• 
• 

Published on January 6, 2008

It is interesting to note just how polarised the outcome was of the Iowa caucus. The Democrats opted for the youthful Barack Obama, while conservative and evangelical Republicans picked Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. Whoever succeeds in winning November's presidential election will of course have a major impact on the US and the rest of the world. For outsiders watching the presidential campaign, the excitement that comes with Obama's triumph in Iowa cannot be concealed. Deep in the minds of many is a desire to see a different America - one that would develop different foreign policies to deal with the international community. It is about time for the world's superpower, which stands for righteousness and democracy, to have a young leader who pushes for change. The extraordinary turnout of voters who chose Obama in Iowa is very encouraging.

It must be tough for New York Senator Hillary Clinton to have suffered such a humiliating defeat, placing a distant third after John Edwards. The Democrats in Iowa must have perceived her as a dour individual, so much so that even her husband's popularity couldn't help her. Hillary has been campaigning hard longer than any other candidate, and saying the right things. She said she can win and is capable of beating whoever wins the Republican nomination. Unfortunately, young American voters, at least the ones in Iowa, want something different.

Clinton certainly has leadership abilities and experience in dealing with the complex foreign policy issues that the next president of the US will be forced to confront. But the problem is that she does not represent the change for which the American people are longing.

The two-term presidency of George W Bush has been long enough for many American people. They want radical change, not ordinary changes. Under the Bush administration, America's place in the world has spun and turned upside down.

The US government wished for the right things but somehow the outcome was the opposite.

Examples of how the intentions of the US didn't pan out as the country's leaders had hoped are abundant. The current effort in Iraq is a case in point. Although the overall situation there has improved, the country is still in a shaky state. Another example is Pakistan's current political turmoil. Look at the mess that the US has been caught up in following the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. Of course, these days the news from Iraq hasn't been dominating the evening news as much because of the presidential campaign.

Nobody knows whether Obama's momentum after his victory in Iowa will continue on to other states in the weeks and months to come. Certainly, it has boosted his chances of becoming the first Afro-American president. It has raised hopes that the American people and their attitudes have changed. Are they ready for a black leader?

It his hard to say at the moment. Apparently, it is still too early to tell. Those young Americans who voted for Obama did so because they wanted change. Indeed, they want to see a different America.

After 9/11 and the subsequent War on Terror, Americans travelling overseas have been looked down upon and feel unsafe because they carry American passports. The American people want a sense of security when they leave their country.

At the other side of the spectrum, there is Huckabee. His victory was assured from the very same people who voted for Bush. They are conservative and evangelistic. These voters want to see a strong America and nothing else. Of course, they want a government that will take care of their health. It was Huckabee's populist appeal that won him the race in Iowa. But if he wins the Republican race and eventually beats the Democratic Party candidate, a good question to ask would be whether the US would remain the same? The answer is probably no because conservatives are very powerful in US politics and also in its foreign policies, not only toward the Middle East, but the rest of the world as well.