Some who can’t vote still care

By Jesse Trimble

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Not every student excited for the presidential election was allowed to cast a vote last week.

Students who weren’t U.S. citizens, such as Yaser AlZayer, weren’t able to vote.

AlZayer, Qatis, Saudi Arabia junior and president of International Students Association at the University, came to the U.S. when he was 19 years old.

AlZayer said he followed the election closely this year and that he would have voted for President-elect Barack Obama.

“It was exciting to see new things,” he said. “You’d think an African-American candidate wouldn’t make it that far. It was really exciting to see him win. He has a more inclusive message and positive. He’s optimistic about the future.”

AlZayer said Obama’s optimism was encouraging to Saudi Arabians who wanted to see the war in Iraq end.

Jose Espinosa-Machado, Panama City, Panama, senior, has been living in the U.S. since he was 8, but wasn’t able to vote because he is not a U.S. citizen. He said this was the first year he kept up with the elections.

“The electoral system really intrigued me,” he said. “It seems kind of counter to the idea of a total democracy.”

He said the system made sense when he looked at it from a historical perspective, though.

The primaries, Espinosa-Machado said, featured an all-star list of candidates.

“Hillary Clinton, first of all,” he said, “‘Law and Order’s’ Fred Thompson, Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and best of all, not George Bush.”

Espinosa-Machado said that he had liked Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) before he ran for president, but that he thought McCain was not himself on the campaign trail. Then, he heard about Barack Obama.

Espinosa-Machado said he was an Obama supporter from the first day he heard about him through a Facebook group.

“I really like his worldview,” he said. “It’s a breath of fresh air, and he seems a lot more open to diplomacy and engagement than many other candidates.”

Espinosa-Machado said that he planned to vote in the next election, but that he would first have to jump through some legal hoops.

“I have to pass an interview and the citizenship test, which I think costs around $600, so that’s a hindrance,” he said. “I guess it’s supposed to be, though.”

Espinosa-Machado said that because Panama recognized dual-citizenship, he thought he would likely become a U.S. citizen in the future.

“I always use the word ‘we’ when referring to the U.S., so I think that’s a clue that I feel like a part of the country,” he said. “I feel like I have a stake in both countries.”

Tugçe Kurtis, Istanbul, Turkey, doctoral student, said she was in Vermont at Bennington College working on her bachelor’s degree during the 2004 elections when Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) lost to President George W. Bush.

“At my college and in Vermont, which is a very liberal state, people were utterly disappointed, and so was I,” Kurtis said.

Kurtis said people in Turkey always paid close attention to the U.S. elections.

“American foreign policy directly impacts Turkey, given that it’s on the border of Iraq,” she said.

During Bush’s presidency, Kurtis said, Turks were often critical of U.S. policies.

“People in Turkey have been hoping for change that Obama promised,” Kurtis said. “I, myself, have been on Obama’s side since the first time the likelihood of his presidency came up.”

She said she was thrilled to hear Obama had won the presidency last Tuesday.

“It was a long time coming,” she said. “I am eager to see how things will shape within the U.S. and expect to see a positive turn in U.S. foreign relations.”

— - Edited by Becka Cremer

Comments

todd1007 (anonymous) says...

is this actual news, or just another way to prop up the "popularity" of Obama?

'People in Turkey have been hoping for change that Obama promised,” Kurtis said'

precisely what "change" did Obama promise? (other than the hopelessly rhetorical promise of a better tomarrow. any half-witted politician can promise "change". precisely what grandeur feat of leadership are supporters expecting obama to perform? do they even know? or do wander about mindlessly with cheshire grins plastered to thier faces, expecting some great "change" to occur?) even if obama has the mental capacity of Einstein, coupled with the financial wizardry of J.P. Morgan, spliced in with the dynamic leadership of JFK, the united states is still going to be floundering for the next 2-5 years.

in two years, banks are still going to fail. at least one, if not all three, of the american auto makers are going to fail/be bought out (which in my opinion will be one of the worst outcomes of our currnet financial crisis, as it will in effect cripple the US labor unions to a point where they are at the almost complete mercy of greedy corporations). the number of troops deployed in Iraq will still be 80-90% of what the current number is now. medical costs will continue to escalate at a pace of 10-15% a year. inflation will be in the 8-12% range. and unemployment numbers will continue to rise as companies will be forced to lay off workers.

please explain how obama is going to "change" any of these problems that the US is facing. i am fascinated to know.

or don't explain. just keep the obama "change" a graniose mystery, that will be unfurled at the most critical time to sweep away all of our problems in one giant show of smoke and mirrors.

and please, continue to blather out worthless news articles about gay rights, the wonderment of obama, and the enviromental crisis that the world is in. i am sure that all of these topics are much more important than any real problems our nation faces.

November 13, 2008 at 1:59 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

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