Fil-Am voters infected by US prexy race cross-over bug

BY JENNIE L. ILUSTRE

WASHINGTON — The Nov. 4 presidential election will probably be known as the Year of Cross-Over Voters.

Reflecting a national trend of disillusioned Republicans and Democrats, Rawlein Soberano of Virginia state, a registered Republican, said he would vote for Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama.

Soberano was head of the Small Business Administration during the time of President Ronald Reagan, a Republican.

Some Filipino-Americans are part of the 30 percent of 18 million Democrats who voted for Sen. Hillary Clinton in the primary, and cannot stand Obama, citing his inexperience as a first-term senator from Illinois.

Soberano, Asian American Business Roundtable president, thinks Obama will make history by becoming the first African-American president of the United States.

After hearing Obama’s acceptance speech Thursday night (Friday morning in Manila) at the Democratic national convention, he’s more convinced than ever.

"Obama’s acceptance speech touched on all aspects of the political spins Republicans have leveled against Democrats time and again in presidential elections," Soberano said. "But tonight, Obama answered each one of them substantively and lambasted the Republicans for lacking new ideas, while resorting to scare tactics instead."

He applauded policy changes proposed by Obama on the economy, energy alternatives, education, affordable health insurance, and ending the war in Iraq.

Soberano added: "When you add the eight years of Republican administration, of failed policies of tax cuts to benefit the top 2% of Americans, big government, budget deficit galore and destroyed image of the US abroad, how can they win?"

But he cited one factor that could cost Obama the election: Voters, including Filipino Americans, who cannot bring themselves to elect a person of color for president. He said he just recently uncovered this, and was "appalled at the racism among some Filipino Americans."

Other cross-over voters are still undecided at this point.

A Filipino-American from San Jose, California, in town for a national convention of Asian American law enforcement officers, said she has not decided on a candidate.

She described herself as a registered Republican who has "always leaned Democratic" during elections.

Romeo Magalong said in an email: "I am still undecided. I am an Independent but in recent years, with my conservative values, I have leaned towards the Republican platform." Republicans, who are against abortion, have attracted Catholics and other faiths that are pro-life.