So with the hour time difference from Hong Kong, I was always early. I had been switching on CNN and watched as hurricane Ivan be all bustle and no bruising through New Orleans. When the danger subsided, my mornings were filled watching the Republican Convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The buzz was on Sarah Palin and all speeches and commentary were leading up to her. Just before she debuted, Bernardi called my room and told me he wanted to watch it too so he would be late to breakfast.
I stood in my hotel room in the Aston Hotel and watched as a woman was made a queen to the Republican masses. She was powerful and full of fight. And the camera often panned over to her pregnant 17-year old daughter and her boyfriend that was holding her hand to gauge their reactions. It also showed Cindy McCain holding Sarah’s baby who was diagnosed with Down’s Syndrome.
When I finally met with Bernardi later for breakfast, he seemed entertained by the speech.
“They have spent nearly a billion dollars on this election, no?” Bernardi asked me.
I nodded. “Yes you are right.”
He bit into his turkey ham which I was amazed that there was any food that held the name ham anything during Ramadan which had started only four days earlier. “You would think that money could be better spent on poverty, the starving, and maybe world peace.”
“Yeah,” I admitted sadly. But then I thought for a second, “Why do you watch it? Watch the debates? Watch the conventions? I mean what does the United States elections mean to you. I mean I am talking to all my friends – and my friends in Thailand are watching them, in South Africa, and everyone here in Indonesia is watching them. Why?”
He became serious. “I guess hope. The United States inspires us. It shows us what government and democracy is supposed to be. Or at least what its supposed to be from a media entertainment perspective. You will see all your friends and the people everywhere that are watching this are enthralled but will probably not vote in their own local elections. Because local politicians are so corrupt. See what’s happening in Thailand.”
“You know I wonder if my friends in the United States really realize how many people are watching this. How many people around the world care. I mean I was walking through the poor areas of Bandung and the televisions in the stores and restaurants were all turned to it.”
“We care because what the United States does – impacts all of us. A war on terrorism causes suffering on the whole world. And accusing all Muslims of being extremists – is like saying all Christians kill for oil and money.”
“You aren’t Muslim?”
“No, I am Christian. But I went to a Muslim school when I was a kid. We are all friends here. We are taught to respect.” He took a long sip of his coffee. “Yeah the whole world is not after destroying America. Those who are trying to attack it are because they are jealous or frustrated. You need America to inspire again. The more you talk about war, war, war – you just fill up the bank accounts of the terrorists who are bent on destroying what its image of inspiration.”
I thought about it and changed the subject. “What an election – a woman and a black man.”
“A queen and the great, great grandson of a slave.”
“Actually I have to correct you, not a slave, but Obama’s biological father from Kenya sold their own people as slaves. And she is a former mayor and a short time Alaskan governor.”
“Then today’s convention was the queen maker.”
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