Advocates of Republican nominee Mitt Romney and President Obama show their colors at the end of a tough campaign. As sick of it as most people in America are, many around the world look on in wonder at how Americans choose their presidents - without military coups or violence. The U.S. Presidential Debates and the Glory of American Democracy (Al Sabaah, Iraq) "At the end of each U.S. presidential term, we watch with amazement - we being the millions of Arabs and Asians deprived of any form of democracy, even the fictional kind. We watch the competition between the outgoing president (Obama now) and his opponent (now Mitt Romney) through glamorous and well-produced video clips. ... The final stage of the U.S. presidential competition consists of televised debates with live audiences, in which the two candidates sit facing one another on an open platform, i.e.: it can be watched by Americans, Chinese, Indians and even Saudis in the Arabian Peninsula, assuming they aren't too busy camel racing!" By Ali Jassem Translated By Amel Ben Aissa October 29, 2012 Iraq - Al-Sabaah - Original Article (Arabic) Supporters of Tunisia's ruling party celebrate the one year anniversary of the country's first free elections, October 23. In all the countries of the Arab Spring - and Iraq, people are finding their way through the maze that is democracy. AL-ARABYA, DUBAI: Political Analyst Haidar Said, 'We Iraqis have yet to acknowledge our violent past, Aug. 26, 00:01:03 Western presidential elections, and in particular, those in the United States, which are generally held every four years, represent the democratic summit of modern civilization. In providing for a pre-determined presidential term of four years for the performance of the duties assigned to him, they represent the pinnacle of sophistication and constructive dialogue between ruler and ruled, and between opposing parties involved in an honest and healthy battle for power. Regardless of whether his previous occupation was as a doctor, manual laborer or businessman, the same rules apply to vote or be eligible for the presidency. The office cannot be obtained via military coups like those that regularly occur in African countries, or through assassination, as often occurs in Latin America, or through vote rigging, as is so common to the Arab region, or through elections that were held as a form of entertainment by Iraq's Saddamists before the political change! At the end of each presidential term, we watch with amazement - we being the millions of Arabs and Asians deprived of any form of democracy, even the fictional kind. We watch the competition between the outgoing president (Obama now) and his leading opponent (now Mitt Romney) through glamorous and well-produced video clips. The competition begins with campaign advertisements funded by individuals and firms that support the parties. The ads are public and can be viewed any time, and are funded without government resources. Then begins a highly organized campaign, during which the candidates visit cities across the country, where they present, in person, their program for the government, their priorities and their political, security, economic and educational plans, in an effort to win the support of citizens. The final stage of the presidential competition consists of televised debates with live audiences, in which the two candidates sit facing one another on an open platform, i.e.: it can be watched by Americans, Chinese, Indians and even Saudis in the Arabian Peninsula, assuming they aren't too busy camel racing! Posted by Worldmeets.US YOUR DONATION MAKES OUR WORK AS A NON-PROFIT POSSIBLE. THANK YOU.

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The democratic systems we have in the Arab world - if we have them at all - are still frail or newly-formed. And even in the Arab Spring countries, including in Iraq, which had a nine-year lead on these previously-mentioned countries, not enough time and attention has been spent on building a new state and democratic institutions. That is because we have never seen professional political competitions that weren't entirely comprised of political accusation, the discrediting of political opponents, and the rejection of the views of others.

In the newly-transformed Arab countries, even media headlines about cooperation and strengthening ties and dialogue have been lost among competing priorities of some political parties, which call for sectarianism, regionalism and factionalism, even outright antagonism and boycott. What a contrast to our example here - Obama and Romney. Iraqi political parties meet almost every day in and out of the National Assembly, in bilateral and trilateral meetings, and have yet to reach the point of holding open dialogue and fostering honest competition. Rather, they have yet to stray far from slandering and condemning those they disagree with, discrediting them politically and in the media, and filling TV screens with baseless accusations which lead only to chaos.

It has even gotten to the point that TV hosts in the pay of one political bloc or another, manipulate their politician-guests, and steer them toward whatever bloc or person the host wishes, in order to trigger a heated exchange or reveal a scandal or a shortcoming on the part of the guest, as if the program were catfight rather than a political debate. We have never heard of any Western candidate swearing at or verbally abusing their opponent, or revealing a scandal theft by the candidate of the Democratic or Republican Party, perhaps because they have never occurred, or because they know that hundreds of millions of people around the world are watching the democratic debates in the planet's leading democratic country!

SEE ALSO ON THIS:

Le Nouvel Observateur, France: Government Support for Obama Not in French the Interest

Izvestia, Russia: Romney's America: Russia-U.S. Ties Won't Sour, they'll be at a 'Standstill'

Die Tageszeitung, Germany: Planet 'Paralyzed' Before Power Shifts in U.S. and China

The Daily Nation, Kenya: Obama's Kenyan Village says Prayers for 'Son's' Reelection

La Stampa, Italy: No One Can Say American Don't Have a Genuine Choice

La Stampa, Italy: Europe Goes Missing in Obama-Romney Foreign Policy Debate

Liberation, France: Europe Warrants Just a Single 'Derogatory Reference' in U.S. Debate

Xinhua, China: Obama and Romney Best Not 'Go Too Far' Bashing China

Corriere Della Sera, Italy: 'Obama Prototype': Rome's Black Emperor, Septimius Severus

Guardian Unlimited, U.K.: Obama Fires, Romney Falters, but 3rd Debate Fails to find Flourish

BBC News, U.K.: Global Poll Shows Rest of World Favors Obama

The Economist, U.K.: A Win for Obama

Guardian Unlimited, U.K.: Obama vs. Romney: Third Debate in Gifs

La Repubblica, Italy: Game Change: Obama Comes Across as 'Non-Leader'

El Universal, Mexico: U.S. Ruling Class Favors Obama Victory

El Pais, Spain: President Romney Will Come to Regret Damaging Remark about Spain

El Mundo, Spain: Romney Lies About Government Expenditures in U.S. and Spain

El Semanal, Spain: Spain Asserts it has 'Little to Envy' in Regard to U.S.

El Pais, Spain: Mitt Romney and Spain: Is Ours a Failing Brand?

Le Figaro, France: U.S. Presidential Debate: Pro-Obama Media Suffers Major Defeat

Handelsblatt, Germany: For Germany, a Romney Win 'Would Have its Advantages'

Guardian, U.K.: U.S. Debate: No Zingers, but Romney Finally Lifts Off

Guardian, U.K.: Combative Romney Comes Out on Top Against 'Lackluster' Obama

de Volkskrant, Netherlands: Why Should We Care About America's Presidential Election?

The Bohol Standard, The Philippines: We Filipinos Must Learn from the American Election

Huanqiu, China: China Must 'Strive to Influence' American Presidential Elections

Gazeta, Russia: Why America's Republicans have No Foreign Policy

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[Posted by Worldmeets.US Oct. 29, 4:27pm]