Is President Obama Saving the World?

In the past year, I’ve traveled to Mongolia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, one day in mainland China, and now India. In all those places, among the thousands of people I’ve met or interacted with, however briefly, I have found unanimous positivity for President Obama. I cannot recall a single negative reaction or statement about him, while at the same time have had dozens upon dozens of unsolicited positive feedback. I can’t help but feel the world is a better place today with Barack Obama as the US President.

In the interest of full disclosure, I did NOT vote for Obama. His experience consisted of some teaching, some lawyering, some community service, some time in the Illinois Senate, and a couple years in the US Senate. That resume, while impressive, is definitely not enough to qualify, in my opinion, as leader of the United States of America, and therefore of the world.

Many opponents of President Obama say that he is giving away American power, reducing our wealth, our military strength, our respect. They ask “what about us, Mr. President? You are the American President, not the world president.” The only problem with that thinking is that the US President actually controls, through various mechanisms, much of the world. He is the world’s president. As Americans, we have a responsibility to educate ourselves on the impact our country has on the rest of the world. While President Obama leads the world’s sole superpower and greatly influences nearly every country, it is only us, Americans, who can elect him. The rest of the world has no say in the matter of electing this global leader, which is why it’s so important for Americans to learn about our country’s influence.

What should qualify a person to be President? When I look deeper into the decisions and character of recent presidents, I can’t say I’m too thrilled with any of them. The United States has grown into the strongest country in the world, a hegemony in fact. That’s great for anyone who is a US citizen, but what about the rest of the world, most of which is controlled directly or indirectly by US instruments of power? This is a question I think very few Americans ever ask themselves. We are fine living in the little bubbles we call our lives, residing in McMansions, driving SUVs, looking for better, higher paying jobs, isolated from the problems of the rest of the world, using a quarter of the world’s gasoline, secured by nearly half of the world’s total defense spending. Meanwhile, a good chunk of the world lives in poverty making American lives better through cheap labor. Sadly, Americans rarely get the chance to see how the rest of the planet lives.

I’ve had that chance in the past year. I feel confident declaring that the rest of the world loves President Obama. A lot. It is not at all uncommon for me to hear an “OBAMA!” or “America, best country!” response immediately after I answer a question of my nationality. People smile when they say it. They look at me like I’m the President’s direct representative (which, I guess I am, on some level). Yesterday, I was a paid extra on a Bollywood blockbuster movie set. We’re talking Mumbai, India. The coordinator, when I told him I was from “America,” said the anticipated response: “Obama!” He gave a big smile and stared in pride. The majority of the extras were Europeans, and I was the only American (it continually disappoints me how few Americans travel, but that’s for another post).

Part of me wants to turn away when I get this kind of oversized attention in a group of Westerners. Most eyes turn to me and I can feel the scrutiny of locals and travelers alike (everyone has strong opinions of the US, one way or another). Another part of me obviously enjoys being singled out and is immensely proud to be a citizen of the “best country.”

Interestingly, most foreigners who express their liking of Obama haven’t the slightest clue of his political interests. I sometimes find myself trying to educate them, that “half of Americans like, half of Americans no like” the President, but they don’t care much for the particulars. All they know is that President Obama is good. For them, he represents hope, Democracy, and caring for people. I often try to understand what exactly they like so much about him, but most can’t articulate the reasons. It’s more of a positive feeling. From some who are able to describe their thoughts a bit better, I’ve been told they like his name, that it isn’t a typical American name. They know he has roots in Africa and Indonesia. They know his skin color is new for a US President. They know that this guy with the funny name and dark skin is the most powerful person on the planet. And they find hope for themselves and the world in this.

The next presidential election is in 2012. I didn’t vote for Obama last time, and I have no idea who will get my next vote. After traveling so much, though, I know that President Obama is the right man for the job of making the world better right now. While traveling, he makes me very proud to be an American and claim him as my President.