International students who aren’t U.S. citizens can’t check off the name of a presidential candidate on Election Day. But that hasn’t stopped them from forming opinions about America’s future.The British Broadcasting Corporation polled about 22,000 adults in 22 countries and concluded 46 percent believe Sen. Barack Obama is capable of improving U.S. relations with the world, and 20 percent believe Sen. John McCain is capable of the same task.Regardless of preference, these results show non-U.S. citizens are placing hope in America to improve global conditions.Robert Hogan, political science associate professor, said the presidential election can affect international students’ perception of America and the way the world works.”The policies being advocated by the two candidates appear to diverge with regard to foreign policy, so I can [understand] why foreign students would care about this election,” Hogan said.William Rowe, geography and anthropology assistant professor who teaches an international studies class at the University, said regardless of which candidate wins, the election should ignite curiosity in international students to see how another country’s election process works and understand the issues at stake. He said the election can serve as a point of comparison with the students’ native country.”The United States is one of a handful of countries whose actions seriously impact extensive areas of the world,” Rowe said. “International students should look very closely at what the candidates are saying to gauge the impacts that their future policies will have on economic, social, cultural and environmental policies both here and abroad.”International students offered varied perspectives of the upcoming election, discussing issues ranging from the economy to personality traits of the candidates. Some students said this election is a decisive time in America’s history.”With America being one of the strongest nations in the world, we expect a president who not only thinks about his own people but also of the citizens of the world,” said Anirban Mandal, mechanical engineering doctoral student from India.The BBC poll revealed 49 percent of those polled prefer Obama as a presidential candidate. Only 12 percent prefer McCain.”Where can you get a person with such a background, such smartness, running for the president?” Asim Shrestha, computer science doctorate student from Nepal, said of Obama.Juan Tanca, agricultural economics graduate student from Ecuador, said he questioned if electing a “liberal Democrat” with a perceived plan of socialism would be the best course of action for America.”If Sen. Barack Obama is elected, it would improve the international image of the United States in South America,” he said “But this includes the good graces of socialists such as Hugo Chavez, Rafael Correa, Evo Morales and even the Castro brothers.”Shrestha said some of Obama’s policies resemble those of socialist countries, but he doesn’t think Obama plans to take America in that direction.”Universal health care and education provided by the government are not turning you into a socialist republic, and Obama is not going to be a socialist dictator,” Shrestha said.Tanca maintained that McCain would be a better choice in the field of international politics.”I believe Sen. McCain can make tough, international decisions,” he said. “McCain will not be bullied by tyrants such as Chavez and Castro.”The age gap between Obama and McCain is another issue international students are taking into consideration.”America is going to get back,” Shrestha said. “It just needs a quick little shake and that shake is better provided by a young, energetic guy than an old man.”McCain’s inability to use a computer proficiently is a revealing sign to his inability to relate to a younger generation, said Ahmed AlTammar, petroleum engineering junior from Saudi Arabia.”Selecting a president of the U.S. will affect the whole world,” he said. “If the president can’t type on the computer in 2008, that president doesn’t know anything about us.”Kadisha Onalbayeva, piano performance doctorate student from Kazakhstan, described the campaign process as “shocking” because of its lengthy duration and the amount of money the candidates spend.”I’m very excited,” Shrestha said. “I feel very lucky to be in this country at this time when the American people are going to write a new line in their history.”—-Contact Margy Looney at [email protected]