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Haitians intrigued by US presidential race
Beset by almost daily kidnappings, terrible poverty and a food crisis that triggered riots in April, Haitians could be excused for paying scant attention to the U.S. presidential race.
But some Haitians — mostly the educated and the island’s tiny middle and upper classes — are watching closely, mindful of a long history of American involvement with their impoverished Caribbean nation.
Many are intrigued that a black man, Sen. Barack Obama, is poised to claim the nomination of one of the major American political parties and will head the ticket in the fall.
“A lot of Haitians are talking about it,” said Fritz Pierre, 36 an unemployed mechanic who makes a living changing money for foreigners in Petionville, a suburb of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince. “Haiti is a black nation and I think he’d be more likely to help us because he is a black man.”
But other Haitians said Sen. Hillary Clinton was their first choice, because they feel Bill Clinton was a good president who helped Haiti. “Bill Clinton was a gem, smart and powerful,” said Sergot Soufrance, 38, who sells flowers in Petionville. “I preferred Hillary, because Obama doesn’t have as much experience. But I’d love to see Hillary as his vice president.”
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