Americans are electing a new president in the next 72 hours.
Tens of thousands of those going to the polls are Filipino-Americans, immigrants, sons and daughters of immigrants and those who grew up or were born in the Philippines but have since obtained US citizenships.
All are holding in their hands or are within sight of the American dream: the good life of material self-sufficiency, sufficiency enough to look after the life of the loved ones they left behind, those in the next generation waiting for their own chance to leave the Philippines and live a life of “peace and contentment in the “mainland.”
Put simply, the phrase “it’s the economy, dummy” is the deciding factor for Americans who may vote the Republicans out of the White House hoping to bring back the good economic times of the Clinton years minus the Clintons.
The spotlight is on the fact that today the “mainland” is in the throes of its worst financial and economic crisis since the Great Depression.
So Filipino-Americans (or American-Filipinos) will be making a choice that will impact on their own lives and that of their kin living in poverty and socio-political uncertainty in the Philippines.
Will they and their far away motherland benefit from the election of the leading wannabee, the nominee of the Democratic Party who has captured the American imagination with his battle cry “Change we can believe in” or will the Republican candidate score an upset despite being weighed down by the “failed” economic policies of George W. Bush.
The surveys say more voters believe Barack Obama is the “obvious” choice.
Barack they say “can nurse the US economy back to good health and enable it make it recover from the ’stroke’ it suffered because of the unmitigated greed of Wall Street’s crooks in suits
But many alsb elieve with a passion that the putative first-ever black American president, despite his ‘Kennedyesque” projection, has simplified the equation too much and that his lack of experience in foreign policy will be bad for America and rest of the Free World.
Indeed many are asking whose finger will be at the nuke button in the White House if a global security crisis erupts given the still volatile situations in Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan plus the other potential flashpoints that would ‘force’ the “world’s policeman” to play a role bigger than the one it is already playing
This may be just a bogey for some but a valid issue of concern for the Philippines given the prominent implementation here of the US military strategy of “forward deployment of forces” and the participation of US Special Forces in the continuing local version of the war on terror with the known links of extremist Moro bandits to the Al Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiya.
So yes, as America votes there is a lot at stake for Filipinos beyond the state of the US economy.
WE ALL MUST WATCH AND WAIT.
UPDATE:
With some 24 hours before the polls open:
Gallup’s daily tracking survey has Obama gaining momentum and leading 52 percent to 42 percent.
A Washington Post-ABC News tracking poll puts the figure at 53 percent for Obama and 44 percent for McCain.
A Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby tracking poll released on Sunday shows Obama’s lead firming up to 6 points—50 to 44 percent—among likely voters.
An Associated Press-Yahoo News national poll of likely voters has the first-term Illinois senator ahead, 51 to 43, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Filipino Americans are a conservative-leaning electorate.
All of my kamaganaks will vote Republican
i will vote republican..
always a republican- free markets and global distribution of wealth. :)
surprising.. the archepelagic Filipinos are 88%-12% in favor of Obama..
how does mainland US affect migrating Filipinos?
Am not American, so… but I remember how during the Marcos era, Reagan and his party supported the dictatorship….
While there are no data singling out Fil-Am voting records in the US, it is good to note that in previous elections the total Asian vote has more or less been 50-50, for either major parties. A rather well distributed voting record for a minority group, nothing compared to the high 80′s or even low 90′s% of African-American voting expected for the black Democrat this time around.
And in a state like California which leans very liberal, one can expect our compatriots to also lean similarly. Take as example a region like Northern California anchored by the San Francisco Bay Area.
So is the typical Fil-Am conservative?
“So is the typical Fil-Am conservative?” Probably so given our deeply ingrained fear of the Almighty. You can probably call us “closet conservatives’. Taking another culture for example, the world knows China as Red China, but in truth the people are mostly devout practicing Buddhists and even Taoists. In the construction of the Three Gorges dam the socio-religious undercurrents center mainly on public anger over the destruction of many Buddhist temples.
Older Fil-Ams will tend to be white-supremacist-loving conservatives. Younger Fil-ams would be a mixed bunch. It is unfortunate that Michelle Malkin was spawned from Filipinos in the first place.
“…white-supremacist-loving conservatives.” I’ll have to chew on thst a bit Jon, given your implication that we look down on the colored. I don’t know if such a sweeping tag is accurate given how deeply immersed generations of Filipinos have become parts of the American cultural fabric. Conservative perhaps but “white supremacist?
Ding, i have to concur with Jon’s observation. I think it was Connie Veneracion who observed that the generation who grew up in the fifties have a deeply ingrained Colonial Mentality. The younger generation (mine, Jon and Benign0′s), on the other hand, have redirected some of that awe to the rich Chinese.
Ding,
I dunno with you but, my impression with almost all old folks who were around when the US “liberated” Manila (after bombing it out) is that they have a glitter in their eye when they come across whites (or the topic is turned to talking about America and Americans — Americans being the whites and only the whites).
Jon,
Yes and no. Many of the passionate nationalists I know are not enamored with their pale-faced ‘brothers’. This is not about skin color, right? It’s about having enlightened world views I submit.
nothing to do with color at all. i will vote for Obama had he been a Republican. Democrats represent liberal politics that believes in abortion, same sex marriage, and the idea that reference to God in the US political documents is anathema to the concept of liberty and religious diversity.
I am also thrown off by Obama’s “messiah” complex.
if the local pinoy pundits think that an obama presidency would be more advantageous for filipinos because he is “non-white” like them, and had lived in hawaii and indonesia as a boy, or that democrats are more “sympathetic” to filipinos, in particular, they have another think coming. the pilippines had not fared any better under carter or clinton than it had under nixon, reagan and the 2 bushes, notwithstanding marcos. blacks can be as, or worst, discriminators of other “minorities” than their white counterparts. the knife cuts both ways.
as one who acually experienced the difference between the administration of the city of new york both under dinkens and giuliani, i wouldn’t be euphoric about an obama victory.
The lack of higher educational achievement for the black majority is their disadvantage to a competitive majority middle income work force. When one cannot compete, the rest of the negative attitude follows. I don’t think Obama can change majority but maybe able to provide ongoing counselling and act as a role model. But Obama is not too powerful at all against the WHITE Senate. He could be sitting in the oval office like a puppet and maybe will not be able to make his own decision. A strong president can lead. When George Bush said, let’s go to Iraq, majority voted for it. If Obama will say, let’s pull out from Iraq, China will say, wait a minute… we are now digging Iraqi oil, you have to protect our investment with your high tech security or pay us your debt. :)Obama is not the right president. McCain is the One. :)
“So is the typical Fil-Am conservative?” Probably so given our deeply ingrained fear of the Almighty. You can probably call us “closet conservatives’.
Again data do not reveal that collectively FilAms are any more liberal or conservative than most other ethnic groups. If it is somehow implied that religious upbringing sets them to lean more conservative, then consider that I know more Catholics who are liberal politicians than are conservative. Even the US Catholic vote is widely dispersed, more or less. And at times may even lean on the side of Catholic politicians. Kerry, Biden, Kennedy, Pelosi – are all Catholics. Even the Supreme Court has 5 Catholics, which is a majority. But do you think it always leans right?
Also, most FilAms live either in California or New York, or even New Jersey. These states are decidedly liberal, and always nationally vote so.
Atty. Ben,
“…the knife cuts both ways.” sussinctly sums it up. As it should, Filipinos should run their own affairs and not look to the “mainland” for succor or even salvation. They have problems and issues of their own there. We are not, the Philippines itself, a ‘local concern’. Those still dreaming of ‘statehood’ like the Ely Pamatongs of the Philippines are just that: dreaming, even hallucinating
But I would argue, Barack Obama isn’t even black. He doesn’t share the same slave-shipped heritage. Neither was he raised in a black home: he was raised by whites.
So I wonder how the knife cuts through on this one.
Bencard,
LOL, you can’t even spell the name of your country right anymore. Seriously, what your statement proves is that the fate of the Philippines lies on its own, not on the US government. Nothing more, nothing less.
So you imply that, because Dinkens is black and Obama is black, therefore the quality of Obama’s administration is bound to be same as that of Dinkens?
With all due respect, manong, you are one helluva racist.
Jon , LOL . Yes my City Celebration, Florida is racist too. McCain is now leading Florida . Go McCain Go
My Voting Place and Racists at My Place
leytenian,
I do not imply that, because McCain is leading somewhere means that that area is racist. I’m calling out on people who opine on Obama’s abilities based on his skin color primarily.
limjap, what do you call the 98% black vote for obama even against h. clinton whose husband, bill, was once called “the first ‘black’ president” because of his “popularity” with blacks. if that was not racism, i don’t know what is.
fyi, barack obama is black even though his mother was white. to his credit, he acknowledge that fact and, i believe he’s proud of it.
i cited the dinkens -giuliani difference in governing nyc in answer to those who claim (e.g., ernesto maceda) that a “change” that an obama victory could bring would necessarily be for the better.
Bencard,
The fact that the Democrats also practiced racism doesn’t resolve you of your racism, manong. Neither should your reasoning that Dinkins’ color had anything to do with his inability to improve NYC be justified.
I do however, acknowledge that the concern on Dinkins having been too beholden to his lobbyists (e.g., unions) if the wikipedia article on his term is to be believed, would be valid.
If Obama wins (without implying that he will, regardless of opinion polls) then he should be held accountable for his promise of change to be sweeping across all aspects of governance; it must not remain a mere change of the president’s skin color.
oops. ^^resolve above was supposed to be “absolve”
I hate to interject in your spirited exchange Atty. Cardinez and Kuya Jon, but could I ask ehere does this racism debate factor into the Filipino stake in the race? I, we, need to be ‘educated’, please pretty please?
Ding,
As I have stated in a previous comment:
That is, ultimately my opinion.
I do not believe that the state of US-Philippine relations with respect to AQ and JI and terrorist hunting will change. Pulling out of Iraq will not mean pulling the plug on the war on terror on all fronts — the war on terror is much, much broader than the issue of deploying troops on a war based on faulty intelligence.
I believe whoever wins will have the wisdom to continue supporting the Philippines against the Abu Sayyaf.
Ding, racism is an evil in itself and must be exposed and purged. Case in point, suppose there are enough Fil-Am racists to influence the outcome of the election, then such racism would affect the entire world. So we have to be intolerant of racism before it gets out of hand.
cvj, ding and all the rest of the guys here,
while we debate on the “impact” of the US elections in our lives, three out of 4 filipinos think we’re just wasting our time. they don’t care. so, the question is, what’s the impact to our lives? the obvious answer is nada (nothing).
jon, cvg,
Being intolerant to racism in whatever form is a no brainer. Here at home isn’t there in some sense a form of ethnic ‘racism’ and more palpably socia-ecpnomic class discrimination?
To clarify as you have been in a way doing hairsplit dissection of the racismj in Am,erica, perhaqps you can answer if you feel Filipinos as a major minority group experience some form of ‘racism’?
Re Pat’s poi9nt that that the ongoing elections have “nada” impact. I will beg to disagree even on a personal point given that my best friend, (and ex-wife who blessed me with Felice and Luis…) if the elections result in turning things around sooner rather than later for the US economy, then it does impact on the lives of the 2 to 3 milliong Filipinos in America apart from the TNTs?
The changing of the guasrds will also impact on the hopes of surviving Filipino USAFFE war veterans, given that Obama voted againt the Filipino vets bill. Americam meddling in the local war on terror can also change right given Obama’s intended scaling down of American military deploymenhts abroad, right Pat.
So “nada” impact? I don’t believe so.
hi ding,
yup. nada for those who don’t see how a policy shift can affect 80 million lives some 8,000 miles away.
if obama wins, then, it will all be “goodbye” for USAFFE veterans, since Obama already showed his bias against minorities and struggling immigrants.
if mccain wins, say goodbye to the ASG and the JI because they’ll be obliterated by mccain’s army.
Ding, i think yes. We have both racism and elitism but i think it’s more of the latter. Benign0 manages to be able to combine both.
Ding, Pat,
I don’t believe the VFA and military training schedules will be affected, especially since the VFA was formed, ratified and implemented first under the *Clinton* administration. IIRC VFA exercises and military deployments here are operated from US bases in Japan, which already have a constant number of troops deployed at any given time.
Again, I think that Obama’s war policies will not affect our current relations with the US vis-a-vis military relations, and the Democrats ought to have learned the ineffectiveness of the Clinton approach to aggression (e.g., minimal force, mismanaged warlord meddling) in Somalia. If Colin Powell becomes part of Obama’s cabinet, all the more things will remain the same.
As for US economic policy, whether its McCain or Obama I don’t think either one is a sure shot at a better US economy. Both of them are experiments, and both have economic biases when it comes to approach. The reality is the US has had a fundamental economic flaw, a dependency on big overspending corporations, and the choice of president will have little impact on the effects of mistakes that have already been made.
Even changes in Philippine presidents hardly makes a dent on the chronic failure of Pinoy society to prosper.
I knew that was coming :P
i think, for the most part, EVERYONE is prejudice one way or the other. it could be race, religion, age, sexual orientation, ideology, even personal appearance, e.g, ugly, short, fat, etc.
many are closet discriminators and are ostensibly careful about “political correctness”. i think he who protest the loudest about racism is himself a racist – a snake in the grass.
Pat,
“if Obama wins, then, it will all be “goodbye” for USAFFE veterans, since Obama already showed his bias against minorities and struggling immigrants.
if mccain wins, say goodbye to the ASG and the JI because they’ll be obliterated by mccain’s army.”
Re Obama having voted against the increased benefits for Filipino USAFFE veterans whose numbers are fast dwindling, I think his vote then reflected his lack of true appreciation of the role played by the Filipino fighters. This will change if he gets in the saddle given the Fil-Am constituency and how they will vote in the in elections. Remember at that time Barack was pandering to the US war vets own benefits. He is work in progress.
Mccain’s army “obliterating” ASG and JI would involve really putting the US Special Forces physically doing the killing. Palagay mo handa na tunay na ibala sa kanyon ang SF SA OPERATIONAL FRONT LINE. Walang deniability? Nah.
one possible impact of an obama victory, coupled with the democrats’ gaining “filibuster-proof” majority in congress and senate, is the flowering of the leftist-socialist agenda. as had been experienced by europe, canada, etc., where the government is actively engaged in “spreading the wealth around” through heavy taxation of the wealthy “capitalists”, it’s a quantum leap towards eventual killing of the goose that lays the golden egg. this will then lead to a weaker, poorer, and mediocre america no longer able to help nations in dire straits and “teeming masses yearning to be free”. the very survival of the free world, including the philippines, will be at stake. then perhaps, we can say, equality has been achieved – equality in poverty, that is.
Like it or not, whatever happens in the US markedly affects the island nation. Last I read over 50% of Philippine exports are headed either to Japan or the US. Of the 10-12% of Philippine GDP coming from overseas compatriots, from 50 to 65% originate from the US.
And I have to agree with Bencard’ statement about those who throw around the racist card so lightly and gratutiously. They may themselves even harbor racist thoughts against their own kind. Or maybe, enviously self-righteous?
Bencard,
Yes manong, we should all wear our racist badges proudly.
Obama will suck BECAUSE he is black.
Amen.