Nov 13

2008 Japanese Ex-pat Election Survey (from JETAA NY Fall 2008 Newsletter)

Anecdote Article, Japan Trends, Uncategorized Comments Off on 2008 Japanese Ex-pat Election Survey (from JETAA NY Fall 2008 Newsletter)

Who says Japanese people don’t voice their political opinions? Read on to see what some of our ex-pat friends think about the U.S. presidential candidates.

Voter Turnout LiftUp Bra

The process: An e-mail was sent out to JET alums to ask their Japanese friends and colleagues to tell them for whom they would vote in the upcoming U.S. election and for what reason. Here are their responses:

MCCAIN
Good for Japan’s economy and good for US’s Business.

RON PAUL
I vote neither Obama nor McCain. I think I would vote for Ron Paul. From my understanding, he has specific plans and interesting background (Is he used to be a republic but now a third party?).

OBAMA
I still want Hillary to be the next president but it is not happening, so I would vote for

Obama. The reasons is that I am strong anti-gun and pro-abortion (freedom of choice). So, I don’t vote for McCain who chose Palin for vice-president. It is simply by an elimination. If there is an independent candidate, I may re-consider my vote.

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Well, in Clinton (Democrat) days, the U.S. immigration law was more flexible and more open to foreign residents like me. (Now, many of international students have to leave this country due to the severe visa cap restriction…!) I just simply expect that “Open America,” which provided what-is-called “American Dream” to motivated international students and immigrants, if the Democrat has taken back dominance.

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Given that I am not that familiar with both candidates’ policies at this time, i could say that I lean towards to Obama over McCain for some reasons as following:

1) Because of my beliefs, which are pro-politico-religious-separation, pro-gun-control, less-military-spending, universal-health-care-system, I tend to agree with the Democrats’ policies.

2) I do not like the idea of McCain bringing Palin into the scene just because she is a young white female in order to match up with Obama’s youth and the fact that Clinton almost won the primary.

3) After eight years of Bush Republican administration in the White House, something needs to be flipped upside-down to make things better in the economy, U.S.-UN-relations, U.S.-Russia-relations, U.S.-Mideastern-relations.

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If I could vote for in the upcoming election in America, I would vote for Obama for three reasons. 1) He insisted that if elected, he would put an end to the Iraq war. I’ve met some people who fought in the Iraq war as soldiers, who told me about the horrible experiences they had over there. President Bush has been sending soldiers to Iraq to take revenge for 9/11, but if we continue fighting, nothing good will come out of it. Therefore, I agree with Obama’s idea. 2) I feel that he can bring a special leadership as president. He is also much younger than McCain, so he can make proposals smoothly with his own passion and aggressiveness. 3) He is from a mixed background, so he would think about what is needed for everyone in this society, including me as a Japanese visitor. America is a huge country based on many kinds of societies, so Obama’s victory could be important for dealing with all kinds of people.

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I’m for Obama, because I hate McCain! Bush cheated twice to become president, and we’re at the point where America’s two-party system says vote or don’t. I like some of the things McCain had to say, for example the Mexican border policy, but now he’s just become an ass-kisser. Before he was a progressive Republican, but now he’s an evangelical Christian. That’s why he picked Palin. I don’t think he will carry out his promises. I think it’s time America has a black president. Even third world countries have woman presidents. Obama is more like regular people and not from the rich class. He’s also from the North, and might gradually unite people together, even though his ideas about things like universal healthcare seem impractical. If McCain is elected, I’d be forced to move back to Japan since he’ll make this country bankrupt!

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Obama, because he’s progressive, reasonable and communicative. I don’t have the right to vote in this country, but let me tell you that it is very surprising to hear the policies and the plans of the Republican party. Hey people, we are living in the modern society in the 21st century, and what kind of people are they chanting “drill, baby, drill!” I think most of foreigners would agree with me. Having a Catholic husband from the Midwest, driving Smart Car in New York City, having Zip Car membership and “mottainai” mentality embedded in my gene, I can’t follow the Republicans. This is a great country but there are certain things I can’t get along with or I don’t think cool in the American culture, and they all come from the whole Republican ideas. Madame Palin is a good pick for the oil-oriented cowboy business people who try to achieve into the administration for larger market control, but if they keep getting millions of dollars of our tax money for unexisting bridge project, Alaska would be the perfect state to pick to make more excuses and justification to raise fortunes from the Department of Treasure. More people in this country should see how “crazy” and “strange” this country is in terms of the life style and material consumption. I was yelled at the other day on the subway that Chinese are the most evil to sell cheap junks to the U.S. forcing the U.S. to borrow more money from China… Hey, you are the one piling up all the cheap junks in your unnecessarily huge garage and never dig up anything, and keep buying for your satisfaction. Before blaming China, dig your junk and sell them on eBay and make your OWN money. Or, like most people in the rest of the world do, get a decent product and use it forever. Fix it when it breaks instead of buying a new one.

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Interesting question! If I can, I woud vote to Obama. In Clinton (Democrat) days, the US immigration law was more flexible and more open to foreign residents like me. (Now, many of international students have to leave this country due to the severe visa cap ristriction…!) I just simply expect that “Open America,” which provided what-is-called “American Dream” to motivated international students and immigrants, if the Democrat has taken back dominance.

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Obama. Young. Prefer Democratic party than Republican.

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Thanks to everyone who contributed their opinions in the land of the free and the home of the brave. And thanks to the JET alums who helped gather some of this data by interviewing their friends and colleauges.