The Foreign Service Journal, September 2008

F O C U S O N T h e 2 0 0 8 E l e c t i o n s A FRICA S EEKS A T RUE F RIEND / 17 Barack Obama may be an “African son,” but there is strong support for John McCain’s candidacy on the continent. By Samuel Siringi A RE C ANADIANS R EADY FOR A L EAP OF F AITH ? / 20 Amid their fascination with the Obama phenomenon, our neighbors to the north listen and worry. By Tim Harper E GYPTIANS E XPECT A S HIFT IN S TYLE , N OT S UBSTANCE / 25 Whatever the outcome in November, most Egyptians do not expect any major changes in bilateral relations. By Shohrat Aref B UDAPEST ’ S B ALANCING A CT / 29 No matter who wins, the upcoming U.S. presidential election is likely to improve the opinion of Hungarians about the United States. By Ákos Beöthy T RADE I S C ENTRAL FOR U RUGUAY / 33 The debate in Latin America is mainly about whether it makes any difference at all who moves into the White House in January. By Lucía Baldomir O BAMAMANIA , G ERMAN S TYLE / 37 Are Germans starting to realize that Barack Obama might not be able to fulfill the high hopes they have projected onto him? By Cordula Meyer I NDONESIANS H OPE FOR P ARTNERSHIP / 41 The fact that Obama spent several years in Jakarta as a boy does not mean Indonesians expect special treatment if he’s elected. By Kurie Suditomo F S F I C T I O N W HAT TO D O ABOUT G INA / 45 A single FS woman, Linda suddenly finds her life dramatically changed by a tragedy at home. By Joan B. Odean C ONTENTS September 2008 Volume 85, No. 9 Cover and inside illustration by Frank Harris P RESIDENT ’ S V IEWS / 5 The Journey By John K. Naland S PEAKING O UT / 13 State’s Wrong Turn on the Information Highway By Scott Rauland L ETTER FROM THE E DITOR / 16 By Steven Alan Honley R EFLECTIONS / 88 Balkan Babas By Stephanie Rowlands L ETTERS / 6 C YBERNOTES / 9 M ARKETPLACE / 11 B OOKS / 81 I NDEX TO A DVERTISERS / 86 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 8 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 3 J O U R N A L OREIGN ERVICE S F