Timothy Wilken, MD writes: I practice in an Urgent Care Clinic on the central coast of California. In the summer, our clinic is popular with the many foreign tourists visiting our community. And so I get to see patients from all over the world, and visit with them. 

This summer they are all very interested in our Presidential election.  They fear Bush. They don’t know what he will do. How his actions might endanger their lives. Will he bomb Iran? Will he send troops into Georgia? They have the similar fears about McCain. They remember McCain’s statement that the Iraq war might last a 100 years. They remember when he sang “‘Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran,’ to the tune of the Beach Boys’ song Barbara Ann.

They are concerned about our economy as well as their own economies. They seem to know that in a global culture, there is only one economy. Their Euros may go farther this summer, but all too soon hard times will be coming to the rest of the world even China.

They would like to see us elect a President that will work with the rest of the world to solve the problems facing all of us.

For this reason they strongly support Obama. They believe he will co-Operate with the rest of the world. They often ask me who will win the election in November?

Of course I don’t know, but I tell them I would NOT be too surprised if McCain and Palin win. Politics in America is very strange. We don’t seem to select the best qualified candidates, but rather choose the one we feel most comfortable with. This is probably a good approach for inviting guests over for a dinner party, but may not be the best way to select a president in 2008.

Yesterday, the BBC published a world poll by GlobalScan that showed Obama was strongly preferred over McCain by the rest of the world. Why?

I think it is because Obama seems more thoughtful and cautious in actions and words. He seem willing to work with his fellow humans in other lands to solve our global problems without anger and violence. Isn’t that a good thing? (09/10/08)
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