Thursday, November 6, 2008

Korea's Mixed Thoughts on Historic Election, Voting Abroad


First and foremost this blog is about adventures abroad and not a soap box for 
my political views, tempting as it is. Though, to tell a truer story I will at least admit to which presidential candidate I supported.

The scale of the world reaction to this epic election is unmeasurable. I knew prior that the world keeps attune to US affairs but nothing like this. In Korea every debate, including the VP, was on the front pages. The day after the elections- a 16 page spread in one paper and I am sure the others were similar. I kept with CNN most of the November 5th morning via Internet (there is a 12 hour time difference between Korea and the East Coast) and saw the results come in. It was when I was at the bank when I saw that Obama had been projected the winner on the large flat screen as KBS was showing CNN's video and graphics thankfully. Hangul was in huge characters overlapping the footage. Wow. I looked around and everything was business as usual. No one seemed to take notice. Maybe they all knew already or commented but I would have no way to know. The closest feeling I can recall to that moment was when I was a kid. My sisters and I were playing downstairs and I wanted to scare them. I hid in the football shaped toy box and waited and waited. No one to talk to and all this anticipated energy! No release. Luckily I have Skype and a girlfriend and good friends here willing to listen.

Too, I am proud that I had the opportunity to participate in the elections and quite happy that I did not see one political TV ad unless it was part of a topic from a news podcast! I voted by email as a ballot was scanned and emailed to me. I shaded the ovals of the candidates of me choice scanned and emailed back. If I didn't have a scanner I could have just replied to the email with the names of the candidates I wanted to vote for.  Maybe Indiana being this hi-tech is a bigger story than it going blue.   I was also able to volunteer for the Obama campaign by making phone calls using Skype.  All I had to do was sign up, pick the volunteering program of my choice and instantly I was directed to a list of 50 voters and phone numbers.  I believe the McCain campaign had something similar as well.  

Korea's reaction is mixed. My director said it best in her broken English, "America ehh very happy. Korea, so-so." This is due to fears of lessening trade or even going as far predicting protectionism as Obama sighted and singled out South Korea in the last debate that the automobile trade is uneven as Korea exports some 750,000 cars to America's 5,000 imported. I can't recall seeing one American made vehicle in the two months I have been here.  Then again some say it doesn't matter how cheap or great quality Koreans on a whole are too nationalistic to buy anything else.  The "Made in Korea" tag is everywhere.  But according to The Korea Times those in export, technology and alternative energy, are optimistic for new or expanded American projects that could come via an Obama presidency. Also, according to a Korean co-worker, "Korea usually favors candidates who are older as they see them as wiser."  I wonder if this was her way of "keeping harmony" by not fully disclosing how she feels which is said to be common here.  Though according to a couple of Korean friends and two students who can form a clear sentence, Heather and Victor, wisdom accompanying age was not a factor.

One student, and child protege, whose English name is Victor bluntly said, "Sarah Palin is stupid." "Why?" Kirsty, my girlfriend, asked. "Anyone spending $150,000 on clothes for her and her family can't be that smart." Victor also watches CNN with his parents and again came straight forward with, "I think The Situation Room is boring."

Heather, 12, said she too supports Obama. When asked why she said, "McCain left his wife and is now with a new wife. Obama is smart, younger and is very educated; Harvard, Lawyer, Columbia."

As children at this age usually reflect what their parents think I find it strikingly intriguing with what these students are saying. Korea is surely a country in transition on many levels. Lastly, according to the Economist's world voting online it shows Obama with a 90% support rating compared to 10% for McCain in Korea and an 82% to 18% worldwide. Though one can't draw final conclusions on the superficial votes of these "If the world could vote" programs. Who was it voting? Expats? People using more than one email address? etc.

Throughout my travels I never found one solid McCain supporter and I was sure to reassure whoever I was speaking with that it was OK to have a separate opinion and we could still be friends and that I would still buy their medicine. Cannucks, Irish, Scottish, Koreans; all where either pro Obama, or disinterested. No one said they were going to miss Bush.

As I was making my way to Scotland to visit my girlfriend's homeland I made a connecting flight in Ireland. As I was putting my bags through the X-ray machines my Obama button fell off my carry-on and one of the security officers picked it up laughing and went into some Irish chatter. I stood there just kind of staring, waiting for a translation. "Ha, another Obama button." So I asked what their thoughts were. With the long line the answer was short, "I think America needs him. Though he's going to get shot." A sweet Scottish family had similar sentiments. I am optimistically hopeful that I will never have to read that headline.

No doubt I wish I was in America to be a part of these truly historic times though several years from now people will ask, "Where were you on that Nov. 4th day in America?" I will begin by responding, "Well, in those days I did a bit of traveling and where I was it was already Nov. 5th..."