“Something important is happening today. Something that’s very important for everyone in the world, but especially in America. Can anyone tell me what it is? In English?” My English teacher stands in front of the blackboard and waits for a response from my classmates. A few raise hesitant hands. Some aren’t listening. Most are too self-conscious to speak a foreign language in front of their peers.
The teacher nods to one of the braver students, indicating that she should answer the question. “It is the … Americans’ election.”
“Yes, the American election. Can anyone tell me who the candidates are?” Now people are listening. No one bothers to raise their hand. Barack Obama’s name bounces around the room for a couple of minutes, until everyone settles down again. “Yes! Barack Obama is one of the candidates, do you know any others?” Silence. After a minute, someone says “McCain.”
“Yes, and Obama is the Democrat, and McCain is the… Does anyone remember what the word is? No? McCain is the Republican. So now we are going to read an article in English about the American election, and then there are two puzzles …”
Class continues as usual – reading comprehension, crossword puzzles, and a review of conjugating the verb “to be” within the context of the election.
As the bell rings, the teacher makes one more attempt at English conversation. “Before everyone leaves, if you were American citizens and you could all vote in the election, who would you vote for?”
No response. She sighs and dismisses the class.
Once we’re out of the classroom, a friend of mine turns to me and says, “I don’t understand why everyone is so interested in the American election. I mean, I know it’s a world superpower, but they’ve lost a lot of money and the army isn’t that big any more. I really don’t understand what it has to do with us.”
Her comment contrasts sharply with what I usually hear. The typical joke is that there’s so much at stake for the world that everybody ought to have the right to vote in the American election. The name “Obama” appeared in more Danish news articles in the month leading up to the election than the name of the Danish Prime Minister, Anders Fogh Rasmussen. The front page article of “Urban,” a free metro and train newspaper, declared in the week before the election “Obama is the new black,” and described the rush on “This girl loves Obama” T-shirts and “Obama for President” underwear at a popular Danish fashion store.
Why all the support? What difference does it make? Many blame the United States, under the leadership of George W. Bush, for their own country’s involvement in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Like Americans, Europeans associate McCain with Bush. Pure incomprehension also played a part in Danish support for Obama. Many of the policies of the Republican party, as my father’s colleague put it, “go completely against common sense.” The Democrats’ ideas are easier to grasp. A major concern was climate change, but of course the big issue now is the world economy. The economic policies of deregulation encouraged by the Bush administration are widely believed to be the root of the financial crisis here, and while Europe tries desperately to save itself, people are still hoping for the problem to be fixed at the source – American economic policies.
And people aren’t expecting changes only in international politics. They hope that Obama’s election in the United States will affect internal politics as well. The election of a black man as president in the United States is significant far beyond American borders; Europe is currently struggling with its own problems with racism directed at minorities from outside the European Union, especially Muslims, and the example set by the United States is seen as the first step toward more justice and presidents from minority groups in Europe.
Almost everyone in Denmark followed the election in the three months leading up to it. Even my 14-year-old classmates knew what was going on. As I listened to their conversations, it was evident that their ignorance in English class was more a result of a language barrier than a lack of knowledge. Discussing the election in Danish with their friends, they had no trouble remembering the names of the candidates or the parties they represent. They were clearly interested in American politics. And they have good reason to be. The United States might not be doing as well as it was before George W. Bush, two wars and a financial crisis, but it’s still a major political power, and it’s important to understand that the policies and decisions made in the White House affect people around the world, not just Americans. It’s equally important to remember that America is not nearly as immune to international problems as many of its citizens seem to believe.
That’s not to say there isn’t some truth to my friend’s comment. The world global economy isn’t nearly as dependent on America as it once was. Once, the recession in America would have had profound impact worldwide. Europe has still entered a recession along with the United States, but now Asia can pick up a lot of the slack. All in all, it seems to me that America and Europe could both learn something from each other. The hyperactivity around the American election here seemed exaggerated, and Europeans should realize that the American election does primarily affect the United States. At the same time, Americans should remember that American politics isn’t as insulated as they might believe.