Business travelers abroad may get grilled on U.S. politics
Overseas business travelers find the world chattering about McCain and Obama.
— -- U.S. politics is a hot topic abroad every four years during the election season. But business travelers going overseas now say the political curiosity of their international colleagues is unlike any they've seen in the past.
This year's race has revealed several narratives that have stirred great interest — an African-American candidate with an international background and his promise of more diplomatic engagement; the unwinding of the eventful Bush administration; even the uniquely American imagery of a moose-hunting mother who cites her proximity to Canada and Russia.
For business travelers, this means more blunt questions from cab drivers, heated discussions with colleagues and awkward silences at dinners.
As a fashion executive in New York, Jeff Rosenthal travels through Asia and the Middle East up to 20 days a month, with frequent stops in Europe and Africa. "I have been doing this for almost 20 years, and never before have so many people from so many different cultures been so interested in our government and asked my opinion of who I think will win the election," he says.
A recent Pew Global Attitudes poll of 24,000 people in 24 countries confirms Rosenthal's experience. More than 80% of Japanese said they're interested in the election, exceeding even the USA's 80%. Nearly 60% of Germans say they're interested, followed by Australia with 52%. In all, 11 countries registered at least 40%.
Mercedes Alfaro, founder of international business-etiquette consulting firm First Impression Management, advises clients to avoid political discussions "as graciously as possible." By talking politics, people can become too emotional and possibly jeopardize a budding business relationship, she says. "In international business, everything is based on relationships."
But even as they try to steer away, business travelers are often cornered into unplanned confabs of sensitive topics — from Bush's legacy and the USA's role in the Middle East to domestic race relations.
