Barely 48 hours after the results of the US elections were announced, with Barack Obama trouncing John McCain, I contacted a number of people living in Saudi Arabia for their views on the election of the first African-American as president of the United States.
That over 90 percent of the respondents preferred Obama to McCain did not come as a surprise to me. The following are some selected responses:
Ahmed, an industrialist from Dammam had this to say: “Having put up with the Republican regime that has bankrupted America with imprudent fiscal policies, I think Obama’s election has come at the right time. The mounting debts of the US that were incurred by George W. Bush’s war policy are in trillions, and this has affected not only their domestic growth but also the financial institutions the world over. No doubt, this will be the top priority for Obama’s administration — to sort the mess the country has gotten itself into.”
Doha, a Saudi businesswoman in Riyadh added, “No more wars and war on terror. No more innocent people dying because of the sick mentality that was so evident in the existing government. With Barack Obama in the White House, America has once again become the government of the people and for the people.”
Hasan, a Jeddah businessman said that he was disappointed. “McCain’s victory would have been helpful for lasting Arab-Israeli peace. At his age, he knew he had only one term to serve, and thus with no lobbying constraints for a second term, he would have certainly worked for the permanent solution to an age-old problem. You know the Israeli lobbying of US politicians has effectively stalled the peace process. This would have been his crowning moment and guaranteed him a position of stature in history. Obama, on the other hand, would have to contend with special interest Zionist groups such as AIPAC, and would not contribute much. It will remain more of the same.”
Ali, a retired Saudi college professor stated, “Obama’s victory is analogous to America just coming out of the wash cycle. Fresh and clean and smelling good. These past eight years had changed the psyche of the American people, and not for the better I may add. But now, I am sure they will be back to their admirable ways. This is what our expectations of America had always been, until Mr. Bush and his neocons seized power.”
Jack, an American in an oil-related company in Yanbu said, “I’m still whooping it up, having spent all Tuesday night following the returns, and partying afterward. I am not naïve to think that all our problems are over. There are a lot of domestic concerns. But Obama has grass-roots support and that is the key for him to move forward. He should not allow special interest groups to divert his election promises. He was elected by the people and owes nobody any favors. He came in on the strength and hopes of the people, and it is them he should serve.”
Mohan, a doctor working in Riyadh commented: “As an Indian, I am happy that a man of color is at the helm in the US. Racially-biased politics that has dominated and dictated Republican policies in the past two terms will gradually fade away. I was planning to migrate to America one day, and Obama’s victory has rekindled my interest.”
Jean-Paul from the Ivory Coast and a consultant in Alkhobar was beaming with joy. “Obama is an African-American, and will eventually focus on African issues which have been given neglected by successive US governments. Africa had been a forgotten continent in the agenda of the Republicans. We don’t ask for much, but we do want our problems aired.”
From Dr. Abdul Aziz, a Saudi from KFUPM in Dhahran: “If Obama truly wants change he will not be able to achieve it through the existing power setup. He must operate alongside it or even outside it. He must remember that the people that elected him will not accept any excuse for any failure to institute the changes he promised because of lack of cooperation from other politicians. He should not be intimidated by the media or politicians, both controlled by the rich, accusing him of going far to the left or to the right. That dimension is no longer valid in the struggle for change. He should be, as Andrew Jackson was, a popular president appealing not to the existing power centers or depending on them but going directly to the masses through his own machinery as he did during his campaign for the presidency. The revolution in communication should enable him to do so. If he follows the traditional political methods, he will not be able to stand up to the vested interests and contain them, as Andrew Jackson did. I hope we will begin to hear soon the phrase Obamian Democracy, as the history books talk with admiration about Jacksonian Democracy.”
Majed, a student of Business Administration at a local college had this to say: “I must confess that I was thrilled. As a Saudi with an American mother, it pained me to dissociate myself from half my heritage that was American for the past eight years. Anything American was at such an all-time low among my fellow students, and I didn’t dare incur their anger by disclosing my bloodline. At times, I must confess, it caused me a great deal of stress. Why did George Bush make people hate a country they once admired? And why did I have to hide my true identity? But you know what? Right after the elections were over, I proudly wore a US flag pin on my chest on my way to school. And guess what? All my classmates cheered me.” And finally, when asked what Obama’s victory meant to her, Rosa, a registered Filipina nurse in Riyadh simply replied, “No more Bush or the likes of him. Thank God for that!”
