The Arab Mood and the American Election

It’s five weeks until America’s presidential election will be held, and the most important part is that we — Arabs, the elites and the masses alike — don’t seem interested; we don’t care who is better for us, Barack Obama or Mitt Romney. This is a contrast to our general mood four years ago with Obama (perhaps with enthusiasm) and his opponent, John McCain. In our minds, too, we supported George W. Bush’s victory over Al Gore, for the simple reason that the latter chose a Jewish vice president. And when Bush’s second term began we felt he was the worst American president of all time. In these seasons, nominees’ positions, especially toward the Palestinian issue, determined our “inclinations” toward them, but now the matter that occupies us isn’t whether we prefer Romney or a second term for Obama. This isn’t due to our contentment with whatever Shahebbudin or his brother won’t save us from, but rather is part of the broad-based transformation the Arab world has gone through over the past two years. This transformation hasn’t captivated us with fortune-telling about whether Obama will be more moderate in his support of Israel or if in the future he’ll stick with his tried and true weak approach. Neither has it made us join the new evaluation of the right-wing infatuation with Romney.

It’s not too much to claim that the Arab street’s neglect of the Obama-Romney rivalry is a manifestation of the spirit which has revitalized the Arab body. Indeed, the parliamentary elections in Libya were worthier of the Arab public’s attention than a comparison of Republicans and Democrats in the White House. A month ago in Egypt we saw presidential elections where the results weren’t known in advance, which was the norm in elections and referenda there for the past 60 years, and millions of Arabs turned their attention to the their television screens in at a moment of intense and profound excitement, listening to an Egyptian judicial official as he announced the name of Egypt’s new president. The ballot boxes of any election in Jordan, Morocco, Egypt, Yemen and Tunis became more worthy of our attention to the ballot papers — in the street, Meknes or Misrata — than those ballot papers in Iowa or California or Pennsylvania where they unveil the occupant of the White House. It should be pointed out that we have no illusions that our Arab elections are now equal to the electoral practices in Britain or Belgium; we’re not fools to think that parliamentary or presidential election seasons in Arab countries in the midst of democratic transitions moves us to the level of Holland or Italy in terms of development of manufacturing, agriculture or services. However, a river’s water will be pure when it reaches its outlet, even if its path to the sea is long.

The economy, taxes, insurance and welfare are the issues facing the American voters in their choice between Romney and Obama, just as these same promises by the latter came with the president four years ago. However, questions from the Arabs, Palestinians and others, are remarkably absent in the bazaars and festivals and rallies supporting one of the two candidates or their parties. We’ve naturally turned our attention away from understanding which of the two we prefer, especially given how at their peaks they try to outdo each other in their love for Israel. We’re familiar with this traditional scene in the American season, as it repeats every four years. In short, the Arab elections have gained value, and because of them we don’t have to wait for Obama’s second term — this is a major accomplishment in the Arab universe and the active transitions there, for what’s in it, of it and for it.