VZCZCXRO4186
OO RUEHCHI RUEHFK RUEHHM RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHPB
DE RUEHWL #0376/01 3110224
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 060224Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5516
INFO RUEHZU/ASIAN PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 WELLINGTON 000376 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/ANP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM KPAO PREL NZ US
SUBJECT: US ELECTION RESULTS OVERSHADOW NEW ZEALAND 
ELECTORAL CONTEST 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  Summary.  The election of Barack Obama was greeted 
enthusiastically in New Zealad with extensive press coverage 
and media commentary.  The Embassy-sponsored election viewing 
events on November 5 in Auckland and Wellington had large 
crowds who watched the election returns and speeches by John 
McCain and President-elect Obama.  Both speeches were 
well-received and some GNZ officials lamented that their own 
political contest lacked the electricity and historic nature 
of the US election.  Both Prime Minister Clark and opposition 
leader John Key drew encouragement from the U.S. election 
results; Clark noting that the Democratic Party victory was 
evidence of a swing to the left in the U.S. and Key comparing 
Obama's win to the New Zealand public's desire for change. 
End Summary. 
 
Kiwis Celebrate Obama Victory 
----------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U)  At a U.S. Embassy-hosted event at Wellington's civic 
center, over three hundred invited guests joined with the 
Ambassador and other mission staff to watch the election 
returns on CNN and Fox Network.  The turnout was exceptional, 
and New Zealand television, radio, and print media 
participated, interviewing Embassy officials as well as 
guests for their reactions throughout the evening.  The 
Ambassador characterized the election as a great example of 
democracy, along with the recent election in Canada and 
upcoming polls in New Zealand.  New Zealand politicians and 
government officials from a variety of ministries were 
present, as were embassy officials from other diplomatic 
missions in New Zealand, students from Victoria University 
and leading New Zealand opinionmakers. 
 
¶3.  (U)  ConGen Auckland also hosted a capacity crowd event, 
which included close to ninety members of Auckland's 
American, academic, business, consular, and media communities 
in the Consulate offices.  Two Members of Parliament 
(Labour's Judith Tizard and National's Tim Groser) took time 
from busy campaign schedules to watch the election results 
and stayed most of the evening. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  John McCain's concession speech was uniformly 
applauded by audiences at both events, with guests praising 
the gracious content, particularly the sympathy the 
Republican candidate extended to Obama over the recent death 
of his grandmother.  Obama's speech got rave reviews from 
audience members, many of whom commented on how excited they 
were to be watching an event of historic significance.  A 
number of guests teared up during Obama's speech.  One NGO 
leader was elated, saying that Obama's victory represented a 
turning point for the United States.  Labour and National 
party participants were happy although one senior Labour 
staff member privately worried that the U.S. move for change 
might be replicated in the coming weekend elections in New 
Zealand.  A former National speaker of Parliament greeted 
Obama's election enthusiastically; a few people were McCain 
supporters and admitted some disappointment, but nevertheless 
thought Obama's election would be positive for the U.S. image 
worldwide.  An MFAT official told of an election-watching 
party within one of the ministry's divisions and another 
contact said her sister, who is a senior MFAT official, left 
work early to go home and watch the U.S. election returns. 
 
U.S. Results Dominate News 
-------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (U)  Media reporting of the U.S. election results on 
November 6 dominated all outlets, overshadowing other major 
stories -- even New Zealand's elections in two days. The news 
media gave the U.S. election far greater coverage than the 
Howard/Rudd contest in Australia.  There has been a steady 
diet of media reporting and newspaper articles on the U.S. 
election since before the primaries, with coverage 
intensifying in the last month.  Both major newspapers on 
November 6 devoted their editorial columns to the U.S. 
election; the New Zealand Herald's world section was expanded 
on November 6 and almost exclusively devoted to the U.S. 
election.  One news station gave five hours of coverage to 
the election.  No detail was too insignificant and there was 
great interest in the U.S. electoral college.  The Consul 
General in Auckland was on television on November 5 
explaining the electoral college system, and many New 
Zealanders understand the U.S. system better than most 
Americans. 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  Press reaction has been highly positive, 
characterizing the historic nature of the election win of 
Obama and 2009 as a turning point for U.S. relations with the 
world.  Many of the New Zealanders at the mission-sponsored 
 
WELLINGTON 00000376  002 OF 002 
 
 
events viewed the President-elect as a 
post-ideological/political figure and inspirational beyond 
U.S. borders.  Obama's acceptance speech was quoted at length 
by all media outlets and given prominence by most 
commentators.  On the implications of Obama's election on 
US-New Zealand relations, some journalists have focused on 
trade as an area where a Democratic Administration in 
Washington may not be as amenable to a trade agreement 
between the two countries. 
 
Helen and John Who? 
------------------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  Overlapping with televised coverage of the U.S. 
election returns on the evening of November 5 was the third 
and final leaders debate between Helen Clark and John Key. 
The final debate between the two leaders was more restrained 
and polite than the other two, with both politicians seeking 
to wrap up their respective campaigns on a high note.  Media 
pundits roundly gave the debate to Clark, although the 
public's attention has largely been diverted to the U.S. 
election.  The debate came on while the U.S. Embassy party 
was still going on in Wellington, and we switched on one 
television to the debate for the remaining guests.  No one 
bothered to watch, preferring to continue discussions about 
the U.S. election.  Privately, several guests lamented that 
the New Zealand contest has lacked the spark and historic 
significance of the U.S. election. 
 
¶8.  (SBU)  One recent poll shows voters preferring a 
National-led government with nearly 50 percent of the vote 
and a Labour-led govenment at 40.7 percent.  If these results 
mirror Saturday's vote totals, National could form a 
government easily in the post-election period with the 
support of the two minor parties (Act and United Future) who 
have already indicated a willingness to join in a 
National-led government.  Both Clark and Key drew 
encouragement from the U.S. election results.  Helen Clark 
said the Democratic victory signalled a move to the left in 
the United States, while John Key compared the mood for 
change in the U.S. to that in New Zealand. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶9.  (SBU)  New Zealanders have warmly welcomed Barack Obama's 
election and the Embassy and ConGen Auckland have received 
overwhelmingly positive feedback for hosting events on the 
U.S. election night.  The crowds at both sites were strongly 
pro-Obama, and there was a sense of delight and amazement at 
how America could reinvent itself with a President from 
less-than-optimal circumstances.  The most repeated sentiment 
was "this could only happen in America." 
McCORMICK