In: Uncategorized
5 Nov 2008I was sort of interested in to the whole US election thing, mostly because I wanted to see the black man win.
And winning he did – I just saw the breaking news on the telly this afternoon, he won 338 electoral votes over McCain’s 155, which, according to WikiNews, was enough to clinch the presidency of the United States.
What interested me more was the fact that the majority of Indonesian people – 67% of them, according to Kompas.com, and even Indonesia’s Vice President Mr. Jusuf Kalla was voting and expecting Obama to win.
“As we expected and hoped, Senator Barack Obama won the election. Therefore we congratulate him. This phenomena teaches us all that ethnicity, race and other labels are not important. What matters is our capability,” Kalla said, as quoted by Antara news agency and reported from Jakarta Post Online.
Knowing that the majority of Indonesians, although they didn’t get to vote, still chose to support Obama showed good signs – Obama, from my personal opinion, is a charismatic person who knows how to touch people’s hearts. He talks of what matters and what is important and he doesn’t get sucked in to the whole name-calling game that McCain and Palin had done during their election campaign. He has a great vision to unite the American people, no matter what race they come from and bring change to the country, as well as hope for a better nation.
If the majority of Indonesian people could recognize those attributes that have been displayed by Obama, then it must mean that we, as Indonesians, are smart enough to choose our leaders, despite their races or the places they come from.
So why is it not happening in Indonesia? Why do Indonesians are able to see clearly the great hope for the change in America, and not our own country?
How ironic was it when Mr. Kalla said ‘ethnicity, race and other labels are not important. What matters is our capability’ while at the same time he was just talking straight out of his own ass, because in reality, Indonesia still take those aspects seriously. Being an Indonesian president in Indonesia is all about ethnicity, race, and other labels – those are what considered to be important.
So if the American people can vote for the minority and trust their country in the hands of one, then why can’t Indonesian people do the same?
Therrysays.com is a personal blog where I share my thoughts, opinions and rants about life in Indonesia and beyond. If this all sounds good to you, enjoy your stay, but if it isn't your cuppa tea, then kindly leave and let me be! Cheers.
18 Responses to Barack Obama Wins!
mia
November 5th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
Yay Obama!
I saw a progam on Metro TV last night where they interviewed a reporter from ABC who was doing a piece about Obama’s childhood in Jakarta. One caller from Padang asked her,” what is Obama’s intention of helping Indonesia if he became President?”
The reporter said, “well you’re gonna have to ask him yourself.”
How embarassing was that? I don’t know why this woman felt she was entitled to receive anything from Obama. What’s with this beggar mentality?
the writer
November 6th, 2008 at 1:34 am
We all have high hopes on Obama and his new US policy that hopefully could improve the world condition and financial crisis, after all we cannot deny that US is the axis of the universe and has a huge influence in a lot of things.
Yay for Obama
the writer’s last blog post..Back to civilisation
rima fauzi
November 6th, 2008 at 1:36 am
Yeah, I liked Hillary better but Obama is ok too, I guess.
And Americans have really reached a new height for trusting their fates to a capable man, looking past skin color. Which is about time. Hopefully in 4 or 8 years they will trust a human being, regardless of gender.
Indonesia? No comment.
Jennie S. Bev
November 6th, 2008 at 5:10 am
I’d love to see an Indonesian of minority ethnicity becomes a president someday. One who has been tested by his or her character, not by the color of his or her skin and the hue of his or her religion or the shade of his or her social-economic-political class.
Indonesia is still a long way to go but we should start right now. Or we’ll be left behind.
After all, the world doesn’t revolve around Indonesia. Indonesia revolves around the world.
It is time to inspire and to be inspired. Therry for President? I’ll vote for you. A minority’s time to show her ability in making meaningful changes.
GJ
November 6th, 2008 at 6:25 am
Just remember the US has been doing this a hell of a lot longer than Indonesia, and they just managed to get round to it now. I think you have a long wait ahead. Be hopeful though, that’s how things start.
GJ’s last blog post..I Think it is Options Time.
silly
November 6th, 2008 at 8:24 am
ahhh, kemarin saya ama nadia sampe kek org gila waktu obama menang, kayak bokap kita aja yang menang, hahaha.
I think I’m gonna move to America now, hahaha… bokap gue yang jadi presiden soalnya…
Misi ahhhh…
*ditendang*… (tapi ke amerika, gak ke Dubai lagi, buat dijadiin TKW, hahahahahahhahahaha)
ecky
November 6th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
I was wondering whether we can have the same passion for upcoming PEMILU next year?
If we can make a change then let’s do it!
ecky’s last blog post..Yes, We can
atri
November 6th, 2008 at 7:37 pm
Yeah, the excitement shown by people around the world as Obama was elected was just.. whoa..!
Indonesians.. in general arent ready for to accept change. I mean there’s a cry for it certainly, and there’s a lot of people who don’t care about the ethnicity and/or race and/or religion of a candidate for presidency.. BUT.. there’s a lot more of those who are still pig-headed about seeing people as equals.
Its a pain in the butt, but its something that really needs to be dealt with. Informing and educating the masses has to happen before the word ‘change’ can even be uttered. So I’m not sure when >i>that will happen! *sigh* Shame isn’t it..?
atri’s last blog post..Adventures in Jakarta
Busby
November 6th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
President-elect Obama’s win is an indication that a lot of people in US don’t mind of color anymore as their leader. What they really care is how the president can bring change to their country. I salute them and I hope that other 3rd world countries will follow the same political will they are showing.
Eru Sky
November 7th, 2008 at 8:18 am
Talking about USA election,
I was following it online using My Yahoo Dashboard and of course I support Obama, that’s because I hope he can bring changes to this world. You know the adage that goes “lead USA lead the world”
He’s anti pattern
http://www.patrickmoberg.com/november-4-2008.jpg
And to hear McCain speech after loosing the battle, he use a lot of word on “supporting” Obama while in this country usually the looser will pay sum of people to wreak the havoc
And I wonder why I don’t get such enthusiasm on our president election
Yes we can! *halah*
admin
November 7th, 2008 at 10:29 am
Therry,
Minta ijin untuk menrbitkan kembali tulisan ini di http://www.apakabar.ws (www.superkoran.info)
terima kasih sebelumnya
Indah Sitepu
November 7th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
I hope someday Batakness could be a president in this country
just a dream…..
M
November 7th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
Obama is outstanding. but he was also lucky. the economic fall help to raise his popularity too, i think.
Ary
November 8th, 2008 at 1:18 am
I dunno about you guys, but I love my country. Sure the government’s corrupt and incompetent (full of opportunists and religious nutters) and the people are poor and, to some extent, stupid. But that’s the way all nations/governments are. No government is innocent, although some are guiltier than others.
I look at the faces of my compatriots, the poor peasants who live upon mountains of urban rubbish, earn from it, eat from it, locked in endless, fruitless toil. And the farmers, striving to grow (in an increasingly barren soil) commodities which are not food for themselves but luxuries for the rich, and only if they have grown enough of these, have they some hope of buying something to eat.
With respect to the owner of this blog, but do they really sound like beggars to you?
Obama? Don’t expect fundamental changes to occur. Presidents have come and go but the US foreign policy have always been consistent throughout history. Aggressive, immoral, bully, warmongering, preferential treatments toward a certain middle-eastern country… etc. The only President who ever had the ballz to inspire true change in the US foreign policy was JFK, and look where it got him?
Change? Don’t kid yourself, there will be no change.
Urgent is our need to pray for guidance of God lest we persist in error, for His forbearance lest we persist in arrogance, for His help in finding a sure way to end the domination of those who do not know compassion except as a fine-sounding word.
Tajid Yakub
November 8th, 2008 at 8:54 am
I can see Hope (not so great though) for changes in Indonesia, I guess THIS kind of changes will require time, hopefully we don’t have to wait for another 38 Indonesian President ^_^ ..
cn
November 9th, 2008 at 2:55 am
i don’t think Indo is there yet. We’re still waaayyyyyyyy behind from any country. Just when I think Indo can’t suck more, the Government legalizes the porn bill. Sure…ignore the poor, homeless, traffics, crime rate, education and all….what’s more important than forbidding women wearing tank tops?
Ian
November 12th, 2008 at 8:54 am
Woiii blog baru…udah lama ga ngeblog nig gw….
Kmrn waktu election, baru jam 7 or 8 malem gitu udah kliatan sp yg menang, ga seru hahaha…
Btw, sp tuh yg pake nama therrysuck? Dia g tau kl lo cewek? Atau gw yg g tau kl lo udah ganti…? Hehe…
Ian’s last blog post..Fenomena: Kapitalisme di Indonesia
admin
November 15th, 2008 at 8:40 am
Therry
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