Obama or McCain?

Before I left, I was talking with my sister-in-law, Cori, and we were wondering if many Europeans were closely following the upcoming elections. Within the first day I flew into London the answer to our question was quite apparent.

People-watching is my forte. Wherever I go boredom never entices me, as I am usually enjoying the oddities, behaviors, and differences in those around me. I try to make this a subtle endeavor because it is a rare person who accepts staring with open arms.

As I rode down the tube in London after I landed in Heathrow, I did my usual glance around to see if there was anything particularly amusing to witness. Surprisingly, the thing that stood out the most was the handful of people reading articles about the political happenings of the U.S. This immediately intrigued me. First of all, I needed to report back to Cori. Secondly, how important are the elections to the rest of the world?

After being here for two weeks, I have begun to realize the extent to which people are interested in American politics. Not only are Obama and McCain on almost every newspaper, but I can't even begin to tell you how many people have asked me "Obama or McCain?"

When I was meeting several of Gennie's school friends for the first time, the Obama or McCain question was one of the first things that I was asked. Another friend quickly hit the curious asker and with a proper British accent told her that in America "it was quite rude to ask such a personal question."

Regardless of anyone's feelings on the November elections, I am very surprised on how adamantly everyone who has spoken to me about American politics feels about the candidates. Without a doubt, Obama is the fan favorite.