Barack Hussein Obama Mania!
Nov 6th, 2008, in News, by Patung
Indonesia can’t get enough of the news that Barack Obama has won the US election.
Some of the reactions to Barack Hussein Obama’s election to the US presidency:
Screaming Children
250 students at Obama’s former school (SDN 01 Menteng) in Jakarta, shouted with glee:
Obama wins! McCain loses!
while watching television coverage of the results. Here they are:
11 year old sixth-grader Farhan Ashardi was filled with hope to one day be president of Indonesia:
If Obama can do it so can I
Warung Landslide
At a “warung election” in Makassar, South Sulawesi Obama won 41 out of 45 votes cast, with two votes for McCain, and two invalid. The “election” was staged by the Komunitas Warung Kopi Untuk Demokrasi. republika
Minorities
Vice president Jusuf Kalla said Obama’s win pointed the way to a minority person, perhaps such as a non-Javanese like himself, one day becoming president of Indonesia. antara
Youth
Maverick politician Yuddy Chrisnandi said a new wind would blow to Indonesia from America as a result of the Obamanator’s victory, with the message that young leaders were needed, perhaps even including himself. okezone
In the Backwoods
In the East Java governor’s election Obama was spotted:
Obama running for Governor of East Java.
World Peace
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) said he hoped Obama would help to bring about world peace. okezone
More Pliable
Din Syamsuddin of Muhammadiyah hoped America would now be much more friendly to the Islamic world. inilah
100 Comments on “Barack Hussein Obama Mania!”
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Andrew says:
I can understand why we share the joy, but I think most Indonesians expect way too much of him. He spent just 4 years in Jakarta, what’s the big deal.
Just because your uncle is rich doesn’t mean he’ll share his wealth with you. Get ready for a big disappointment.
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Welcome, Obama ! I hope your new charge will help the world. Let’s wait and see.
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Typical beggar mentality of Indonesians.
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ally says:
They were on the national news this morning!
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diego says:
More Pliable
Din Syamsuddin of Muhammadiyah hoped America would now be much more friendly to the Islamic world. [5]
Hum…, I failed to see a logical reasoning there. Just because Obama’s step-father was a born in a moslem family?
Okay…, what about “islam” becoming more friendly to america (and world in general)? Would or can you accept the challenge Din?
If you haven’t seen enough of the beggar (or gak tau diri) mentality of islamist politicians, read this: hidayat-harap-obama-ekstradisi-alex-manuputty-dari-as
Now you can laugh out loud.
Oh my effing gawd, don’t let (more of) this kind of politicians represent Indonesia…. please my effing gawd, please. I’m ashamed.
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Great link there Diego, bummed I missed that one…
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It is a great story!
However, Indonesia and Indonesians seem to be overplaying the link between Obama and Indonesia beyond a kid who spent a few years here and whose step-father was Indonesian. Nah, if his sister had become President with her Indonesian blood running through her veins then it would seem that Indonesia does have a president in the White House.
Din’s comments reflect a naivety and on over-simplification of the history of the man who is Barack Obama. Gotta say that I tend to agree with Diego that the “more friendly” thing is a two-way street.
Anyways, time will tell what sort of president Barack Hussein Obama will be!
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timdog says:
I’m sure this has been asked and answered before, probably right here on this site, but does anyone know if Obama can still speak Indonesian?
I was reading a piece last week where an old schoolfriend was talking about how he taught Obama lots of Indonesian swearwords…
What with Rudd and his Mandarin, how absolutely frickin awesome would it be if the president of the USA could give a speech in Indonesian (sweary, schoolyard Indonesian) whenever he finally makes it here! -
Aluang Anak Bayang says:
@ Andrew, therry, diego and Rob,
Don’t be jealous. Any successful, strong and charismastic person has Javanese connection. Though his stay in Indonesia was short, his biggest influence is his Javanese step-dad who being a Kejawen moslem (one who party hard, occasionally drink, and love pork dishes) must have equipped him with enough Javanese wisdom to lead the world.
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AAB…
You just really do not get it, do you?
There is absolutely nothing in my comment that hints at jealousy! My comment was about Indonesia overplaying the connection. That is hardly a comment on jealousy or about jealousy.
I wonder what you base the claim that the biggest influence in Barack Obama’s life was his Kejawen Moslem step-dad. By almost all accounts the biggest influences in his life in his formative years were his mother and his recently deceased grandmother, whom he affectionately called, Toot (which my understanding has Hawaiian meaning).
More recently his greatest influences have been from his wife.
Once again, AAB you are talking nonsense.
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Chill out, mate. The beginning of the end of white supremacy day is nigh. Come back to this later .. am going out.
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funny says:
Hey guys. My first post here. I just wanna say congrats to Obama. Been a supporter of him for quite sometime now. I sincerely hope that he could do a good job. One thing for sure, things gonna change and the world are watching. It also goes without saying that if you want change, then you gotta make it. Doing the same thing over and over again hoping for a different result is….. well, stupid.
Same goes for indonesia. Keep choosing the same group, same ideology, and you get….. the same results. Many people here are not happy with the way things are going (tho some do). Economy, education, diversity, etc has all been forgotten. Now it’s all about power, propaganda, and discord. Don’t worry AAB the fact that all president (if I remember correctly. If I’m wrong then I’ll apologize.) are javanese and indonesia is not going anywhere but down is not a common denominator. It’s just a huge coincidence……. or a big conspiracy theory.
So cheers 🙂 May obama brings change much needed in these times.
And one more for indonesia. Coz if things don’t change, I’m just gonna sit on a bench sipping my gin while watching this country drown in the sea of hate, mob-mentality, racism, non-tolerancy, idiocy, lawlessness, and all that good stuff.
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djoko says:
A good sign of just how hope starved some Indonesians are that that they’re getting so unrealistically hyped up about Obama. I certainly don’t know if its just Islamist politicians which have got a well-developed beggar mentality in this regard, keeping in mind as well that even in the Hidayat article he was actually talking about very broad nationalist things (extradite an RMS activist! Obama once ate singkong here!). Plenty of nationalists appear to be swelling up with all sorts of falsely placed national pride with the whole ‘boy from menteng’ thing.
Though to be perfectly honest its not just Indonesia, but the entire world outside of America which has set astronomically high (if not just ludicrous) expectations for what Obama will do in foreign policy. Once all is said and done, despite the influence America has in the world, Obama is still the president of the U.S., not of the world, and to the people of the U.S. he will be accountable to in four years time.
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Andy says:
I just love hearing Indonesians salivating at the thought of the coming Obama Presidency as though they believe he will fly over Indonesia in Air Force One dropping bundles of money on the fields.
Newsflash….Every President for as long as I can remember has given huge amounts of aid to you guys because as Homer Simpson once said to Lisa..Do we give them money cos they are one of them mm loser countries? Nothing will change guys. I just hope Obama keeps up the good fight against the terrorists and brings as many to justice as he can.
funny you are spot on..Until Indonesians elect a Papuan, Batak, Chinese etc to the Presidency they can never ever come on any forum like this and accuse bules of being racist. But they will as they are monumental hypocrites.
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Do not underestimate Obama’s Jakarta connection. It IS meaningful. And it will make “Indonesia matter” like it has not for a long, long time.
In the United States his election is of a hisotrical magnitude that has not been seen since Franklin Roosevelt and perhaps even Lincoln. IT IS THAT BIG OF A DEAL.
Yes, there is great hope. But right now all Obama has done is bring us to the base of the mountain, now we have to climb. Everyone knows this. But at least we know where the path starts to get to the top.
OK – now YOU INDONESIANS get yourselves a politician like him. Throw the old politics away and become the great nation I know you can be. You know what to do. DO IT!
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Patrick says:
Let’s hope that Barrack Obama can deliver on at least 1/2 of what he says! As a thought perhaps Indonesia should make the first goodwill gesture, early on his presidency, toward the USA instead of waiting around in the hope that Obama will initaiate the contact? Hopefully, our countries can reach good agreements with each other that benefit both nations.
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Cukurungan says:
funny you are spot on..Until Indonesians elect a Papuan, Batak, Chinese etc to the Presidency they can never ever come on any forum like this and accuse bules of being racist. But they will as they are monumental hypocrites.
Someday We will elect a Bule or Negro to the Presidency but of course with certain condition that is after we able to install Ustadz Abu Bakar Ba’asyir as Australia Prime Minister
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daniel k says:
Go Obama!!!
This is definately a momentous and proud moment for everyone who has ever been a minority.
Now, let’s see change!
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Ross says:
I am reminded of what my fave C and W star, Merle Haggard, said before this all blew in, something about ‘if the Sixties were the twilight of the West, we’re now heading into dead of night…’.
Already we have O welcomed by Latin America’s worst semi-retired tyrant, we have Pelosi on the resurrection of the so-called Fairness Doctrine to muzzle dissent on talk-radio, and the labour unions lining up to get free and secret workers’ ballots eliminated. A DEMOCRAT victory?
Four years might be endurable, but he is likely to appoint enough Supreme Court Justices to keep America going downhill for at least another twenty years.
As for the coalition’s sacrifices so far, they may well be for naught, if I’m not mistaken. What’s bad for America is, like it or not, and I don’t really, bad for the world. And how shallow are those who say, ‘wow, people will start to like us again… as if foreign affairs were a beauty contest. -
Cukurungan Says:
November 6th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
funny you are spot on..Until Indonesians elect a Papuan, Batak, Chinese etc to the Presidency they can never ever come on any forum like this and accuse bules of being racist. But they will as they are monumental hypocrites.Someday We will elect a Bule or Negro to the Presidency but of course with certain condition that is after we able to install Ustadz Abu Bakar Ba’asyir as Australia Prime Minister
No read again moron!! You elect a minority ie christian, buddhist, chinese , batak etc to your highest office as they are citizens of your country. Got that!! We can’t elect Abu Bakar Bashir even if he was Mother Teresa as he is not an Australian citizen Got that dickhead!! If you don’t elect a minority as did America you are more racist than the bule world period!!
PS cukurungan..post again after you get at least a 3rd grade education.
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Purba Negoro says:
Andy
Barrack Obama’s adopted father was Lolo Soetoro- a Javanese soldier whose father and elder borthoer were killed by the Dutch army burning doen their residential hosue.
Obama’s mother Ann Dunham was a Ford Foundation pioneer in Jakarta and studied weaving in Jogja.
Barack Obama wrote an autobiography called In Dreams of My Father- where he at length talks about his Javanese step-father.
His childhood friends at school were all Indigenous Indonesians.The colonial legacy Chinese would never have allowed a black to touch their skin.
Chinese are an imported colonial parasite who comprise less than 3% of the population moron
As for Batak-= Javanese Megawati’s husband is Batak- Taufik Kiemas is a blue-blood Batak royal.
Batak are the single ethnic group most commonhly married to Javanese.
Chinese as well as most Protestants (aside from Batak and some others were vile Colonial collaborators)- and have not yet earned the right to participate in the Republic which they fought so hard to destroy.
Your spurious allegations of hypocrisy therefore have been proven total lies by a bitter man hurt by a Javanese woman dumping him as he was too proud or stupid to convert religion for love as so many other couples have the moral courage to do.
When will Australia elect an Aboriginal as Prime Minister instead of making weepy back-patting speeches about some trite regrets against the genocide and bloodshed committed against these natives of a land the whites stole and plundered from them?
And give mere pennies tossed into the gutter as compensation?
read a book. Try starting with Obama Barrack’s own.
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Purba, Obama’s father wasn’t born in America but in Kenya. So I hardly think his family had anything to do with the struggle of their great nation. But the people (american rakyat) elected them as they didn’t see skin colour but chose who they thought would be best to serve them. Indonesia should do the same not elect Presidents on race/ region or religion. America has fought together as brothers with us in many great wars none the least liberating your cretins against the Japanese and in the end Dutch in WW2. Hey I haven’t had a shot at you personally as we promised to be civil. Does this mean the gloves are off? My beef here is with cukurungan if you go back and reread my post.
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Oigal says:
He certainly speaks well, although the ‘Yes we change” was starting to sound like a Coke Ad or something…”Its the real thing”?
Despite all the best wishes deserving or not and despite the somewhat false claim he got there on just the common peoples money..Traditionally the democrats have been far more protectionist the Republicans and Obama did have very heavy union support..both of which may indicate a significant impact on Indonesia USA trade and aid programs.
May we live in Interesting Times
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oooh boy ha4. So much hate and bitterness PN? So much blame?
I don’t think those who fought hard to destroy this country need to lift a finger. This country will disintegrate itself anyway.
Under the javanese: Freeport get a very cheap deal mining gold – our gold, Halliburton gets a very good deal drilling oil – our oil, Big Tree gets a deal exporting chocolates to be processed and make it back here -at more than quadruple price-, corruption and nepotism are nigh, the authority (military and police) is completely hand-tied that they can’t even do anything (or don’t want to or scared. more like scared ha4) as thugs like FPI sweep the streets under no-one’s authority (some can say their authority is higher than those of military he2), indosat? sold to a singapore firm only to be resold later to an indian company at 10 times the price within less than 6 months(ha), lost timor (you do know there are a lot of URANIUM aside from oil there right?), how about that sidoarjo mud gotta be fun not being compensated at all and no one cares ha4, ooooh how about the coffee beans yeah starbucks make a lot of money from all that ha4, need i go on?
And no, I didn’t get all that from wiki. Oooh were gonna say,”lies, I don’t see it in wiki!!!” weren’t you?
Guess what happens if the whole deal blows up? blame the minority!!!! Most indonesians are so stupid they fall for this everytime. They will keep falling to this. That much I’ll guarantee.
he4. omg you redefine the word ‘ignorant fool’ and remind me of that phrase “beware the impact stupid people make in large numbers”. i wanna be angry, i really do. but i can’t. it’s just too funny he3.
Wait is PN a joke account? To brighten my day and make me smile?
Hey PN wanna sit next to me sipping gin while we watch the javanese’ drive this country into nothing? I’ll bring the gin if you bring the ice.
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@ Oigal – Not a bad succinct analogy on USA politics and so maybe there is a wee bit of intelligence there after all? However cynical that wit may be.
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TheWrathOfGrapes says:
Just like the folks in the city of Obama in Japan celebrating his win…
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ah damn. sorry about that. can’t hold myself he2. anyways, i’ll apologize to the javanese coz i generalized just now. i am really deeply sorry. it is only the certain numbers that does all that.
no, obama will not be perfect, that much i know. the effect this event will have on indonesia is still yet to be seen. i just hope that one way or the other we will be better off here in indonesia. that’s bit too far-fetched tho. chances are things won’t change that much here.
to Obama *raises a glass of gin*
need to get back to my bench…..
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Achmad Sudarsono says:
Find myself agreeing with Pak Oigal. Symbolic victory for progressive forces, yes. But how much substance in the suit ? Obama has said he doesn’t like NAFTA, owes a big debt to the unions, and has talked about a “PATRIOT ACT” for employers, to prevent outsourcing…
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It was probably just me but I thought both teams had serious flaws..
Shame there was no mixmaster..then we could have hadMcCain Prez and Obama V/Prez which seemed to be the best of both worlds (ok you could mix Prez and v/Prez according your own political leanings)
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horaaayyyy…..!!
finally…. the Anak Menteng being a Mr. President!
:applaud:
first time I knew about Barrack Obama is in about the beginning of 2007 from my american friend who is a Bush’s admirer.. 😆
well, as a good listener, I just said “yeah..yeah..yeah”… (whatever he said :-P)
but when he sent me link to Obama’s site and I read it.. well, then I’d been an Obama Mania… but couldn’t tell about it to my friend :D…
now.. Obama has been a President.. wow!
nothing I can say than “Congratulation” 😉