VZCZCXRO0767
RR RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #3479/01 3620622
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 280622Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7514
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 4607
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1820
RUEHDT/AMEMBASSY DILI 0912
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1500
RUEHPB/AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY 3604
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1364
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 2200
RUEHPT/AMCONSUL PERTH 0505
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 003479 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/PD 
NSC FOR EPHU 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINS KPAO ID
SUBJECT: U.S. ELECTIONS -- OUTREACH TO ISLAMIC STUDENTS 
 
 
JAKARTA 00003479  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  (U) SUMMARY:  A group of approximately 45 students 
gathered at Pol/C's residence on December 27 for a forum 
devoted to the 2008 U.S. elections.  Pol/C reviewed the 
presidential election process, while U.S. Library of Congress 
(LOC) Director discussed Congressional and gubernatorial 
races.  The students--drawn mostly from Islamic 
universities--asked many questions about the process and 
policy views of the U.S. candidates.  In the mock "Jakarta 
primary" ballot, Barack Obama overwhelmingly won on the 
Democratic side, while Rudy Giuliani was the GOP pick.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (U) On December 27, Mission hosted at San Francisco 
House, Pol/C's residence, roughly 45 Indonesian students for 
a discussion focused on the U.S. elections in 2008.  PAO, 
U.S. LOC Director, and several other officers and FSNs 
participated in the event, which was also attended by 
Indonesian political consultants and professors.  The 
students--about a third of whom were women--were drawn from: 
 
-- State Islamic University 
-- The Islamic Student Organization 
-- The Indonesian Association of Islamic Intellectuals 
-- The Indonesian Islamic Student Movement (affiliated with 
Nahdutal Ulama) 
-- Muhammadiyah Youth 
-- Muhammadiyah University Student Association 
-- Pesantran Students Communication Forum 
 
(Note:  Nahdutal Ulama and Muhammadiyah are the largest 
Muslim organizations in Indonesia with a combined membership 
of about 75 million.) 
 
¶3.  (U) Pol/C kicked off the event with a 20 minute 
PowerPoint presentation on the U.S. presidential election. 
Pol/C reviewed who was running on the Democratic and 
Republican sides.  He also reviewed the caucus and primary 
schedule with a special focus on the January 3 Iowa caucus 
and the January 8 New Hampshire primary.  Pol/C also 
discussed the political conventions, the general election on 
November 4, 2008, and the Electoral College system. 
 
¶4.  (U) U.S. LOC Director then reviewed the upcoming 
Congressional and gubernatorial races.  He noted the current 
composition of the House and the Senate, and how control of 
both bodies would be up for grabs in 2008.  He discussed the 
current leadership of both bodies, and the importance of the 
House and the Senate in formulating legislation and policy, 
including in the area of international relations. 
 
¶5.  (U) The question-and-answer session was lively, with the 
students asking many pointed, well-informed questions. 
Students asked about the possibility of the U.S. electing its 
first woman president.  Another student wondered whether 
Barack Obama, an African American, could really win.  Pol/C 
noted that Senator Obama was doing extremely well in the 
polls and was considered a first-tier candidate.  A student 
asked about the role of the military in politics.  LOC 
Director noted that the U.S. military was apolitical; 
personnel, however, were allowed to vote, which is not the 
case in Indonesia. 
 
¶6.  (U) A student asked about the Electoral College and 
whether it was undemocratic.  LOC Director noted that there 
was a healthy debate in the U.S. over the Electoral College, 
though there were no serious efforts at this time to change 
it.  Another student asked whether an independent 
candidate--perhaps Mayor Bloomberg of New York--might get 
into the race.  Pol/C noted that that was possible, 
mentioning Ross Perot's campaigns in the 1990's.  Students 
also wanted to know about the policy views of the candidates, 
including re Middle East issues. 
 
¶7.  (U) At the close of the event, a mock "Jakarta primary" 
was held with participants marking their favorite candidates 
using a sample ballot.  On the Democratic side, Barack Obama 
overwhelmingly won the straw poll, while Rudy Giuliani won on 
the Republican side.  (Note:  Because he lived in Jakarta as 
a boy, Senator Obama is hugely popular in Indonesia.) 
 
JAKARTA 00003479  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 
 
HUME