Palestine’s View of the 2008 US Presidential Election

Abstract

Palestinian perception of the 2008 US presidential elections was characterized by a mixture of indifference and cautious optimism. The American obsession with the elections was only marginally echoed among Palestinians, and almost exclusively within the political elite, intellectuals, and circles within the youth and American-educated professionals. For these groups, there was a clear, though sometimes hesitant, support for the candidacy of Barack Obama. In the presidential race, John McCain was perceived to be more in line with the Bush policies and the pro-Israel lobby, while Obama, despite some of his controversial positions, was seen as a more decent and hopeful figure. His new approach, sensitive attitude toward Arabs and Muslims, and serious effort to deal with the question of Israel-Palestine as a top priority won him praise and admiration among many Palestinians. Moreover, his humble background, African origins, Muslim father, global upbringing, young age, Internet appeal, and charismatic persona, which endeared him to many global audiences, also contributed to his favorable image among Palestinians. And so for those who followed his campaign, Obama became the elections; and with other candidates out of the picture, he became the subject of criticism, debate, speculation, admiration, and adoration, whether in street conversations, newspaper articles, stories in the blogosphere, or messages and postings in the social networks.