It's 1:15 in the morning. I'm sitting with ten other Fulbrighters in the larger of our two salons, smoking sheesha, and watching election coverage on BBC World. The tally is 34 to McCain, 103 to Obama, and it's going to be a long, long night.
Observing the US Presidential election from abroad has been a truly bizarre experience. In many ways, I feel disconnected from the process. I'm surrounded by a self-selecting group of young people who have chosen to live abroad; we're not exactly a representative sample of Americans, and it's been difficult to gauge how our nation truly feels about the candidates and issues. But living abroad, especially in the predominantly Muslim world, has made me acutely aware of how crucial this election is. The world is watching us. The Moroccans I've spoken to are incredibly inspired by Obama, and would be shocked if he didn't will the election. (Generally, when I speak to cab drivers about the election, they don't know McCain's name, but instead know him only as Obama's opponent.)
I don't know where I'm going with all of this. But I do know that it's a really exciting time to be American, and, however the election turns out, the whole world will know the outcome as soon as America does.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Agreed on the strangeness. I only have access to AFN [Armed Forces Network] TV, though, so I had to come into the office at 5 AM to get real coverage, not just FOX.
We had visa applicants start crying and cheering when we announced to the waiting room who had won, because most entered the security bubble before the results were official. I couldn't stop grinning, and I just hid in the kitchen with the other Americans drinking champagne and hoping our religiously observant staff members didn't notice.
It's a beautiful time to be alive, Liz. We just saw history.
Post a Comment