On November 4th Tuesday, Americans will vote to select a new President. This election is billed as the “most important” one in the nation’s history by many who see America’s crumbling economy and war in Iraq and Afghanistan as a threat to the country’s position as a global leader. For Nepal and developing nations around the world too this election is important because it could bring about changes in America’s immigration, trade and foreign policy directly affecting them and their diaspora population. Polls suggest that Democrat Barack Obama is leading Republican John McCain by about six points, but the numbers keep fluctuating and at the end it could be a very tight race. Major networks like Fox News, MSNBC, CBS, ABC and newspapers including New York Times have painted the election as a sort of a referendum on the way Republicans have managed the country in last eight years. The effect of McCain or Obama win, no doubt, will be different for Americans and those living in Nepal and the developing world. For millions struggling in developing countries American trade, immigration and foreign policy is what matters the most. Democrat Barack Obama position on immigration suggests that the candidate plans to strictly control the country’s borders, cut down illegal entry into the country and for those already illegally in America- a path to legalization provided they fulfill certain conditions. He plans to speed up application process for legal immigrants and fix the immigration bureaucracy. Obama will also increase the number of legal immigrants to meet the human resources demand for jobs and punish those who hire illegal immigrants. Barack Obama’s immigration plan looks attractive on paper for a prospective immigrant but he is missing a big point. Last year, when President Bush proposed a comprehensive immigration reform promising a path to legal status to thousands of illegal immigrants already in the country, there was huge public outcry against the move and the plan failed miserably. He has to be willing to compromise on key issues if he wants his plan to succeed. John McCain’s policy is not very different from Obama on immigration. He too supports a path to legalization for illegal immigrants who fulfill a certain criteria, stronger border enforcement and punishing those who hire illegal immigrants. But McCain differs in one respect and that is on the question of H1B visa. He favors revisiting the visa cap on H1B to make it flexible enough to meet America’s skilled labor demand. On the other hand Obama favors training more American workers to get the high skilled jobs instead of hiring more foreign workers. So for Nepali students and those looking to work in high-tech industry in America McCain may seem like a better choice. But what about foreign policy? Barack Obama favors a more balanced approach to foreign policy, emphasizing on talking to both friends and enemies to resolve international issues. He believes on diplomacy and talks more than the saber rattling that has been the hallmark of American foreign policy in last eight years. Obama also sees fighting global poverty as an important part of the foreign policy- good news for developing countries. Jon McCain, a former prisoner of war and military veteran, is more “hawkish” on his approach to global issues. During presidential debates he ridiculed Obama’s willingness to talk to America’s enemies. He wants ton increase the size of American military and work more on the missile defense system. Poverty, fighting global hunger does not figure in John McCain’s foreign policy plan. For Nepal, Obama may look like a better choice for his commitment to fighting global poverty. But what about trade? According to the US Ambassador to Nepal James Moriarty “In 2006, US imports from Nepal were nearly USD$100 million. US investments in Nepal totaled more than USD $250 million.” Will the trade between two countries benefit if Obama is in the White House? Not really. Barack Obama’s trade policies are more “protectionist” compared to John McCain. He is not in favor of outsourcing manufacturing or service jobs overseas. Obama wants a trade policy to open up foreign markets to support American manufacturing sector. He is also against foreign government subsidizing their local industries which give them advantages over American manufacturers. John McCain on the other hand favors lowering trade barriers and encouraging America’s trade with foreign countries. He is more on the side of globalization than Obama. Therefore for Nepal and the developing world, Obama or McCain winning the election will bring a mixed bag - gain on certain issues and loss on others. So, I guess we are supporting both of them? Seems like a safe choice. ä