Elecciones Estadounidenses

Happy Election Day USA!

One of the most surprising things I have found about reading the newspapers here is the amount of coverage they have on the U.S., particularly regarding the election. Not a day goes by that McCain and Obama aren't somehow mentioned in the paper, whether the story relates directly to the campaign and its issues or not. Apparently, I'm not the only one who has noticed.

At lunch today, a conversation broke out amongst the teachers about the American election. A handful of teachers began commenting on how much the Spanish media has been covering the election, and one teacher in particular said she felt the media here was cramming information about America down her throat. The teachers began discussing whether or not Americans were as well-informed about the Spanish political landscape as the Spanish were about the US', and they also discussed whether or not the extensive coverage was necessary.

As a well-trained journalist, I didn't actively participate in the conversation. I don't think I can really say with accuracy if the Spanish media covers the US too much. As an American reader living abroad, I like the amount of coverage they have, but I obviously can't speak for the average Madrileño (despite what my blog name might imply). By the same token, I can't defend the US population for not being well-versed in international affairs -- actually, that has been one of my biggest criticisms about the general US population. So instead of throwing in my two cents, I ate my double-baked potato and green beans with ham instead.

While savoring my potato and green beans, my mind wandered back to a conversation I had about two weeks ago with a German guy, Mark, who I met at a party. At some point in the conversation, Mark started talking about how much he hated Americans and how ridiculous he thought Sarah Palin was -- even he mocked her now-infamous "I can see Russia from my house" phrase. She's an idiot; how could she even be considered as for such an important position? he asked.

In that moment, the more interesting question in my mind was, "Why does this random German dude care what happens if McCain is elected president and later kicks the bucket?" I wondered if the American sphere of influence in the world truly is as potent as I'd heard, instead of simply considering it a remark made by Americans with big egos.

After hearing the teachers at my school discussing it too, I have come to believe in the potency of American influence. I do think the US sphere of influence is greater than I imagined it to be. The few Spanish people I have met here seem to have vast knowledge about US culture, and they certainly do know more about America, a country across the Atlantic, than I do about Canada. This being my first time living abroad, I guess this is the point where I say, "Geez, people really do look to America as the leader of the free world." And this is also the point where I say, "Geez, I sure was lucky to have been born on the northern side of the man-made (mostly) imaginary line between Mexico and the US." This is the point where I recognize the importance of democracy, and where I recognize the unique situation I'm in where I have the opportunity to get an outsider's view of the whole situation.

Two weeks ago, I gladly took an hour out of my day off to show up and vote at the American Embassy, as did many of my fellow Americans. What I've done, what my other friends and acquaintances living abroad have done, and what 130 million Americans are doing right now as I prepare to go to bed, really is going to change history. Not just in America, but across the globe. Because the world really is holding its breath and waiting to see who the next American president will be, and how his policies will affect the future.


For now, enjoy this video. Mostly relevant to this post, and in memory of Mark the German dude.