Given the worldwide distaste for President Bush’s major initiatives, especially the war in Iraq, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that much of the world would prefer a Democrat replacing a Republican: According to The Economist, Algeria, Iraq, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Cuba are the only countries that would elect John McCain by a majority. The poll is hardly scientific and draws from a small sample, but it does raise the question: What do Northwestern students with international ties think of the election?

Canada

Martin Klaassen. Photo by Julie Beck / NBN.

Weinberg freshman Martin Klaassen is a native of Toronto, which he describes as a more liberal area of Canada than, say, the rural west (where conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper is from). Unsurprisingly, Klaassen says that many Canadians support Barack Obama for president (67 percent, to be exact), although he admits that “there are some people who are more business-oriented who would go for McCain,” including “anyone who would go for the North American Free Trade Agreement.”

Klaassen mentions that Obama’s ubiquitous promises of “change” offer a welcome alternative from Bush, who has not received much support from Canada. Additionally, Klaassen supports Obama’s foreign policy, as well as his domestic policies, which match up closely with Canada’s existing policies of universal health care and the push for alternative energy.

Mexico

Meanwhile, the picture is slightly more complicated to America’s south. Communication freshman Letty Perez, originally from Monterrey, Mexico, says, “People in Mexico tend to be a lot more conservative, at least in my hometown.”

Although a general poll shows more support for Obama, Perez’s commentary on Monterrey in particular is valid. On a personal level, though, Perez says that if she had her citizenship, she would vote for Obama. “I agree with his policies,” she says, adding that on issues such as immigration, “I think he’d be more open-minded.”

Many in Mexico see Obama as more lenient regarding immigration as well, according to a story by the San Antonio Express-News. Even those who would ordinarily support McCain’s stance on free trade are drawn to the idea of an Obama-led relationship between the United States and Mexico.

Hong Kong

Ivan Li, a Weinberg sophomore from Hong Kong, described his native country’s viewpoint as steeped in economics. The main issue regarding the 2008 election, he explains, is the strength of the U.S. dollar, which is tied to the Hong Kong dollar, “so people definitely care about how the U.S. dollar is doing. I definitely think people care more about the economy than other issues.” Li concludes that although he has not heard much in support of either candidate specifically, he imagines a contingent for McCain “because of low taxes.”

However, commentary in Hong Kong on our election hasn’t been as intense as Northwestern students might imagine, Li cautioned. “We had the Olympics, so no one really looked at the elections,” he says.

South Korea

Foreign policy is central to South Korea’s relationship with the United States, says South Korea-born June Choi, a McCormick freshman. “Many middle-class people don’t like Bush for several reasons that people don’t like Bush here,” she says. In terms of the war in Iraq, “Korea [sends] their troops to Iraq as well… the government did that because they wanted to keep the relationship healthy” with the United States. “A lot of people are really opposed to that,” Choi says.

Perhaps as a reflection of their discontent with the Bush administration, then, polls show that 50 percent of South Koreans favor Obama, while just 24 percent prefer McCain.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Velid Begovic. Photo by Julie Beck / NBN.

Velid Begovic has a unique perspective on the 2008 election as well: the Weinberg freshman is from Bosnia and Herzegovina, a country in the threating shadow of Russia. Begovic explains that his nation’s tenuous foreign policy situation demands continued U.S. support, and says that most Bosnians like Bill Clinton because he “stopped the war in Bosnia.” Few currently support Bush because the recent war in the Balkans has made Bosnians wary of the idea of war, Begovic says.

In terms of 2008’s candidates, Begovic says, “Obama was saying that, if elected, he will put Bosnia and Herzegovina in the center of his foreign policy agenda because he wants to stabilize our country. Obama said that if we create a better state there, it is a bad place for the creation of terrorism. Even though we don’t agree with Serbia, Croatia and Montenegro all the time, I am sure that they are supporting Democrats because some Republicans are supporting bombardment of Belgrade and Muslim countries in the Middle East.”

Begovic’s viewpoint is largely representative of that of most Bosnians, according to a recent article. Bosnia, Begovic explains, needs help from the U.S. because Europe has “failed, and it relies on Russia too much.” He thinks that Obama will be the best at supporting the region.

Overall…

Few interviewed express doubt that much will change, although Li raises the point that “if the United States is not doing that well, then Hong Kong will talk more with China and we might see fewer U.S. firms in Hong Kong.”

Begovic hints at a future of mostly stagnant relations between the United States and Bosnia and Herzegovina when he says that, even if the U.S. switches from red to blue, “relations will stay good because relations are good now” (taking into account disapproval of the war in Iraq). Indeed, respondents across the world are divided as to how much of an impact the U.S. election will have: 26 percent think relations will change, while 22 percent do not, and a still-larger 52 percent had no opinion on the matter — although Western Europe is an exception.

But even if relations between the United States and the rest of the world don’t shift dramatically after January 2009, the political climate might. While most international students interviewed support Obama, few described McCain’s possible ascendancy as an outright bad result. However, as is the case with Begovic, he hasn’t heard much from McCain and wants to see what Obama can implement if elected. He might be able to do so very soon.