The president of the United States is the king of this planet. I live on this planet. Therefore, the election of the president concerns me, too. Very much so. He or she is not the sole ruler of the world, but there is no other person on earth whose decisions have such an impact on our lives.
The eight years of George W. Bush can serve as an example. The primitive character of the man, his low intellectual level, his past as a born-again zealot — all these have influenced the state of the world, from his failure in preventing 9/11, through his bloody adventures in Afghanistan and Iraq, to the collapse of the world economy. But still, every one of us, the citizens of the world who cannot vote in this election, has at least the right to say which of the candidates he or she would prefer in the White House.
I prefer Barack Obama. The ability to adapt quickly to new situations is a decisive requirement for a leader. After dealing successfully with the world economic crisis, Franklin Delano Roosevelt reacted rapidly to Pearl Harbor. Winston Churchill recognized before others the danger inherent in Hitler’s ascent to power in Germany. The next American president will be faced right away with an economic crisis that is changing the face of the world. The president resembles the helmsman of a sailing-boat who has to be ready at every moment for a sudden change of the wind and even for a hurricane.
Which of the two — Barack Obama or John McCain — is better suited for that job?
The second test, in my eyes, concerns the character of the candidates. A person can change his opinions, but hardly his character. We have seen the two in the great debates. One should not pay too much attention to what was said there — everything said in an election campaign is merely a tool to catch votes. But we saw how the two candidates function under extreme stress. Obama controlled himself admirably.
The most important decision the two had to make in the course of the campaign was the choice of a running mate. Obama’s decision was responsible and reasonable. McCain’s decision was a scandal that cries to high heaven. It suffices by itself to disqualify him from high office. The choice testifies to a basic flaw in McCain’s character. He chose Sarah Palin because of the needs of the moment — to revive a flagging campaign and surprise the media, while appealing to the most primitive strata of American society. He jeopardized the future of the country for momentary expediency. A person who is capable of making such a mistake should not be in a position to lead the most powerful country and to command the strongest military force on earth. Moreover, the voter must ask himself or herself: If the president suffers a stroke, like Ariel Sharon, or is assassinated, like John F. Kennedy — would I prefer to see Biden or Palin in the Oval Office?
As for myself, I shrink back from the very idea of this primitive and venomous demagogue, Sarah Palin, becoming the “Leader of the Free World”.
A third test is the ability to choose aides. Politics is a profession by itself. Most politicians have no profound knowledge of other matters, certainly not in the areas in which they have to make fateful decisions — from economics to military strategy. So the choice of the right advisers and the readiness to listen with an open mind, to learn and to think anew are essential qualities. I have the impression that Obama can do it. I am not so sure about McCain. There is another important consideration to take into account while making the choice: In a week and a half not only will a president be chosen, but also a very large group of senior officials in all areas of government.
In the American system, the new occupant of the White House brings with him thousands of other office-holders, whose equivalents in other countries belong to the permanent civil service. It is easy to imagine the huge difference between those Obama would bring with him and those who would come with McCain.
One should not forget the Supreme Court, which plays a central part in the American system (as it does now in Israel). It is the president who chooses new justices. The appointment of one or two can bring about far-reaching changes.
When one speaks about the election of a president of the United States, it is also very important to consider the candidate’s openness to the wide world. In this respect, Obama has an advantage unmatched by any previous president. He is the son of a black father who came from Kenya and a white American mother. In his childhood he attended a school in Indonesia. His manifold roots and experience give him much wider horizons.
I belong to a generation that grew up admiring America. We saw the US as the freest country in the world, an idealistic society, the bastion of democracy and human rights. When we had grown, we found out that it ain’t necessarily so. We saw that the US is like most other states, and worse than some. During the last eight years, the US has presented itself to the world as an arrogant, bullying, primitive and aggressive country that rides roughshod over the human rights of its own and foreign citizens, justifies torture, keeps abominable concentration camps, and the list goes on. The election of Barack Obama, a man who is half black and half white and whose convictions are liberal and democratic, can give us back some of our faith in the United States. I do not entertain many illusions. One single person cannot turn such a huge ship around and reverse its direction completely. But even small changes can be of immense importance to the world.
Perhaps, Obama may prove to be a disappointment, and very much so. We cannot know the future. Today we can judge only on the basis of what we know today, according to our impressions and feelings today.
And these tell me: Obama.
