It finally happend. I was following the US elections, blogging and writing about it from afar, Ethiopia to be exact. well, I am in the US now, and there is nowhere as exciting as being here at this particular time.
I had a habit of spending at least 4 hours a day flipping through the websites of newspapers and blogs to get the latest information. Obama has made this election a world wide phenomenon - like soccer world cup. In bars and cafes in Addis Ababa, Obama is elevated to being the main topic of most of the conversations. I have never seen so many people in my country following a democratic convention. Mark you, mine is a country where living is a genuine struggle; poverty is rampant; ill-governance is habitual. People have to work until their palms turn to crust just to make ends meet. It is in this country that the Democratic Party is getting attention. Take that John McCain! THE WORLD IS DEMOCRAT NOW.
I am now here to cover the presidential election for a newspaper in Addis Ababa. Two days after my arrival, I went to Ethiopians for Obama Meeting. I am impressed with the enthusiasm of Ethiopian Americans for Obama. In Virginia alone, there are 10 thousand Americans of Ethiopian Origin who are eligible to vote. Who knows what my country men could do in that toss up state?