SUPER TUESDAY IN SURABAYA

UNCLAS SURABAYA 000021 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/PD, R, ECA, IIP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGPV KISL KPAO ID SUBJECT: SUPER TUESDAY IN SURABAYA ¶1. (U) Summary: Congen Surabaya hosted a Super Tuesday Election event at the Consul General's residence for 35 invited guests from the media, local political parties, and academia. The Consulate's Pol/Econ Officer and Public Affairs Officer led a discussion of Blue State vs. Red State dynamics, focusing on their own home states of New York and Utah, in addition to giving a basic explanation of the Electoral College and the role of state primaries. Guests posed questions about U.S. political life and the mechanics of voting in the U.S. Invitees made their preference known in a mock primary election by voting for Barrack Obama, who spent four years of his childhood in Indonesia. End Summary. Red, Blue, and Purple -------------- ¶2. (U) Following an introduction by Consul General, Surabaya's Pol/Econ Officer gave an outline of U.S. presidential elections and the Electoral College. He introduced the 'Red State - Blue State' phenomenon from the 2000 and 2004 election results. By using a map with election results colored in shades of red, blue, or purple to indicate its support for Republican or Democratic candidates, guests could see that supporters of both parties live throughout the United States. The country is actually more 'purple' than the red/blue divide would indicate. Surabaya's Public Affairs Officer discussed the touchstone issues that are likely to determine whether a state is 'blue' or 'red.' His home state of Utah (which was red even on the predominately purple map) served as a useful model for explaining issues and demographics typical of red-state voters. Super Wednesday in Indonesia -------------- ¶3. (U) Election commissioners, Islamic social institution leaders, university and college faculty members, local and national media outlets, and representatives from six different political parties attended the event, which was actually held on Wednesday due to time zone differences. Senator Barrack Obama received 20 of 25 votes in a mock primary election. Guests agreed that Obama's higher name recognition resulted from his four years as a grade school student in Jakarta. Trailing Obama, John McCain led a group of five other candidates who also garnered some support. After the mock primary, focus shifted to the televisions as official results from western states were announced. Who's Going to Win? -------------- ¶4. (U) Intense interest in the campaign and the electoral process was clear during the question and answer session. Guests raised questions about the importance of a candidates' experience to voters, the voter registration process, and race relations, among others. One journalist wanted to understand Barrack Obama's ability to score victories in states without a large African American community -- like Iowa. Their questions demonstrated the depth to which these participants are following the American political process. ¶5. (U) Guests told Consulate Officers that they came away from the event with a greater understanding of the role of political parties, a better knowledge of issues Americans deem important, and a sense of how "open" our campaign process is despite its complexities. Media coverage of the event was extensive and universally positive. Most of the five papers that covered the event highlighted Obama's victory in the straw poll but also included the discussions and some of the questions and answers. We anticipate a continuing and growing interest in Indonesia about the U.S. elections and will continue to use this as an opportunity to encourage democratic reforms and political participation. MCCLELLAND