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Chinese Students Vote Obama in Mock Election

October 20, 2008 2:17 PM

BY BETH LOYD, ABC News Beijing

The importance and the drama of the 2008 U.S. presidential election have captivated the world, and certainly the patriotic American expatriates living overseas.  We can’t seem to get enough, literally and figuratively.  In many areas of China where foreigners live and work, we have satellite dishes that give us access to CNN International and BBC World.  And of course, there is the beloved Internet where we can read about the race until our hearts are content and watch YouTube for Sarah Palin sketches on “SNL.”  And while those living in America may be suffering from election fatigue and the campaign trail journalists may need some serious sleep, we overseas American journalists wish we could be closer to the action.  The election is the topic of conversation at every lunch, every cocktail party, every day. 

The debates aired at 9 a.m. here in China and friends gathered for debate-watching breakfast parties.  There is no doubt that on election night when the returns start coming in, the embassy-organized event will be packed and sports bars in Beijing will be crawling with Americans glued to multiple televisions as if it were Super Bowl Sunday.   

To assist in quenching the political thirst of its citizens living in Red China, the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and the American Chamber of Commerce hosted a mock debate between Democrats and Republicans abroad.  However, the majority of the crowd was mainland Chinese university students. 

On the right and supporting John McCain was Alan Siegrist, a Hong Kong-based CFO.  On the left and supporting Barack Obama was Andrew Green, a corporate lawyer in Hong Kong.  The moderator was journalism professor and former CNN reporter Mark Leff. 

While the event was no match for the real thing, and certainly not as riveting as the vice presidential debate, it was fascinating to see the Chinese students’ interest in it.  The audience wrote down questions before the debate began and the moderator took his cues from those, so this debate was appropriately more China-centric and focused on economic issues. 

When the question arose of the U.S. sale of arms to Taiwan, both debaters agreed that they would continue to support the mutual defense of Taiwan but that it is a fine balancing act.  Siegrist pointed out that Taiwan has a democratic form of government like the United States and because of that, the United States maintains the Taiwan relations act.  After the debate was over, a female Chinese student posed the question again, calling the sale of arms to Taiwan “a corrupt action.”  Green tried to explain it this way.  “Sometimes we agree or disagree on substance, but this is a long-term process,” and understanding one another’s position is important.   

Both party representatives borrowed their candidates’ language from the campaign trail.  Siegrist refrained from going negative, other than to say that Obama’s policies have been inconsistent.  There was no mention of Bill Ayers or Jeremiah Wright.  When it came to the question about Colin Powell’s endorsement of Obama, Siegrist reminded the audience that Joe Lieberman, a former Democratic vice presidential candidate, has been supporting McCain for more than a year.  He said, “I think Lieberman is a better judge of character.” 

Green sought to keep the debate focused on economic issues and Obama’s tax cuts, job creation and health-care plans.  Both sides played the blame game.  Green blamed the Bush administration’s policies during the last eight years and the greed of Wall Street.  Siegrist put the blame on the President Carter-era CRA, which he said was expanded by President Clinton and led to the current economic crisis.  Siegrist also called Green out for slamming Wall Street while Obama outraised John McCain, 3-1, on Wall Street donors.  Siegrist also argued that Obama’s plan was flawed because raising taxes on wealthy companies would prevent job creation. 

When it came to China and free trade, both party representatives sought to express friendship, though Siegrist more enthusiastically.  He argued that McCain has been a fervent supporter of free trade.  He said McCain knows Asia in part because he was a prisoner of war in Vietnam.  He also said that the Republican Party wants China to be wealthy.  Siegrist said that Obama has accused China of undervaluing its currency and of holding foreign currency reserves and then supporting repressive regimes, while McCain supports good relations in Asia.  Green argued that Obama will have a consistent and steady policy on China and supports free trade, often comparing his vision to that of former President Clinton.

One question focused on whether or not either candidate would support reinstating the U.N. funding for family planning, which was revoked during the Bush administration because of China’s one-child policy.  Both representatives admitted to being ill-prepared to express their candidates’ view on this specific issue.  But Green said that Obama would likely return to supporting the U.N. fund, as under President Clinton, “without regard to the far right.”  Siegrist explained to the audience that the Republican Party does not like the one-child policy because it forces some families to resort to abortion, and the party is against abortion.  But he pointed out “if we can’t settle the issue in our own country, we can’t expect to do it in another.” 

Green often charmed the crowd with his grasp of Mandarin; his concluding statement was a Chinese saying that means, “We can drown in the ocean but if we turn around, there is the land.”  Siegrist argued that the audience should support McCain because he would be a better president and his trade policies are more pro-China. 

At the end of the mock debate, the embassy staffers handed out slips of paper, so the audience could vote on who they thought won.  This was probably the first time many of these Chinese students voted on anything.  It was 58 percent for the Democrats and 42 percent for the Republicans.  There were 70 or so audience members, about a dozen of which were American citizens.  While both party representatives point out that the only poll that counts is the one on Election Day, it is interesting that despite McCain’s more fervent support for trade with China, most of the Chinese people both in the audience overwhelmingly say they think and hope Obama will win.   

Read more blogs from Beth Loyd

Read more blogs from the ABC News Staff

October 20, 2008 in Beth Loyd | Permalink | User Comments (7)

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