Comments on: Obama or McCain - Who is Better (Or Less Bad) for Brazil? http://voiceswithoutvotes.org/2008/10/31/obama-or-mccain-who-is-better-or-less-bad-for-brazil/ Americans vote. The world speaks. Fri, 13 Mar 2009 22:24:42 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Ana http://voiceswithoutvotes.org/2008/10/31/obama-or-mccain-who-is-better-or-less-bad-for-brazil/comment-page-1/#comment-1579 Ana Mon, 03 Nov 2008 19:14:24 +0000 http://voiceswithoutvotes.org/2008/10/31/obama-or-mccain-who-is-better-or-less-bad-for-brazil/#comment-1579 Paula, thanks for the mention. I'd like to say that as much as Obama and his speech fascinates me, I should be able to think rationally about US elections. Everybody hates republicans here in Brazil, but every unanimity is dumb. That's why I decided to question: everybody loves Obama, right. But do we have reasons to love him? Paula, thanks for the mention. I’d like to say that as much as Obama and his speech fascinates me, I should be able to think rationally about US elections. Everybody hates republicans here in Brazil, but every unanimity is dumb. That’s why I decided to question: everybody loves Obama, right. But do we have reasons to love him?

]]> By: Sarah Malachowsky http://voiceswithoutvotes.org/2008/10/31/obama-or-mccain-who-is-better-or-less-bad-for-brazil/comment-page-1/#comment-1553 Sarah Malachowsky Mon, 03 Nov 2008 02:21:59 +0000 http://voiceswithoutvotes.org/2008/10/31/obama-or-mccain-who-is-better-or-less-bad-for-brazil/#comment-1553 I wanted to write and thank you for all of your interesting posts. I spent a semester studying abroad in Brazil this spring and found it fascinating to talk to my Brazilian friends about the contentious primary race between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Now that I am home, it is nice to read your posts and stay in touch with the Brazilian perspective as the election nears. It is interesting that you open your post by saying that this is the first US election where Brazilians clearly see issues close to their heart at stake. Do you think this is due to an increasing interconnectedness arising from globalization, or perhaps the severity of problems we are facing in present-day? I indeed often heard my peers in Salvador say that the rest of the world should be able to vote for the American president because what he does so affects other nations, which I always found interesting. One thing that interests me is to compare is youth participation in the US and Brazil. In the United States, my generation has the lowest turn-out rates of any age group. In Brazil this problem seems to be solved by the compulsory voting system, but while there I found that many expressed resentment at being forced to vote. While compulsory voting should, in theory, increase minority participation in Brazilian politics, it seemed as though the system remains very elitist and white, not very different from politics in the US. From an outsider’s perspective looking in to the American system, how do you think we could get more young people involved? Would a compulsory voting system help the issue or simply mask youth apathy? One last comment I would like to make is on the popularity of Barack Obama in Brazil. In a past post, “Will the Elections End up In Another Bradley Effect,” you discuss the racial factor of Barack Obama. The US and Brazil both have a deep racial history, though this is caused by different historical factors that today manifest quite differently. It is interesting that so many Brazilians support Barack Obama (I also saw his face splashed across billboards all over Brazil), when there are so few Afro-Brazilian politicians in relation to their large percentage of the population. Do you think the popularity of Obama in Brazil relates to evolving racial ideals held by the rising generation? Many in the US contribute this to Obama’s popularity amongst the young generation; could it be that Brazilian and American youth are beginning to look more alike as globalization brings us closer together? I wanted to write and thank you for all of your interesting posts. I spent a semester studying abroad in Brazil this spring and found it fascinating to talk to my Brazilian friends about the contentious primary race between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Now that I am home, it is nice to read your posts and stay in touch with the Brazilian perspective as the election nears. It is interesting that you open your post by saying that this is the first US election where Brazilians clearly see issues close to their heart at stake. Do you think this is due to an increasing interconnectedness arising from globalization, or perhaps the severity of problems we are facing in present-day? I indeed often heard my peers in Salvador say that the rest of the world should be able to vote for the American president because what he does so affects other nations, which I always found interesting.

One thing that interests me is to compare is youth participation in the US and Brazil. In the United States, my generation has the lowest turn-out rates of any age group. In Brazil this problem seems to be solved by the compulsory voting system, but while there I found that many expressed resentment at being forced to vote. While compulsory voting should, in theory, increase minority participation in Brazilian politics, it seemed as though the system remains very elitist and white, not very different from politics in the US. From an outsider’s perspective looking in to the American system, how do you think we could get more young people involved? Would a compulsory voting system help the issue or simply mask youth apathy?

One last comment I would like to make is on the popularity of Barack Obama in Brazil. In a past post, “Will the Elections End up In Another Bradley Effect,” you discuss the racial factor of Barack Obama. The US and Brazil both have a deep racial history, though this is caused by different historical factors that today manifest quite differently. It is interesting that so many Brazilians support Barack Obama (I also saw his face splashed across billboards all over Brazil), when there are so few Afro-Brazilian politicians in relation to their large percentage of the population. Do you think the popularity of Obama in Brazil relates to evolving racial ideals held by the rising generation? Many in the US contribute this to Obama’s popularity amongst the young generation; could it be that Brazilian and American youth are beginning to look more alike as globalization brings us closer together?

]]> By: Fred http://voiceswithoutvotes.org/2008/10/31/obama-or-mccain-who-is-better-or-less-bad-for-brazil/comment-page-1/#comment-1541 Fred Sun, 02 Nov 2008 15:48:29 +0000 http://voiceswithoutvotes.org/2008/10/31/obama-or-mccain-who-is-better-or-less-bad-for-brazil/#comment-1541 Oi Paula Nice Blog ... I work for Tecelagem LADY Ltda, www.ladytex.com.br , here in North America. Nice to here Brasilian thoughts on the USA elections ... Hope McCain wins for all of us ! Tenha um dia belo ! Oi Paula
Nice Blog … I work for Tecelagem LADY Ltda, http://www.ladytex.com.br , here in North America.

Nice to here Brasilian thoughts on the USA elections … Hope McCain wins for all of us !

Tenha um dia belo !

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