Living in Peru : your everyday companion

Allison Garrett

For North Americans of all political preferences the campaign of Barack Obama has been historic. From winning the Democratic Party nomination over Hillary Clinton, to his current competition with John McCain, Obama has been the center of frenzied media coverage. His face is everywhere, making him the conversation topic for countless political pundits as well as average families sitting at their kitchen tables. What is it about this young Senator from Illinois that captivates multitudes all around the world?

Kate Michelman is the former president of NARAL Pro-Choice America and a close friend and political advisor of former president Bill Clinton. Her counsel has been sought by numerous political leaders and her reasons for supporting Barack Obama are as follows: “The question I have been asking myself is how do we best bring America together in shared purpose, prosperity and, especially, equality. Barack Obama is also calling our nation to the greatness that we all want but that we're uncertain we can still achieve. Many who had given up on politics are re-engaging. Many who had grown tolerant of the intolerable are now ready to demand more ­ and not just from themselves but others.”

The charismatic Senator has not only convinced Michelman, the Democratic Party, and its supporters. A recent pole by the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) reported that all 22 of the countries surveyed would prefer Barack Obama be elected president over John McCain. Obama was preferred by a four to one margin on average across the 22,000 people polled. Yet, while this election campaign has seen increased participation, voting drives, and media coverage, the essential question hangs in the balance: “Can Barack Obama win?”

Dr. Joesph Feagin is a sociologist at Texas A&M University with more than fifty books published on various topics concerning race and racism in the United States. He served as the Scholar-in-Residence at the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and his book with political scientist Harlan Hahn, Ghetto Revolts was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Feagin is skeptical Obama can win, “First of all, you can’t trust the answers given by white Americans in public opinion polls. In my research, for example, we interviewed a group of students on their opinions regarding inter-racial marriage. Initially, 75% said they agreed with inter-racial marriage. However, when asked if they would agree with an inter-racial marriage within their own families, only 30% responded in the affirmative.”

The US Elections and Peru
While no one knows what will happen tomorrow when Americans go to the polls, Peruvians have a vested interested in the results. According to Proinversión, a Peruvian investment promotions agency, between 1992 and 2001 Peru attracted almost $17 billion in foreign direct investment, 17.51% of which was North American. The Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (PTPA) or TLC (Tratado de Libre Comercio), was signed into law on December 14, 2007. This agreement eliminates tariffs and other barriers to goods and services and expands trade between the US and Peru. Both Obama and McCain made public statements supporting the agreement, although neither actually voted for the law. For Peruvians living in the United States, Obama promises to improve the immigration system, reducing bureaucracy, and accelerating the process to enter legally.

With the United States in the depths of an economic crisis, a controversial and costly war in Iraq, and a damaged international reputation, Americans are looking to their next leader to provide a much needed positive change. Tomorrow, Tuesday November 4th, individuals all over the world will be glued to their televisions and radios to see if the United States will have their first African American president and history will be made.