The world as it could have been. How many of us spoke with individuals that would have left the U.S. with either a McCain or Clinton Presidency? After all is said and done, the global economy and communities may have seen a seismic shift if history was different if President Elect Obama had not succeeded.
Early in March 2008, during the heated primary season between Obama and Clinton, I sat on the same side as my Republican parents, in which we did agree on something, we wanted Obama to defeat Hillary Clinton. Their anger and rhetoric was clear and concise. In short order, if Clinton had won the nomination and went on to win the Presidential election, my parents, who are in their mid-70's were leaving the U.S.. Many destinations were thrown onto the coffee table...Costa Rica, Portugal, Spain, New Zealand and others, but they were serious. They weren't alone I found out in a few discussions around my mainly Republican town.
Chapter two...the bags remained unpacked as Obama went on to seize the nomination and an army of future expat Republicans breathed a sigh of relief that their "way of life" had been saved by an unlikely hero of the Democratic party.
"What is it that you just said?" murmured my father in late September as we sat on a Sunday afternoon. I said "If McCain wins, I'm moving to Spain or Italy". I wasn't being flippant or sarcastic, I was serious, and I was not alone.
As I volunteered for the Obama campaign within our region, the sheer terror of a McCain presidency was palpable among Dems. As with the Republican fear of a new Clinton administration, a continuous stream of conversations centered around this future expat topic. Where would we go, what would we do, where would we be safe, what would happen to our country? Just a week ago,after Nov. 4, friends of mine had mentioned that a couple that they know had bought a home in Portugal, just in case McCain had won. Now, they are figuring out how to best utilize their newly purchased European refuge.
In retrospect, now with the global economy in a serious hiccup to put it mildly, what, if at all, would have been the impact if Obama hadn't won the presidency? In reality, was it just heated rhetoric during an election? Or, would there have been a flood of expats taking residence in various corners of the globe with either scenario, President McCain or President Clinton? Think of how the economies would have been impacted, say in Costa Rica or Portugal. I am no economic wizard, but I cannot help but ponder how this would have played out, not just with the U.S. economy, but also the world's.