Have you voted today?

[franceslievens]

No I didn't. For one I didn't get an invitation, and I only vote on Sundays.

Looking at the American presidential election from afar (a small country where majorities think they're minorities, voting is compulsory, and the king is on a trip to India), it's like watching a good show, as sister_luck pointed out in my previous presidential post. I asked why we, sitting on the other side of an ocean, are so interested in something we don't have a hand in. I got some decent replies, and didn't bother to reply back to them, mainly because I wanted to give these answers the reply they were due: another blog post.

I do believe the U.S. are one of the few remaining powers in the world. We've seen a president going into war without consulting the United Nations, a structure built to counter such warring (looked at it from a rather shallow perspective). We've witnessed 8 years of pointing out threats from the outside. It almost felt like you were the threat if you didn't believe in it.
And all this boiled down to one president, because the president of a country is viewed as its representative. Whatever the president does or says, is what the whole of a country thinks. (I can hardly begin to picture what a lousy figure Belgium must have abroad.)
For decades the U.S. has been our friend, our big brother, our saviour in need. With the making of the European Union the European states started to rely on each other, and were able to criticise their once so important friend. Also because their friend decided to take a course that wasn't at all in the line of thought of the European public. iphi1 pointed out that on this side of the ocean people have the feeling that we might become friends again. I agree with her. Lots of people think this election will bring change inside the U.S., but also in the country's foreign policy.

And we shouldn't forget the presidential show is one that is made to please millions of Americans, hence it also pleases a thousand million foreigners.

Comments

You too can VOTE!!

[lijability.livejournal.com]

Not that it really counts. But you should run over to IF THE WORLD COULD VOTE and vote! Right now we have these interesting results from countries represented in my Flist:

Belgium -------- 12,520 votes; 94.4% OBAMA - 5.6% McCAIN
France --------- 21,357 votes; 94.5% OBAMA - 5.5% McCAIN
Germany -------- 15,271 votes; 92.5% OBAMA - 7.5% McCAIN
Switzerland ----- 6,364 votes; 94.4% OBAMA - 5.6% McCAIN
United Kingdom - 42,422 votes; 92.9% OBAMA - 7.1% McCAIN

I think I see a trend in those figures.... ;-)
You can see the results after you vote or at RESULTS of the WORLD VOTE. The world is very blue. But we knew that when they took the pictures from space. But who knew the landmasses were blue!
...

Re: You too can VOTE!!

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

Aww bugger, I'm too late, the world voting has ended, but it seems Obama has won with 87.3% of the world votes.

Alabania is rather red, with 50% for McCain, but only 55 votes, so I don't think this is very representative (as online surveys never really are).

Red and blue is very counter-intuitive for me btw. Blue represents liberals over here, and red are socialists, not right wing politicians.

[frenchani.livejournal.com]

Looking at the American presidential election from afar (a small country where majorities think they're minorities, voting is compulsory, and the king is on a trip to India), it's like watching a good show, as sister_luck pointed out in my previous presidential post.

But of course, it's the idea! There're interesting books explaining very well how American politics is based on the principles of the storytelling, and how our politicians in Europe are following the trend (Sarkozy, for isntance, learnt it very well. ). For years advertising executive and, above all, Hollywood writers have been hired to work in politics, to use the storytelling methods in the political field, not only for campains but also for term of office, in order to conceal problems (and let's not forget that Reagan came from Hollywood...).

For a long time, the Bush administration was a pretty efficient storyteller...until reality finally imposed itself and screwed the story up.

McCain had a good story to tell...but it was dated. Palin also had a good story (there's a rumour that it was Obama's firts words when he heard about her being picked)but part of the story she told scared people out.

Obama definitely told and is telling the best story. How long before the reality screws it up?

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

How long before the reality screws it up?
Of that I'm frightened.

I guess we need better story-tellers. We only get scaremongers.

As a historian you are of course better qualified to look for the story (i.e. the big picture).

[frenchani.livejournal.com]

Not sure that story-tellers, is what we need actually.

Your post and my reply inspired me to write a message...on my secret blog (Correspondance). I didn't want to post it on LJ because so many people are happy right now...

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

Storytellers are what gets people going, and I believe that's what we need right now. Over here people we stagnate and become inert because no-one can tell the story in such an engaging way one feels obliged to take part in it.

And if a story is true, is it wrong to tell it? Stories are a way of giving meaning to the world and starting to understand it. In this case though, Obama still needs to live up to his story, because it was one that would take place in the future.