American Primary Elections

A month ago, when we were in a department store purchasing new items for our apartment, one of the cashiers, discovering that I was an American, said to me, "So who are you voting for?" When I told her I was voting for Obama, she raised her hands and cheered!

Sue, the relocation specialist who helped us find an apartment, had strong opinions about her choice of candidates for the Democratic primary. She commented that the Clintons were so 'old news' now. Having a woman for president - Hillary - wasn't that interesting any more. She was more intrigued by Obama.

It was surprising to see how much coverage the American primary elections received here in the news. I thought the British news wouldn't report much about the elections until both the Democratic and Republican candidates had been selected and it was the national race. In fact, I figured they wouldn't even know that much about the primaries at all, but I was wrong.

When I commented on that to one of the porters in my building, he told me that everyone was very interested in all aspects of the American election process "because the U.S. is so powerful." He said that the British feel they will be affected by the new American president, whoever it turns out to be, so they follow the election closely.

It was a poignant moment for me to be told by a citizen of this country that he has such an interest in my country's election because he feels that his life will also be influenced by my country's election, because my country is so powerful.



Disclaimer: Any preferences for candidates or for political parties that have been expressed in this entry do not in any way reflect the opinions or preferences of the senior male member of this family.