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By Katrina C. Guevarra, Special to the Manila
Times
A Barack Obama presidency could mean increased
foreign aid, more rights for immigrants and a commitment to finally
compensate Filipino veterans who fought alongside Americans in World
War II.
These are some of the reasons why it would be
good for the Philippines to have Obama in the White House in
November, said Georgia McCauley, chairman of the Democrats
Abroad-Philippines.
McCauley is from a Hawaii and a family friend of
the Democratic presidential candidate. But she is not supporting
Obama because of friendship alone. She said she is pro-choice and
has been a Democrat for about 30 years.
She told The Manila Times that Obama’s deep
understanding of cultural diversity could be traced back to his
childhood.
Obama’s late mother, Ann Soetoro, was an
international development specialist who worked in Asia and even
took the young Barack to live with her in Indonesia.
Georgia McCauley’s husband, David, is also
campaigning for Obama and is vice chairman of the Democrats
Abroad-Philippines.
David McCauley told The Times that Obama’s
mother often visited the Philippines while working in Jakarta.
“[So] when he [Obama] was young, he grew up partly in Jakarta, and
that is not much different [from growing up] in Manila or any other
Philippine city. He knows very well how it is like to live in
Southeast Asia and what are the issues [that] are important for a
Filipino.”
“That’s a totally different opportunity to
have a US president who knows how it is like to live in Southeast
Asia,” said David McCauley, who works for the Asian Development
Bank.
That experience of living in Southeast Asia
alone gives Obama a unique perspective of Asia, one that can surely
be appreciated by Filipinos, he added.
The Republicans have been criticizing Obama for
his lack of experience, particularly in foreign affairs.
But the McCauleys believe otherwise. They gave
The Times a campaign brochure that explains that Obama plans to
strengthen economic security for Americans abroad, to be responsive
to the concerns of American living abroad, to ensure that diplomatic
posts streamline the citizenship claim process for American children
born abroad and to support full funding for Americans abroad that
make it easier for them to vote.
On call centers
Before Obama made statements about keeping jobs
in the United States, there was talk in Manila about the possibility
that he may be against practices and transfer American jobs abroad.
Georgia McCauley said she has not heard about
talks in the Obama camp about pulling out call centers here and
bringing them back to the US. “What I am sure of is [that] nothing
of that nature is under discussion. So those rumors are not
legitimate.”
In fact, David McCauley said Obama is sensitive
about helping other people.
Unlike the Republicans, whom the Democrats blame
for a costly and unjust war in Iraq, Georgia McCauley said the Obama
administration would be friendlier.
Globally, one thing that will affect Asians are
the trade-policy decisions Obama will be making. “His trade policy
will be adjusted for more inclusion and for fairness,” she said.
Georgia McCauley explained that Obama is
committed to achieve world peace and is not prone to confrontation.
She said that the candidate believes in talking with other
countries, especially on things that affect them.
She said that Obama, if elected, vows to make it
easier for immigrants to the US to get legal status. There are about
37 million illegal aliens there, mostly Hispanics, according to one
source.
And one group that Obama will not forget, David
McCauley said, are the Filipino veterans who have been lobbying for
compensation for 60 years.
He added that Obama supports legislative
initiatives to deliver the promises made by the US government to the
veterans. They fought—and died—alongside American forces against
invading Japanese forces in the World War II.
Life in Manila
The McCauleys have been in the Philippines for
four years now. And for two years now, they have been campaigning
for Obama.
Georgia McCauley, a consultant on children and
women’s issues, said, “I think Hilary Clinton is wonderful, but
I’d still go for Barack Obama.”
Their group, Democrats Abroad, has created a
website to help American expatriates keep track of the November
elections. The site, www.votefromabroad.com, has generated a lot of
interest.
The Democrats Abroad has existed for 25 years.
It is recognized like a “state” party by the Democratic National
Committee and is represented there by eight voting members.
There is also the quadrennial Democratic
National Convention, she said. “We elected delegates to the
convention, we participate. Republicans do not have that option.”
There are more than 350 members in the
Philippines and 5,000 members in the Asia-Pacific.
In the Philippines, David McCauley said Obama
supporters are growing at a rate of two to three persons a day.
The groundswell has allowed the group to stage
political rallies in Manila, including a motorcade at Quezon Bridge
on August 24 and a party at Fort Bonifacio to watch Obama’s
acceptance speech.
But Georgia McCauley was in Denver for the
convention, during which she attended the Asian-American Pacific
Islander meeting.
“We talked about the issue of
under-representation of Asian Pacific Islanders in politics, and how
Barack Obama understood the issues of Asia-Pacific,” she said.
“Some time of his childhood was [spent] in
Indonesia, as well as having grown up in Hawaii where three-fourths
of the population were from the Asia Pacific. It was very natural
for him to identify and have the sense of understanding of the
issues that affect Americans outside the border.”
Georgia MCCauley added, “For me that was the
most exciting part—bringing the world a little closer together by
not just restricting the discussions on the issues on the US.”
Editor’s note: Katrina C. Guevarra is a
student of The Manila Times College.
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