Iran. Despite having passionate feelings about these issues, I've unfortunately been a passive protester of the current administration, silently hoping that time would pass and the next presidential election would somehow come sooner than it has.
Finally, 2008 has arrived and Americans will elect a new president in November. The main Democratic candidates in the election are Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, either of which I'm sure would make fine leaders of the U.S. One of them will be chosen to be the Democratic presidential candidate soon, and I hope that somehow it will be a Clinton-Obama or Obama-Clinton ticket. Is America ready for a female president? An African-American president? I sincerely hope so but I have my doubts. Despite being a modern, advanced country, the U.S. has never come close to electing a female or African-American president, regardless of their politics or views. In 1984, Walter Mondale ran for president with a woman, Geraldine Ferraro, as his vice-president. They lost the election to incumbent Ronald Reagan, and that was the closest a woman has got to the White House. That was 24 years ago, so I would hope that we've got past a candidate's gender or skin color when electing the leader of our country. It's the issues that are important, and we need a president who is able to make great changes. Either Clinton or Obama taking office would be a historic step for the U.S. and I hope if it happens, they will be able to make the kind of changes America and the world needs.
Americans living abroad experience American politics different to those who live in the U.S. We've been able to see how the U.S. is perceived through foreign eyes, through foreign press, and through our day-to-day interactions living abroad. Personally, my eyes have been opened to the amount of distrust the rest of the world has towards America, due to the wars we've started and the actions we've taken. Living abroad gives us perspective and a deeper respect for the world as a whole. Americans who live abroad have varied backgrounds and reasons for living in other countries; some of us were placed here by companies, others came by choice and never left. Our common threads are curiosity, the need to explore the unknown, and the desire to understand “the big picture.” Instead of thinking only of the lands within our borders, we're aware of the global community and how the U.S. fits into that space. It's an important viewpoint and we should not be passive viewers in the back row. I know from experience that it's easy to turn off the television and pretend nothing is happening, but we need to participate. We need to educate ourselves and become active global citizens. As expatriates, we may be far away, but it's important to remember that we still have a vote and a voice in our country. It's not just a faraway melodrama. This is a year of change and we should each participate in some way, whether we support Clinton, Obama, McCain or Huckabee.
I urge Americans living in Turkey to register with Democrats Abroad online at http://www.democratsabroad.org or Republicans Abroad at http://www.republicansabroad.org and register to vote!
posted by camille @ 10:01 AM
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