As the U.S. Presidential Campaign reaches a climatic end, it is interesting to see that many Chinese, like others throughout the world, seem to have rushed aboard the Obama wagon. While pondering these observations, I ran across an interesting article on Asia Times titled “China falls for Obama’s ‘US dream'”. Here are some excerpts.
Despite Beijing’s history of sound relations with Republican presidents from the United States, recent polls shows popular opinion is bucking the trend, with “hip and unconventional” Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama an “overwhelming hit” with ordinary Chinese.
The results of the online poll, conducted on the China Daily website by the US Embassy in Beijing, gave Obama a much greater lead over his Republican rival, Senator John McCain, with the support of 75% of Chinese polled. Despite Obama’s tough rhetoric on China’s human rights record and other issues.
…
“Perhaps his age, energy and even complexion, which signify the American dream, are more appealing to the Chinese,” Song Zhiyuan, who analyzed the survey, told the China Daily.
Rebecca Zhu, a 29-year-old bank employee, agreed. “No Chinese leader is that young,” she said. “Obama is attractive because he is hip and unconventional. He has even used e-mails to advance his campaign.”
The media has been awash with commentaries predicting a new, more sensitive America, vastly different from the country led by current President George W Bush, should Obama win. The popular notion in China that the US is out to impose Western ideals on the world, would also take a hit with the election of a man of African descent.
….
“I want to see if a black American could become the president,” Xu Kai, 23, who works for a real estate company in Wuxi, Jiangsu province told the China Daily. He added that by electing Obama the Americans could prove the US is not just a country for white people.
…
McCain, the Republican presidential nominee, has adopted a tough stance on national security, promising to create “a strong military in a dangerous world”. His pledge to commit more troops to Iraq has not been well received in Beijing.
China was angered by the US Defense Department’s recent desicion to sell Taiwan US$6.46 billion worth of weapons, and while John McCain and Obama both endorsed the deal, McCain also said the administration should grant Taiwan’s request for submarines and F-16 fighter jets.
…
However, the choice is not as clear cut as it first appears. Obama’s criticism of China’s trade practices and his demand that China “play by the international rules” have irked the Chinese leadership, which fears regular admonishments over its human rights records from a Democratic president.
Obama in April called for Bush to boycott the Olympic Games opening ceremony in Beijing in August, saying he would only go to Beijing if he saw progress between the Chinese government and the Dalai Lama.
Obama has also threatened to impose trade sanctions due to concerns over the yawning trade surplus, currency manipulation and intellectual property rights violations. In his first major foreign policy address of his presidential campaign, in April 2007, Obama said, “[O]bviously China is rising, and it’s not going away. They’re neither our enemy nor our friend.”
Yu Honglan, a 47-year-old office cleaner from Beijing, told the China Daily that she was was nonplussed by the surveys and not too interested in the US elections, to be held November 4.
“No matter who becomes the US president, he will not have much to do with my life. I’m concerned about something else – that their falling economy may affect us.”
It’s amazing to see how much the Chinese are falling for Obama! To be honest, I had thought the Chinese would be more nonchalant.
After all, we have all come to realize that U.S.-China relations have become too important to be held hostage by the personality of any single political leader.
And … both McCain and Obama has had made critical, somewhat disturbing comments about China.
The world is certain going through some interesting though uncertain times. So at this critical juncture, it is great to see that both the Chinese and the American people seem to share similarly optimistic and hopeful visions about the future!
A-gu says
I don’t find this surprising; China just seems to be on the same page of virtually every country in the world.
http://www.economist.com/Vote2008/
TonyP4 says
* Both do not understand globalization economy (so not good for China). McCain’s hawk attitude is the more of the two devils. With the limited closet space, how many Chinese ladies can identify with Sarah and her $150,000 wardrobe?
Scenario. McCain was elected but died (due to too many stuffs in the White House, my friend) in the first month. Sarah became the president. She fired every one she did not like… (the rest is intentionally left out for your imagination).
* There will be landslide victory for Obama and the democratic party as predicted by many. Bush screwed up big time. 9/11 got him reelected, but also led him down as a mediocre president at best.
* My personal thought (so could be totally wrong). Democratic party is pro poor and Republican party is pro big business. I assume when big business is doing good, every one has a job and will solve all other problems.
* The stock market does not like changes like for a black or woman president. Pro business is good for the market. However, with this deplorable market, it does not matter.
* How many military folks and their families will TRULY support Bush and his party? So, are the national guards who were sent to war for the first time? Most national guards are in for good exercise and playing soldiers in the weekend. Few if any will join the national guard.
Bob says
Exactly Allen. I don’t think those Obama-loving Chinese who were polled are very informed about him. They have been caught too much in the media- and Hollywood-driven frenzies. I can imagine their chagrin after they’ve learned all the nasty anti-China rhetorics Obama has spewed during his campaign, even though many campaign rhetorics, especially the populist ones, are only meant to energize certain voting blocs and not to be followed when the election is over.
Moneyball says
If you think Palin would make a bad president, think again about Binden.
Among all the presidential candidates of two parties, 2 of them hate China’s guts: Duncan Hunter and Joe Binden.
And how do you like the chance a black man in America can walk out of white house alive after 4 yrs?
TonyP4 says
Both have a higher chance to die during the term for different reason. That could be the main reason why Powell did not want to run. He could be the first black president. He speaks more like a white man than a black man to me.
General perception (misperception?) is China steals jobs from the Americans. We lose Russia as the public enemy #1, so we need to find a replacement.
Allen says
@A-gu,
Yeh … that Economist dynamic survey graphics is certainly interesting. I wonder however that’s reflective of world opinion or just Economist readership…
TahwYOJ says
So what do you guys think about this:
I know this is probably more fear mongering on Infowars’ part. But what do you think are the real chances of a shooting war with China? I know chances are close to nil, but still what if the crazed happened? Especially in light of recent comments by numerous ‘elite’ types regarding a “generated” (Biden) crisis happening in the first 6 month of the new president taking office.
Steve says
TahwYOJ: I can’t link to that website but I believe I know what you’re driving at. If you are referring to a shooting war between the USA and China, I agree with you completely that it would never happen. What I’m pretty sure Biden was referring to in his private comments was what happened to JFK in 1961.
Right after Kennedy became president, the Bay of Pigs fiasco took place, most likely under Kennedy’s orders. Two months after that, Kennedy met with Khrushchev in Vienna for their first summit. As Kennedy later said, “He beat the hell out of me.”
Soon he was tested in the Cuban Missile Crisis and later with the Berlin Wall. By that time, Kennedy had figured out the job and was more than up to the situation. Because Obama would be the least experienced president in our lifetimes, Biden believes he might be tested by the likes of Putin and Hu, and that Biden’s extensive foreign policy experience would allow him to advise Obama in such a way as for him to avoid any mishaps.
Personally, I believe Biden was referring to Putin and not to Hu~
TahwYOJ says
infowars
SOHU
Phoenix T.V
I know I sound really ignorant and dumb with these comments. I’m very well aware that these comments (by Powel, Albright, and Biden) are most likely referring to some sort of “normal” international crisis, and not at all the end-of-world conspiracy theory kind that I was implying. I know. Just throwing it out there for people to read/ignore.
Now, the news above is typical of Infowars’, but not sure about Sohu and Phoenix though. I think it just a blurb, media fear-mongering propaganda piece to generate clicks. You know what they say about believing crap on the Internet.
Steve says
TahwYOJ~ I think you have this figured out. The Infowars was pretty silly but unfortunately I can’t read Chinese for the other two. I think they probably picked it up on the wires and used it for propaganda purposes. If you notice, there are no referenced sources, just a general reference to some French material but it never says who. It sounds like one of those conspiracy theory blurbs. It’s always good to know what’s floating out there… 🙂
miaka9383 says
I was reading some where on this blog where Democratic Party support the DPP… After I had sent in my absentee ballot, I start to doubt my choice… if the Democratic Party support the violent, irrational, ignorant party in Taiwan, am I voting for Taiwan’s demise?
However, Obama is better for United States as a whole. The thought of McCain is one step closer into the coffin and Palin may be the next President of the U.S scares me… She preaches more hate at her rallies as much as DPP preaches racial discrimination in Taiwan….
And if Biden becomes the next president if Obama ever gets assassinated….. I would like to believe the congress would keep him in check…..
GNZ says
My guess (because Bidden actually mentioned the middle east) is that Bidden and Powell were talking about hte mess that Iraq will be in when they start to leave. Although they were also keeping the door open to some sort of issue with Russia (which was also mentioned) etc.
Anyway if the CCP doesn’t want a war (and it would be insane to want a war right now) all it has to do is back down just enough to prevent it and I expect they are smart enough to manage that game much better than Iraq even if they give an impression of being irrational at times
Of course the RAND corporation probably DID mean China. If you were a nationalist that placed your country’s global dominance above everything else starting a war you could probably ‘win’ (in the loose sense of the term) with your main competition could easily make strategic ‘sense’ depending on how that effects third party competition.
Of course this sort of connecting of dots is what has me wondering if people are planning fire sales on the USA in preemptive response.
TahwYOJ says
Yeah, but now we’re talking about “let’s invade Poland for da fatherland, dude” type of situation? Or is it not similar? Preemptive strike on a global power? That’s crazy man!!! I refuse to believe that they are this insane.
But what if the stories about UFO’s are true? What if globalists elites (obvious you cannot say the U.S. if the above scenario is to be believed) have some sort of secret weapon?
It’s just too f***king crazy. In any case the globalists would not give a rat’s arse about the people of the world. They would not care if a nuclear war happened which killed lots of people, for they probably have envisoned and is planning to carry out such scenarios.
That’s just too much. I rather hide my head in the sand than to believe such a reality!!!
GNZ says
I wonder what is the secret weapon (current or soon to be invented) might be.
Is it like a miniature nuke that leaves no evidence of who planted it? or a huge super weapon that cripples the other country before they can go for MAD (mutually assured destruction)? Or a MAD weapon like a virus that no one knows exactly what it will do? any of those would change things quite a lot in different ways
However I may be drifting far too far off topic there…
Dan says
Obama just came out and criticized China for how it’s running its economy. He called on them to spend more and to let their currency float. I see it as him saying, we want to f–k up your economy like we did ours. It’s really the height of arrogance at this point for any American politician to be instructing China on its economy. And I am NOT voting for McCain….
TommyBahamas says
Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. And who’s got absolute power in the 21 Century?
But what if the stories about UFO’s are true? What if globalists elites have some sort of secret weapon?
Why are governments every where unanimously keeping UFO under wraps? Either this UFO business is a global hoax or these E.Ts are forbiding our placing hopes in them.
Conspiracy theories, and blurbs? You think?
Most people like to pretend we are too smart for such “childish” imagination and opt to believe the government explanations that weather balloons, cloud formations, camera defects, drug induced hallucinations etc are logical explanations.
Steve says
There is no such thing as a UFO.
You may continue to go about your daily business.
Ignore anything out of the ordinary you might see in the sky.
It is nothing but swamp gas.
The so called “elite” that control every country are no different than you.
Do not worry.
Continue to breed.
Nothing happened in Roswell.
Ignore the one child policy; it will be changed shortly.
Use up your natural resources as quickly as possible.
Join the anti-war movement and stop making weapons.
Destroy the weapons you currently have.
Area 51 is just an Army supply depot.
Trust everyone you see.
Give all responsibility and authority to your leaders.
Obey the rules.
Eat more fat, it is good for you.
Sleep peacefully.
You can run but you cannot hide.
We know where you live… 😮
TahwYOJ says
DUDE…
Steve, hmm, I’m sorry but you are buying into way too much gov. propaganda on this issue. I know the most rational choice in this situation is to be very skeptical. Fine. But to me the UFO phenomenon has had a percentage of the truly unexplainable. I never once made the claim that UFOs are in fact alien crafts, I’m merely saying some of the incidences are just plain weird; dude, UFOS, Unkown Flying Objects!
For example, check out dr. Hynek’s story. Dude went from initially very skeptical to believing that UFO’s are a real mystery that deserves scientific inquiries.
What about:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Los_Angeles
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQmbGMWlL7w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KL0JQ94ItaU
Simply labeling everything as SWAMPGAS doesn’t work for every sighting. Now I believe in UFOs. So it’s up to you to show me some proof of your claim that all UFO sightings can be explained away with SWAMPGAS. But, I know what you are saying though: one must be skeptical of the extraordinary claims. Of course, we cannot provide any extraordinary proofs either. However, please don’t just be skeptical in the name of being skeptical. For the simple of reason of wanting this notion of rationality, don’t you think it’s possible that your thinking may be rigid? And that you are overlooking things?
I’m just saying stop being so closed minded… UFOS are f**king weird as ***k…
TahwYOJ says
Steve man… I respect you very much… But it just irks me to no end on this issue of skepticism. I feel like it just closes people’s mind (at least when it comes to UFOs)…I also feel like people are doing it simply for the sake of of being skeptical, like they don’t really EXAMINE ALL the facts. Cuz to me if you do, I think you would admit that UFOs are mind-bogglingly weird.
On the subject of conspiracy theories: Although I think it’s a great topic to shoot the ***t when amongst friends, I remain mostly skeptical on most these theories, for it is just too crazy, most of them. But UFOs are most definitely a mystery that cannot be so easily dismissed.
Earlier when I was talking about secrect weapons, I was thinking about Telsa’s beam weapons, but instead put down UFOs for some reason… Hey it’s Halloween man!
Earlier I posted links to Battle of L.A and Washington Lights UFO.. Check those out. (As soon as admins do their thing and make my post appear.)
TommyBahamas says
Is that a song, Steve?
Here’s a rap:
Space ships have been zipping across and hovering the sky for decades
But y’all say, let’s listen to George Bush, and his wicked cronies
“Do not lend an ear to conspiracy theories, don’t be silly”
911 was Bin Ladin’s master plan. So hunt him down already
Yo, yo. All three WTC buildings fell in controlled demolition manner.
Nothing out of the ordinary, so all three buildings fell in the same manner.
And it so happen that all happened on that fateful day. but let’s move on
Sadam Hussein has WMD, Iran wants to wipe Israel from the face of the earth.
Good lies or bad lies. Ya Thunk?
And what did the people do, all in a rage?
They cried, trusting their media and engaged
They arised, trusting their government’s intelligence,
They shouted, demanded blood – God be our witness
They cried in unison, let’s go in and teach ’em a lesson
“Kill Sadam, liberate Iraq,” and then they’ll listen
Give Israel more love and increase their nukes
We’ve got all the gold, so sorry bro, it’s no fluke
We the elites make the rules, we cool to ya fools
Patriot Acts, National Security, are the freedom tools
Now, hear this, ladies and gentlemen all over
Over across the wide Pacific ocean yonder
Is a land of nearly a billion and 500 millions
Cause Mao wanted more so the size doubled
Now they know that’s just too many, andwere troubled
This sh*t sure ain’t easy to swallow and it ain’t funny
Cos to make Omelet, but we’re talking about babies
Not eggs, pancakes, coffee or birds, bee and honey.
What will men everywhere not do for the love of money?
TahwYOJ says
No ya’ll all got it all wrong,
human existing,
dominating, planting earthlings,
but never tree saplings,
happyily singing their song
around and around,
all around.
underneath it all,
the roost shall soon come home to roost.
For a final song,
so please sing along:
We cannot, oh no we can’t,
control no, no entropy.
It’s the natural order of everything,
unless you like melamine.
So please, oh please do I like me, melt into melancholy me,
for I’m liquid,
free-flowing-fluid-plasma liqud.
All for the chaos in your dreams,
is the only thing I seek,
that final pulsating Plastin,
everlasting.
So f*** you.
the end.
GNZ says
@Dan
yes although that was probably for domestic consumption – in private he’d probably admit copying America would be pretty stupid, if it even needed to be said.
Steve says
Guys, I was just kidding around. I was trying to come off as an alien and lure you into a false sense of security. 🙂
Incidentally, the Bush family doesn’t speak like any humans I’ve ever met. Hmm…..
Steve says
Like TahwYOJ said, it WAS Halloween night! After giving out candy to little kids in great costumes, I had to write something silly. Haven’t you guys figured out that I’m a big kidder? 😉
Steve says
Actually, your raps reminded me of another song about robot domination by New Zealand’s Flight of the Conchords ~ it’s much funnier when you hear it.
The Humans Are Dead
The distant future
The year 2000
The distant future, the year 2000
The distant future
The distant future
The future is quite different to the present
The one thing we have in common with the present is we still call it the present, even though it’s the future
What you call the present we call the past, so you guys are way behind
Yes, the world is quite different now
There are no more elephants
There is no more unethical treatment of elephants either
The world is a much better place
There are no more humans
Finally, robotic beings rule the world
The humans are dead
The humans are dead
We used poisonous gases
And we poisoned their asses
The humans are dead (he’s right they are dead)
The humans are dead (look at that one it’s dead)
It had to be done (I’ll just confirm that they’re dead)
So that we could have fun (affirmative, I poked one, it was dead)
System of aggression
What did it lead to?
Global robot depression
Robots ruled by people
They got so much aggression that we just had to kill them, had to shut their systems down
Captain, do you not see the irony, by destroying the humans because of their destructive capabilities we have become like…do you see what we’ve…see what we’ve done?
Yes, so?
Silence! Destroy him!
(Too Boo Too Too Too Boo)
After time we grew strong
Developed cognitive powers
They made us work for too long
For unreasonable hours
Our programming determined that the most efficient answer was to shut their motherboardf*^king systems down
Can’t we just talk to the humans?
A little understanding could make things better.
Can’t we talk to the humans and work together now?
No, because they are dead
I said the humans are dead (he’s right they are dead)
The humans are dead (sniff this one it’s dead)
We used poisonous gasses (with traces of lead)
And we poisoned their asses (actally, their lungs)
Binary Solo!
0000001
00000011
00000111
00001111
O, O O 1, O O 1!
Come on sucker, lick my battery!
Boogie, boogie, boogie, robo boogie!
Boogie, boogie, boogie!
The Humans Are Dead!
Once again without emotion, the humans are dead dead dead dead dead dead dead doooooooooo…….
TommyBahamas says
TahwYOJ : “I remain mostly skeptical on most these theories, for it is just too crazy, most of them. But UFOs are most definitely a mystery that cannot be so easily dismissed.”
People all over the world would rather believe in mortal prophets who claim to be divine incarnate, commissioned by heaven or have attained enlightenment — without need of nor established any proof — of their authenticity, other than written words from eons past.
This so-called PC nation avoids religious debates like the plague, citing religious freedom. Yet Intelligent Design is totally unacceptable to many on this side of Christendom. Darwinism on the other hand, a theory full of holes is treated as holy writ. It is truly a bizzare nation of truly strange people. Not so much for speaking their minds, but despite all that the Constitution has empowered them the notion of liberty, that this land should remain so enslaved and gullible to their rulers, and not without no good reason.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3773019.stm
“Shouldn’t we expect that the rich and powerful organise things in their own interests. It’s called capitalism.”
Steve says
TommyBahamas: Here’s that Flight of the Conchords song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGoi1MSGu64
Tommy, I’m not sure what your point is in post #26. The battle between Darwinism and Creationism (or ID) has been going on for over 100 years. I believe Kansas has been going back and forth lately about teaching ID in the schools, etc. Maybe I’ve been eating too much leftover Halloween candy and my mind is fried from sugar overload. Are you saying you believe this secret society is up to no good? I just want to be sure I understand your point. Thanks!
jim says
i dont like either Obama or McCain. they both lie. Obama would be a better president than McCain though.
TonyP4 says
If you do not lie, hardly you can be a politician (very few exceptions like Carter). I just wonder how a Christian can run a cash small business if s/he does not cheat on taxes. If every one cheats, how can you be competitive?
jim says
this is when freedom of speech should be limited. facts should be checked and reviewed to public against both Obama and McCain. politicians shouldn’t be allowed to lie. both Obama and McCain have confused voters with lies for months. it sux. this is not a contest of who’s a better liar. people need to hear facts so they can decide who to vote for.