Obama victory good for RP, say Democrats

Tuesday, September 09 2008

Obama victory good for RP, say Democrats

By Katrina C. Guevarra, Special to the Manila Times A Barack Obama presidency could mean increased foreign aid, more rights for immigrants and a commitment to finally compensate Filipino veterans who fought alongside Americans in World War II. These are some of the reasons why it would be good for the Philippines to have Obama in the White House in November, said Georgia McCauley, chairman of the Democrats Abroad-Philippines. McCauley is from a Hawaii and a family friend of the ­Democratic presidential candidate. But she is not supporting Obama because of friendship alone. She said she is pro-choice and has been a Democrat for about 30 years. She told The Manila Times that Obama’s deep understanding of cultural diversity could be traced back to his childhood. Obama’s late mother, Ann Soetoro, was an international development specialist who worked in Asia and even took the young Barack to live with her in Indonesia. Georgia McCauley’s husband, David, is also campaigning for Obama and is vice chairman of the Democrats Abroad-Philippines. David McCauley told The Times that Obama’s mother often visited the Philippines while working in Jakarta. “[So] when he [Obama] was young, he grew up partly in Jakarta, and that is not much different [from growing up] in Manila or any other Philippine city. He knows very well how it is like to live in Southeast Asia and what are the issues [that] are important for a Filipino.” “That’s a totally different opportunity to have a US president who knows how it is like to live in Southeast Asia,” said David McCauley, who works for the Asian Development Bank. That experience of living in Southeast Asia alone gives Obama a unique perspective of Asia, one that can surely be appreciated by Filipinos, he added. The Republicans have been criticizing Obama for his lack of experience, particularly in foreign affairs. But the McCauleys believe otherwise. They gave The Times a campaign brochure that explains that Obama plans to strengthen economic security for Americans abroad, to be responsive to the concerns of American living abroad, to ensure that diplomatic posts streamline the citizenship claim process for American children born abroad and to support full funding for Americans abroad that make it easier for them to vote. On call centers Before Obama made statements about keeping jobs in the United States, there was talk in Manila about the possibility that he may be against practices and transfer American jobs abroad. Georgia McCauley said she has not heard about talks in the Obama camp about pulling out call centers here and bringing them back to the US. “What I am sure of is [that] nothing of that nature is under discussion. So those rumors are not legitimate.” In fact, David McCauley said Obama is sensitive about helping other people. Unlike the Republicans, whom the Democrats blame for a costly and unjust war in Iraq, Georgia McCauley said the Obama administration would be friendlier. Globally, one thing that will affect Asians are the trade-policy decisions Obama will be making. “His trade policy will be adjusted for more inclusion and for fairness,” she said. Georgia McCauley explained that Obama is committed to achieve world peace and is not prone to confrontation. She said that the candidate believes in talking with other countries, especially on things that affect them. She said that Obama, if elected, vows to make it easier for immigrants to the US to get legal status. There are about 37 million illegal aliens there, mostly Hispanics, according to one source. And one group that Obama will not forget, David McCauley said, are the Filipino veterans who have been lobbying for compensation for 60 years. He added that Obama supports legislative initiatives to deliver the promises made by the US government to the veterans. They fought—and died—alongside American forces against invading Japanese forces in the World War II. Life in Manila The McCauleys have been in the Philippines for four years now. And for two years now, they have been campaigning for Obama. Georgia McCauley, a consultant on children and women’s issues, said, “I think Hilary Clinton is wonderful, but I’d still go for Barack Obama.” Their group, Democrats Abroad, has created a website to help American expatriates keep track of the November elections. The site, www.votefromabroad.com, has generated a lot of interest. The Democrats Abroad has existed for 25 years. It is recognized like a “state” party by the Democratic National Committee and is represented there by eight voting members. There is also the quadrennial Democratic National Convention, she said. “We elected delegates to the convention, we participate. Republicans do not have that option.” There are more than 350 members in the Philippines and 5,000 members in the Asia-Pacific. In the Philippines, David McCauley said Obama supporters are growing at a rate of two to three persons a day. The groundswell has allowed the group to stage political rallies in Manila, including a motorcade at Quezon Bridge on August 24 and a party at Fort Bonifacio to watch Obama’s acceptance speech. But Georgia McCauley was in Denver for the convention, during which she attended the Asian-American Pacific Islander meeting. “We talked about the issue of under-representation of Asian Pacific Islanders in politics, and how Barack Obama understood the issues of Asia-Pacific,” she said. “Some time of his childhood was [spent] in Indonesia, as well as having grown up in Hawaii where three-fourths of the population were from the Asia Pacific. It was very natural for him to identify and have the sense of understanding of the issues that affect Americans outside the border.” Georgia MCCauley added, “For me that was the most exciting part—bringing the world a little closer together by not just restricting the discussions on the issues on the US.” Editor’s note: Katrina C. Guevarra is a student of The Manila Times College. http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/sep/09/yehey/top_stories/20080909top6.html