Why should we give a damn about the US election?

The US presidential election is first and foremost a domestic concern. Americans will be the ones directly affected by the outcome of the voting, especially now when their economy is wobbly. And as a sovereign nation, no one can blame them even if they choose a president who is vilified across the globe (i.e. Bush). It's akin to Filipinos caving in to our ASEAN neighbors' demand as to who is fit to lead our country, even though the Pinoy preference is different.

However, that doesn't mean that we should not give a damn about who the next US president will be. Every country will be affected by the choice that US will make on November 4. After all, whoever will become the US president will become the most powerful man in the planet - a modern-day king. While he'll be directly accountable to 300 million Americans, he'll also become the de facto leader of the 6 billion people living outside the United States. As the head of the US hegemony, his policies will have ramifications for US citizens and non-US citizens alike, whether he likes it or not. Whether WE like it or not.

So I'm interested as to how you will vote in the US election if you were allowed to. Please participate in the mock poll seen on the left side of the blog. Will you go for the Democratic ticket of Barack Obama and Joe Biden? Or will you choose the Grand Old Party's John McCain/Sarah Palin tandem?


Photo: Les James Humor, Flickr, Creative Commons