World Reaction to the Midterm Elections: Important or Irrelevant?

On my daily tour through the cable news networks, I came across a story on CNN's Cross Fire discuss international reaction to Democratic victories in the midterm elections. European newspaper like the Guardian in England called the Democratic assumption of control over the House and Senate a reality check to President Bush. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez went a bit further saying that the Democratic victories across the United States were a protest vote against Bush's reckless policies. As well, newspapers in Syria called the new congressional majority a repudiation of American foreign policy. While CNN did not go into much analysis of these new stories or what they mean for America's reputation across the globe, something more than looking at the headlines is needed to determine why this is important.

After all, anyone who recalls the 2004 presidential election remembers John Kerry's courting of foreign support for this presidential campaign. Kerry said that world leaders would be thrilled with Democratic victory because it would mean an end to the Iraq war and a retooling of the war on terrorism. As Kerry has proven in recent weeks, he can often be rhetorical in his speeches and careless with the small details that Republicans love to pick apart. Republicans attacked Kerry at various points for kowtowing to European sensibilities and promoting appeasement of Middle Eastern terrorists. The Republican talking points about international opinion about American elections varied from disinterest, for European and other nations not harboring terrorists, to utter disdain for those nations that may have an interest in the peace loving, appeasing Democrats.

Of course, this last statement is ridiculous and any reasonable person who could parse this out would realize that the Republicans were lobbing public relations bombs in desperation. However, while Democrats are great at creating plans of action and have been responsible for massive change over the last century, they are horrible at using the media. John Kerry didn't respond to Republican attacks with the obvious defense that he indeed did not support terrorism or European flights of fancy. The Democratic campaigns across the country could not recover from Republican attacks.

This last bit of recent historical analysis is bittersweet indeed. If I could go back in time to advise John Kerry to defend the Republican attacks on their skimpy merits, the Democratic victory in 2006 would not have been as necessary as it is today. However, Democrats would not have been able to win in 2006 if Kerry had adequately defended himself in 2004 and had to deal with the worst of the violence in Iraq and threats from Iran and North Korea. While Kerry would have been a more cerebral president than Bush, the Republican Congress would have acted against any grand plans at reforming the war effort.

I digress from my original discussion of the CNN news story only to give you some grounding on this issue of international news and American elections. While Republicans and some Americans many not believe that international opinion is important as regards our elections, I would wholeheartedly disagree. People need to look outside of their backyards and communities and realize that what America says AND does are important to geopolitical security. Americans take for granted the foreign policy put forward by people in Washington, D.C., but people throughout the world are affected greatly by this policy. In nations where the divide between state media and grassroots uprising is stark, American foreign policy success or failure can mean the difference between life and death.

If Americans want to be the vanguard of democracy and freedom like we have promised to Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq, we need to have a strong democracy at home. In this way, it is important what other nations think about how our electoral process works. Bush has frayed relations with the United Nations, most of our European allies, and many other key political friends that are disappointed in America's aimless bravado. If we see an improved Congress under Democratic control and a better execution of the war on terror by a humbled president, our relations will begin to heal with vital trade and diplomatic partners. The only way most Americans will know of this improvement is in the international press. If the United States want to remain a super power, they need to consider the opinions of other nations in an increasingly globalized world.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6128474.stm

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/us-politics/us-midterms-analysis.html