President Barack Obama’s win is celebrated by a little more than 50 per cent of the Americans and, in a recent opinion poll, about 80 per cent of the countries in the world. This nation that is strongly split by two parties with a neck-and-neck race will now have a Democrat president and Senate, but a Republican House of Representatives will remain in a power struggle over the next term as well. However, President Obama’s win is seen outside the US as a sign of hope, a major setback to the extremist right and inside the country, as a statement that people want to stick together in tough times and keep moving forward.
On my return home from the celebrations, I saw people sitting in groups watching the results over their smart phones and young people singing songs of Obama on metro trains.
As we know that the federal system, established in 1789 for the US, does not acknowledge the national popular vote to decide the presidential position, but it is the ‘electoral college’ vote that stamps the fate of a candidate. Predictions for each state play a big role in designing the election campaigns. The position of many states is usually clear through the opinion polls or a clear dominant support for one party or the other. For example, states such as California (electoral votes 55), Massachusetts (11) and New York (29) are clearly ‘Democrat states’, while Texas (38), Alabama (nine) and Mississippi (six) would be considered sure shot ‘Republican states’. In this context, a few states, which are unpredictable due to their voting history, or the close competition among the candidates, are the ones to get the most attention and heavy investments from the presidential campaigns. These ‘swing states’ included Ohio (18), Florida (29), Virginia (13) Colorado (nine), New Hampshire (four) and Nevada (six). Florida, with 29 electoral college votes, was considered to be one of the most crucial to win. I would like to remind you all that in the elections of year 2000, George W Bush won Florida by 573 votes over Al Gore out of a total of six million votes. Winning that state gave him the election. Similarly, this time, Ohio got attention as it was repeatedly called a critical “bell weather”, an indicator of voting trends. It was also said repeatedly that no Republican has ever won the presidency without winning Ohio. President Obama won both Florida and Ohio in 2008 and again today.
I was intrigued by all the other questions on the ballots. Each state ballot included a different set of questions put for voting. There were amendments to states’ Constitutional clauses, permissions from citizens to allow the states or local governments to take on loans for public infrastructure and other legislative questions closely linked to social issues. For example, four state legislatures had passed laws allowing gay marriages, but their implementation was dependent on the endorsement of citizens on the ballot. Out of the four states, the citizens of Maryland, Maine and Washington have approved it but Minnesota is still being counted. Washington and Colorado ballots contained citizen-led initiatives to legalise the sale and use of marijuana. Both measures passed, setting the stage for a constitutional challenge by the federal government.
Regardless of the nature of questions, for me, as a tourist of democracy, it was amazing to see the ballots posing so many policy questions for citizen approval. Some of them were put on the ballot by the states and some by the citizens themselves. Any petition that is signed by a certain number of citizens (varies from state to state) has to go on the ballot, and if won, has to become a policy or a law. Every state has different rules for voting.
Seeing a peaceful transition of a democratically-elected government was also heartening. I certainly hope that our democracy in Pakistan also sees a peaceful and fair transition into another five-year term.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 8th, 2012.
COMMENTS (35)
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@gp65
@Cynical: Since you obviously are unhappy when I respond to your comments – I shall stop doing that.
Please do not. It’s true that I sensed a bit of 'showing off' in your post, but was not really upset or anything like that. You have quite emphatically proved that I am guilty of over reacting. I admit it and offer sincere apology. Actually I value your posts and look forward to as well. Please feel free to respond whenever you wish so. Thanks for the time and trouble you took, and sorry for the discomfort I caused.
@Cynical: Actually everything you say resonated and was well understood. I did not disagree with a word you were saying but I wanted to add to what you said. Is that so bad? You have your more taciturn style and I am not like that.
Since you obviously are unhappy when I respond to your comments - I shall stop doing that. I personally would prefer to have dialog (even from people who disagree with me) - as long as it is civil, so I assumed that others also might like that. It is clear you don't and I will respect that.
@gp65
'Across your eastern border, we do not share your amazement.'
You are at it again! Something is boiling inside you, you need to give it an expression; so far so good, but then you also need a sounding board. And you pick on someone who mostly talks in monologue, unless pressed against the wall. As often is the case, you don't look at the comment in its entirety (the message) , but pick particular 'words' or a part of a sentence, a phrase and so on. To your credit you haven't yet picked a 'comma', 'semi-colon' or a 'full stop'. Here you rightly picked the word 'amazing', but stuffs like 'minority community'; 'Mr. Jinnah'; 'serious introspection' didn't resonate with you. You simply didn't get the drift. Now I know where I failed. I failed to celebrate (as opposed to be amazed at) the superior achievement of my eastern neighbours in matters of minority issues in my post.I My post was about my own situation, directed to my people. It was not an exercise in one upmanship, in reminding someone that 'we are worse or better than some others'. I try to leave hints in my posts; for people to ponder and choose, but certainly not to tell them 'what is right', and much less to flaunt, that 'I am right', or 'don't forget that you are behind so and so, in such and such areas'; 'cause everyone knows his situation, even those who pretend otherwise.
@Cynical: "What is most amazing is that someone from minority community wins a back to back Presidency." Across your eastern border, we do not share your amazement. Here a 'minority' is already leading us country for a second term. Except that unlike US where there was a great jubilation that a minority was finally elected, no-one was surprised when MMS assumed power (in 2004 - 4 years before Barack got his first term) because we simply think of him as an Indian not a minority. If today many Indians are disappointed with him, that too is due to his performance not his faith.
What is most amazing is that someone from minority community wins a back to back Presidency. And they achieved it without a Mr. Jinnah. It’s unthinkable in the Muslim world. Time for serious introspection.
unless the writer plans to join voice of america - this is a total waste has no critical value either for americans and most certainly neither for pakistanis. the writer might as well have watched the fox news and be entertained by karl rove tantrum in full glory - she would have learned a thing or two on how to fund a campaign through citizens united than promote it as an analyst.this is like having your cake while throwing a pie in the face of democracy - what pakistan can learn from the us poll.
Close to 90% of black vote went to Obama and just over 72% of latino vote. In terms of white votes, romney was a clear winner - close to 65%. So what this election shows is that u.s. is increasingly becoming a brownish nation. take that.
@Raja: You are makingthe case t hat there would have beenno Hindutyranny in India had it not been partitioned based on the numbers of Muslims in undivided India. But the fact is that there is no Hindu tyranny even today. Forget Muslims with 15% of population even SIkh, and Parsis with much smaller populations are well represented in all walks of life.
On the other hand some of the people who used to call themselves Muslims in 1947 e.g. Ahmadis and more recently Shias are tyrannized in a country that was supposedly made for Muslims.
I don't think Pakistanis will ever understand the U.S. political system. I don't think even the author quite grasps it. Pakistanis - and most Muslims in general - seem to be seeking unity. The United States, by contrast, recognizes the greater utility of division. Unity levels differences and suppresses dissent and change. Division promotes ideas and the realignment of politics to accommodate changing circumstances and accumulated experience. As General William T. Sherman put it over a century ago, "our people have divided, and will continue to divide, it may be, with advantage to the whole." Obama won a narrow election. There are no instant demonstrations by hundreds of Romney supporters to dispute the election results, no attempt to purge the judiciary by the newly-re-elected president, etc. None of that. The rights of the minority ensure that they will one day get a chance to reach majority themselves. Have a nice day!
@Raja:
You remind me of what a Muslim said a long time ago. In 1947, it was not India that was partitioned; it were the Muslims of the sub-continent that got divided into three equal parts. One third in India, one third in Bangladesh and the rest in Pakistan.
It was a good read.
I am not one of the bleeding hearts saying partition should never have happened or that the two countries should federate. It is a waste of time to even talk about it. Neither do i hate Pakistan and I wish them well.
But I have wondered if the Muslim League understood in the 1940s how democracy & elections work. Just as in the US, a 2% difference in popular votes still meant close to a 100 seats difference in the electoral college (and effectively only 7 states of the 50 determining the president) because of how it is structured, a simple 'first past the rope' multi party system as in India could actually mean an elected government with more people voting against the ruling party than for it. Just once in the past 65 years has the ruling party(ies) got >50% of the popular vote.
Of the 550 odd Lok Sabha seats, about 35% of the seats cannot have a person muslims do not want, though their population share is only about 12% (the primary reason that BJP can never win on their own). If migration had not happened, this 35% can be safely assumed to be about 40% of seats in the 'Hindu majority' areas. That would be about 220 seats out of the current 550. Taking the same seats/ population ratio, the existing areas in Pakistan and Bangaladesh would have accounted for about 165 seats taking the total to (550+165=) 715 seats. Again, it can safely be assumed that all of these165 seats would have gone in favour of the muslims. Muslims would thus have 'their candidates' (though not necessarily muslim) in 220 + 165 = 385 of seats of the total 715 - 54% of the seats in united India. Where would have been the 'tyranny of hindus' ?
@gp65:
Thanks Madam, for noticing my comment, which was only about our capacity to learn. Acceptance of our past mistakes/failures is the first step, but we invariably fail to take it. Consider the recent statements by our so-called leaders; everyone is talking about our past mistakes but no one will accept, specify or talk about his/her own. If we cannot learn form our own mistakes, how can we from others'? Wish we had fewer holy cows, and some ability to introspect.
What shook me is our failure to unite against our tormentors, even after the Malala incident.
Democracy is more than just voting and elections, it's the attitude or tolerance and ability to agree to disagree, it is about accountability, it is institutional balance and harmony, it is about check and balances and above all it is about defining a true national narrative of tolerance, accoutability, integrity, respect, responsibility and balance. Pakistan needs to start with the basic first I.e continued process of evolution towards a sustained democracy and that can be achieved only by keen peoples participation based issues without biases and bigotry.
You are comparing Pakistan with the United States of America, how funny is? How does Pakistani politician act during election campaign, dont you know that?
@Mirza: The most imp part of US democracy is that the loser of elections comes out and makes a concessional speech (before the winner comes out) and congratulates the winner and offers his/her full cooperation. They bow down to the will of the people which is the final authority without any profane logic by any institution. They do not make excuses and the elections are over till the next time and move on. While in Pakistan nobody ever admits that he has lost the elections fair and square and their tussle and hatred against the winner continues for generations.
@wonderer: Sir you are usually quite optimistic - why so despondent now?
Good observations Ma'm. But there are some more fundamental things about US democracy that can be implemented in Pakistan: 1) Hold elections at a fixed period (no conspiracy theories about when election will be held) 2) No military intervention or influence in elections and military subordinate to executive 3) Once free and fair elections are held and results declared, everyone accept the result and move on 4) No interim government - imagine how difficult it would have ben to effectively cope with Hurricane Sandy if there was no effective government in charge 5) Local self government should be also present 6) Roles and responsibility of executive, judiciary, legislature well defined and no one tried to overreach by any branch of parliament 7) Elections should be transparent, free and fair through an empowered CEC and no room forviolence to be used to influence vote 8) Issue based politics instead of personality based politics 9) While government policies can and should be criticized by opposition as appropriate, ad hominem attacks on individuals should not be made
Where points 8-9 are concerned, India also has a distance to cover.
The one major point Indians or Pakistanis should learn is, "buckup,. get to the booth and vote". Vote you must. If this is done, the rest of the learnings about democracy is easy.
Pakistan and learn ! and that too from USA! Don't Pakistanis hate the US the most?
why should we learn from their election,we sell our votes on braderi,sect,language and other bases,our mostly politicians are exploiters and looters,first they invest in election and they earn.Most important thing is that their priority is not education to masses and resort to small/short term show off project where their name is projected,that is all.Schools/colleges are not their priority.
The question is not if there is anything we could learn from the US Poll. In fact, there is much we can learn from anyone or anything outside of the land of the pure. Do we have the capacity to learn? The real question is whether we can learn anything at all.
So many revolutionary advancements are being made in Malaysia, Indonesia, Turkey, and the Arab world, but some people have to waste their time 'learning' from Americans who are busy killing Muslims and who cannot share the Divine Guidance with us. That is how disconnected Pakistani liberals are from Pakistan.
Pakistan and the US are so far apart in everything, they might as well be in parallel universe. There is nothing for Pakistan to learn or can learn from the US poll. Even a remote suggestion to that effect is an insult to the US way of governance.
@Sultan: This is a perfectly unoffensive OpEd but you had to come and be rude to the author. IT must be for people like you that Talleyrand said "Talleyrand, "they had learned nothing and forgotten nothing"".. Grow up.
@MS: Why Pakistani leader always , why not Pakitsani people . All the leaders are Same. It is common person make difference. Why every America return don't see secular part of America , why don't they compare religious and culture and other freedom. Why they alway omit out these important differences
I think Florida is still undecided -- as of now, 424 PM US eastern time, November 7.
My daughter woke me up at mignight to say Obama had won. I fell back into a blissful sleep.
But the fact that Mitt-the-Twit garnered 49% of the popular vote troubles me.
Interesting. Did not know they had other questions on the ballot. Very efficient.
The title "What Pakistan ca ...." The answer is zilch for theism Maple reason Pakistani leaders never learn. They can only sermonise the rest of the world. Can anybody cite any examples where Pakistani leaders have any constructive suggestions?
Two parties almost equally matched - diametrically opposed on many issues - one loses/one wins. No violence, no conspiracy theories - and the military doesn't participate.
All this article does is shows how the author was bamboozled by the city lights in the US--you should get out more often!
Pure waste of bits and bytes.
A very good analysis. But to to say that we should learn from US elections is just wishful thinking. US has this system for the last couple of centuries and has steadily improved the methods. WE should try to follow India's example which also got independence in 1947. It is not a story of perfection there, but it is working. If we have change of governments when people decide, we can say we are on the right path.