Obama gets china's youth vote

[ray243]

Adrienne Mong, NBC News Producer BEIJING – Judging by the reactions to the life-size cardboard cutouts of Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama, the latter was the clear favorite in a hotel conference roomin Beijing early Wednesday morning.
Crowds of young Chinese waited impatiently to pose with the cardboard Obama for their cameras. One female student stealthily turned away the McCain cutout so she and her friends could huddle more comfortably beside the president-elect.
Adrienne Mong / NBC NewsMany Chinese seemed to relish the opportunity to "cast" a vote.
It was all part of a dual-pronged effort by the American Embassy in Beijing to educate Chinese on the U.S. electoral process and to celebrate the election results for what some call the most historic presidential race in decades.
The U.S. Embassy, with assistance from the American Chamber of Commerce and the American Center for Educational Exchange, set up mock voting booths and handed out pamphlets explaining the process.
First ‘vote’ for many Chinese
Crowds of young Chinese read the mock ballots, diligently filled them out, and then stood before cameras in front of the ballot box. It was the first time any of them had cast a vote – real or imaginary.
"It’s exciting," said She Rui, a 24-year-old graduate student in international relations at People’s University. The election, he said, "is very important, because it gives the people a chance to express their needs [and] to choose their leaders."
He and some of his fellow students said they were happy Obama won. "He is young and can give fresh blood to American society," said 21-year-old Xing Yu Jie,
In fact, the room was overwhelmingly pro-Obama. At one stage, embassy officials tallied the mock vote, which showed 21 percent of those casting ballots had chosen McCain while 75 percent had elected Obama.
VIDEO: China reacts to Obama victory We looked for the few McCain holdouts.
"That’s American choice," said Li Fan, president of the World and China Institute, who said he was a Republican Party supporter. "Americans selecting Obama means American people want to have change so change won." But Li said he didn’t think change would come.
In fact, many older Chinese expressed skepticism about the prospects for real change. "There’s not much difference between the two candidates," an old family friend told me. "They may say they will do this or change that, but when they are in office, it won’t be possible to do any of the things they promised during the campaign."
Skeptical about change in Beijing-Washington relations
One area that definitely won’t change, say most Chinese we spoke to Wednesday morning, is relations between Washington and Beijing. Said Xing, Obama "can’t change [Sino-American relations] very much, because I think China is also a new world power."
Adrienne Mong / NBC NewsChinese try to make sense of a mock US ballot
However, Professor Yan Xuetong of Tsinghua University said that does not mean officials and policymakers in China won’t be paying close attention now that Obama is set to take over in January.
"Obama’s victory is very important to the China-U.S. relationship," said Yan. "Obama could possibly adopt protectionist policies that will make China’s exports to the U.S. difficult… But on the other hand Obama will emphasize multilateralism and will look for cooperation with China in the financial field [and] look for joint efforts to save America’s economy and the world economy."
Either way, most Chinese attending the embassy reception seemed more interested in soaking up the festive atmosphere than speculating about the future relationship between China and the U.S.
I turned to my Chinese colleague, Gu Bo, and asked, "Would you vote if you could?"
"Yeah, I would vote," she said without hesitation. "And I hope one day I can vote in China. If I’m still alive."

You know what, Repulicans? Despite saying years after years that you are going to spread the idea of democracy, Obama managed to spread the idea and the likeability of democracy even before he was elected and inaugurated.

So to people who still think that we should ensure China should never be given a chance to develop into a first world nation, you are wrong.

Give China the chance and hope that in the future, we can see China becoming a democratic nation. Let the hopes of the young generation run high, and don't disappoint them by screwing their nation up.

[Mithie]

Sounds like a good time for Bush to invade China before Obama subverts them with this "democracy" business.

[danzig]

Hmm I fail to see anything in this article that goes beyond "oh isnt that interesting" type of response. And Id say China "screwing" up its young generation is lightyears more of an issue then anything an american government does. Last time the youth tried they had tanks in the streets.

Sounds like a good time for Bush to invade China before Obama subverts them with this "democracy" business.

Or time for an absurd post that attempts to be funny, clever, witty or I dont know what!

[Mikelus Trento]

Somehow I think Obama will not squador all the political cred his election has earned America, unlike GWB post 9/11.

What suprises me about this is that China would allow a democracy in action type experience in their own country.

[Mithie]

And Id say China "screwing" up its young generation

Sorry - I forgot. Unprecedented higher education graduates, unprecedented entrepeneurship, unprecedented emigration - that's pretty screwed up alright. So screwed up, western corporations are fighting each other to outscource tech jobs to this generation. Honestly, what are you smoking?

Last time the youth tried they had tanks in the streets.

You mean the last time the youth tried that the Politburo sacked half its members?

If I recall correctly - the last time the youth tried that in the States, they got shot. Kent State anyone?

But let's not open up that can of worms.

Or time for an absurd post that attempts to be funny, clever, witty or I dont know what!

It's all three in one!

What suprises me about this is that China would allow a democracy in action type experience in their own country.

You'd be surprised at what China would allow - unless you've actually been to China, then the surprise would wash away into incredulation at "wait a minute... this isn't Soviet Russia...".

[danzig]

Sorry - I forgot. Unprecedented higher education graduates, unprecedented entrepeneurship, unprecedented emigration - that's pretty screwed up alright. So screwed up, western corporations are fighting each other to outscource tech jobs to this generation. Honestly, what are you smoking?

Um talking about political power, choice and democratic reform, you know all the stuff still very much under tight control of chinese goverment. So who stands in the way of democratic reform in china more...China itself or the US so pay attention otherwise might question what YOU are smoking.

If I recall correctly - the last time the youth tried that in the States, they got shot. Kent State anyone?

Actually last time they tried was this past Tuesday and they played a huge part in the President Elect being who he is.

[ray243]

Um talking about political power, choice and democratic reform, you know all the stuff still very much under tight control of chinese goverment. So who stands in the way of democratic reform in china more...China itself or the US so pay attention otherwise might question what YOU are smoking.



Actually last time they tried was this past Tuesday and they played a huge part in the President Elect being who he is.

Look, what you are looking for in China is a radical and sudden change to democracy, as compared to waiting for the next generation to come into power.

Look at the chinese members here, and their ideas on democracy. Instead of opposing this idea of democracy immediately, why don't you give China a few more years to learn and let their younger generation take part in politics and run their nation?


Look at the development of the democracy in South Korea and Taiwan for example. Democracy did not come to their states overnight, instead it is a long process.


What you are hoping for, is something that is dramatic, the same thing most americans or westerners want to see. The same thing that the media wants to see. However, dramatic things can bring about harm to society as well...look at the collaspe of USSR for example. In the 90s, jobs are unsecure, people are living in a very hard and tough era.

Do you think that transformation of Russia overnight in the early 90s resolve every single problem that Russia has?


However, Drama can harm the society as a whole, hence I am willingly to wait for a few years, and hope that one day, china can be democratic.



Look at the US for example, people who lived through the civil rights movement, never thought that in their lifetime, they can see the United states electing someone from a minority group.

[Mithie]

Um talking about political power, choice and democratic reform, you know all the stuff still very much under tight control of chinese goverment. So who stands in the way of democratic reform in china more...China itself or the US so pay attention otherwise might question what YOU are smoking.

And that has anything to do with this thread because... ?

If the Chinese youth wants to vote, they can leave the country. Emigration is very loose in China. There is no subversion; no impressed patriotism. Youths unhappy with the government have three very easy choices - live with it, try to change it, or leave.

It's your misunderstanding of some sort of tight control the government has over the youths that I'm trying to debate here. This is 2008. I think people should be at least a little bit more educated about the way foreign nations work.

Actually last time they tried was this past Tuesday and they played a huge part in the President Elect being who he is.

And the Tianmen Square demonstration made the Chinese government adopt captalism. I fail to see how that's a less significant effect. The fact of the matter is - no government can afford to ignore its future generation. History can attest to that. It's not unique to China, it's not unique to America, but a very fundamental principle of governance.