In Indonesia, Drawing on the Obama Dividend

We'll get back to the all-important topic of sate soon enough, but for now we just have three words: Thank you Obama.

We've been on Java since last week, and as per usual nearly every Indonesian we've met has asked us where we're from. Over the last seven years or so saying we're American has rarely elicited the kind of overtly negative reaction that some Americans abroad have described (in fact, the only time that sort of thing happened was three years ago, in Italy). But the reception to our self-identification as Americans has certainly often been cool.

Wow. What a difference an election cycle makes. This past week, every Indonesian has responded to our being Americans with one word: 'Obama!'  And, sometimes, with three: 'Obama! Obama! Obama!'

'Your first black president,' an elderly villager said to me yesterday, nodding with approval. 'Isn't his father Muslim?' asked a teenager. Smiles all around.

It feels great.

Hey, we're not proclaiming for or against. This isn't a political blog. But whatever your political leanings, there is no denying that being an American abroad is a whole lot more pleasant post-November 4 than it used to be.

Call it the Obama Dividend.

Does this really matter to the bigger picture? Will the good vibes that much of the world is sending in America's direction evaporate overnight?

Who knows? We're just going to enjoy it while it lasts.

Comments

[Kristine]

I am an old Indonesia dweller and it makes me smile to read this, I can just picture people's enthusiasm. I miss Indonesians.

Oh and congratulations on your new president!

[Karen]

Ditto in Thailand. Only cheers and smiles for Obama, everywhere we go.

[Elaine]

I haven't had it happen yet but it warms my heart to hear it. After eight years of being overseas under Bush...well. Any expat knows what that's like.

[Life 2.0]

We have many friends overseas and with the financial crisis in play, the election of Obama has been a beacon of hope for many of them.

[Mike]

As someone who lived overseas under Bush, I can see why we're treated so poorly. The media sought any and every opportunity to trash him. If he had received even 1/10 of the positive press that Clinton before him and Obama now got, I think our treatment as americans overseas would be better. Why should non americans treat us with any respect when our own press never treated our justly elected leader (yes I say that as Floridian who voted in 2000 and 2004 and as someone who has worked the polls several times.) with any. If you decry our treatment overseas, first decry the media that paved the path for that bad treatment with our president.

[Robyn]

Mike - Thanks for your comment (and I'm happy to provide a soapbox) but I'm sorry, that just doesn't make sense. I'm pretty sure that villagers on the Indonesian island of Sumatra (just an example of where I've had Bush-centric conversations over the last 8 yrs) have little to no exposure to the American press and it's 'poor treatment' of Bush, or positive treatment of Obama. I doubt that their reaction to the outgoing administration and its policies is much influenced by what the New York Times has to say.
(BTW - there's a pretty major paper called the Wall Street Journal. Heard of it? They even have a widely read Asian edition. And I don't think even Rush Limbaugh would accuse them of being down on Bush.)
Cheers.

[Lochos Vestu]

Is the price of being "popular" with foreigners worth the cost of electing one of the most inexperienced and unaccomplished presidential candidates in US history? Not to mention Obama's huge inflated ego, vanity, self-conceit and his exaggerated claims to greatness... seems he loves to surround himself with claims that he is the "heir" to MLK's, Lincoln's, JFK's, RFK's, Reagan's and even Bill Clinton's (which Obama and his supporters successfully demonized as a racist during the "democratic" primaries) legacies. Did I miss anything out?

Not a surprise, since Obama has not accomplished anything worthy in his life besides being elected (and Bush and Badawi got elected twice!) and his legislative achievements sounds good on paper but is lacking in substance, so he needs to surround himself with all this political mystique.

Wish Hillary could do the same, but then, she is a pioneer (whatever opinions good or bad you might have of her) as there has been no noteworthy national-level female US politician in the past. McCain could have surrounded himself with the mystique of "George Washington", but he doesn't need to, because he has his life deeds and his record to speak for him, an authenticity McCain has which Obama, the phony, has none.

Should be an interesting 4 years with the 2nd coming of Jimmy Carter.