US Election: What if Canada could vote?
TORONTO, Canada — As part of GlobalPost's project to interview 100 people in 20 locations around the world about the 2012 US election, we asked Canadians:
Who do you want to win the 2012 US election?
Will the election affect your country?
How has your view of the US changed since President Obama took office?
What should the next US president do?
- Country: Canada
- Name: Gav Patel
- Occupation: Animator
- Age: 30
- I would vote for: Obama
The election's impact: "It’s hard to say. Our politics are different and depending on who is in power on our side that really affects our relations with the States and how their policies will affect us."
My view: "I don’t know if it has [changed] significantly. Based on the recession we just had, I feel like they’re in a position where it’s hard for them to make significant improvements and making changes is more of a long-term thing."
Top priority: "Put more money into things like health care and education instead of war. Apparently the budget for that is ridiculous and it would be nicer if they helped to improve the country rather than foreign affairs."
- Country: Canada
- Name: Ross Whiteford
- Occupation: Business analyst
- Age: 30
- I would vote for: Obama
The election's impact: "I don’t see anything changing too much if Obama wins. If Romney wins, I think that would be quite interesting. I think the Conservative government of Canada is probably ideologically quite similar to what Romney’s ideals are."
My view: "I think it’s Improved, certainly after the Bush years. I think Obama’s definitely a more positive politician to have."
Top Priority: "Take more steps to unite the House of Representatives and Congress. Get some stuff done rather than get held back all the time by failing to get stuff past the vote."
- Country: Canada
- Name: Zamir Merali
- Occupation: Medical student
- Age: 21
- I would vote for: Obama
The election's impact "We interact a lot with America so I would image it would affect us economically but also I just think the political atmosphere in America influences us in Canada in ways that we don’t even know."
My view: "When Barack Obama won I was 16 so I wasn’t really thinking about it back then. I just remember thinking that it was great that there was a black president."
Top priority: "If Barack Obama wins he should continue to work on his health care plans and obviously work on the economy."
- Country: Canada
- Name: Pamela Ferguson
- Occupation: Writer
- Age: 40
- I would vote for: Obama
The election's impact: "If the Republicans get in, that would create an interesting dynamic I think because we’re so linked economically and geographically to the US. But whatever happens, we’ll always be keen and interested just because of the volume of money and people and businesses involved."
My view: "It Improved greatly when [Obama] won …. I think maybe it hasn’t turned out as well as a lot of people had hoped. By trying make peace or bridge the gap between the two sides, it ended up being that nothing got accomplished, or it feels that way anyway. Also I feel for the guy. There’s a big mess to tackle."
Top priority: "I think health care is a pretty big issue, but certainly the economy. If the US could pull out of some of their overseas skirmishes or commitments on the defense front that might free up valuable tax dollars."
- Country: Canada
- Name: Sheila Wolfe
- Occupation: Business officer
- Age: 56
- I would vote for: Obama
The election's impact: "I wish it didn’t. I don’t suppose it will any more than it ever has. I think there’s been a bit of an overflow in terms of the attitude of people in the States affecting the way people feel here. I certainly think that our prime minister leans far more towards American style Republicanism."
My view: "My opinion has changed negatively but not because of Obama. I just think because the current there is moving far towards the right and certainly they’re becoming far more vocally conservative down there and I think it does affect the way [Obama] approaches the setting of policy."
Top priority: "Getting out of the Middle East."
GlobalPost series: See what the world thinks about election 2012