Who will Americans vote for?

We may not be part of the American electoral system but Filipinos closely watch the down-the-wire presidential contest between Democrat candidate Barack Hussein Obama II, a junior Senator from Illinois, and Republican bet, Vietnam war veteran Sen. John Sidney McCain III of Arizona.

The presidential race between the two candidates has been marked with bitter attacks and counter-attacks that ranged from serious disagreements over US government’s domestic and foreign policy issues to trivial concerns.

Speaking of trivia, the two presidential candidates have the same birth month. Obama on August 4 while McCain on August 29. But the age gap between the two — Obama is 47 years old while McCain is 72 — is a big issue of debate for the American electorates. Both candidates, too, were born outside the US continent — Obama in Hawaii and the Panama Canal Zone for McCain.

Until weekend, an Associated Press-Yahoo News survey showed American voters put the Democrat presidential candidate well ahead all over US at 51 to 43, with a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points. But the same survey gave McCain reason to hope on the swing votes that point to one in seven voters or 14 percent of the undecided, might yet change their minds.

Under the US suffrage system, the President is not elected by direct popular vote nationwide. Instead, the successful candidate must win 270 out of 538 electoral votes in what amounts to a state-by-state contest. Electoral votes are allocated to each state roughly according to population. The winning President gets to bring with him in the Oval Office his own vice presidential running-mate.

Obama, who is seeking to become the first colored US President, traces his paternal roots in Kenya. Towards the last stretch of the presidential campaign, Obama flew last week to Hawaii to visit his ailing maternal grandmother who happens to be a “white” American.

Catapulted to public knowledge by his best-selling book The Audacity of Hope, Obama cashed in to his youthful leadership and call for “Change.” He zeroed in particular over the growing unpopularity of the US anti-terror war campaigns abroad — in Iraq and Afghanistan — and a faltering economy due to the backlash of the financial meltdown triggered by major American money firm traders.

Obama is also riding high on the all-out endorsement and campaign for him by fellow Democrat, ex-US President Bill Clinton. The erstwhile President gave his total support to Obama despite the fact the latter trounced his wife, former First Lady-turned Senator (New York) Hillary Clinton, in the presidential nomination of their party. Obama has also raised hundreds of millions of dollars more than McCain for his campaign.

McCain continues to appear as the underdog presidential candidate with the odds stacked against him in the surveys. Unlike Obama, McCain could not count much support from fellow Republican, outgoing US President George W. Bush who has become more of a liability to their party’s bid to keep the White House.

His campaign motto, “Country first,” tries to capture the support of rabid American patriots by painting Obama as a pro-socialist leader. The Republican camp accused Obama of associating with radicals, advocating surrender in Iraq and pictured his rival as supportive of socialist economic policies with his soak-the-rich tax policies to redistribute the wealth of the nation.

He recently appeared with California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a fellow Republican, in a last-ditch effort to win a big State critical to his hopes for victory. The former body-builder champion from Austria, Schwarzenegger took digs at the rather lean and lanky Obama. He reportedly offered to help Obama beef up his “skinny legs” and “scrawny little arms.” The former action star, who played the lead character in the Hollywood blockbuster series Terminator, endorsed McCain with dramatic flair. “John McCain has served his country longer in a prisoner of war (POW) camp than his opponent has in the United States Senate. I only play an action hero in the movies. John McCain is a real action hero.”

McCain’s vice presidential candidate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Louise Heath Palin has her own share of Hollywood touches. Tina Fey, one of the lead stars in the Emmy-award winning comedy show “30 Rock,” has capitalized on Palin’s being her look-alike. Despite being frequently lampooned by Fey in the satirical late-night comedy show, Saturday Night Live, the voting stock for Palin has not significantly moved her team-up with McCain in the surveys.

Fondly referred to as “soccer Mom,” the 44-year old Palin bids to become America’s first woman vice president. If fate smiles upon the Republican team, Palin might even end up as America’s first woman President. Such prospects precisely seem to affect the chances of McCain going to the White House.

Palin’s rival is Democratic nominee for vice-president, Sen. Joseph “Joe” Biden Jr. of the State of Delaware. Biden was billed by his party as best team partner for a young President like Obama and the experience of age that was being raised as a concern against their candidate. Biden is turning 66 years old on Nov.20.

The American voters would pick who between the Obama-Biden team versus the McCain-Palin could best lead their nation at this time of the global financial crisis. This is worth watching as we Filipinos brace for our own next presidential elections in May 2010.

The US Embassy in Manila will hold “Election Watch” on Nov. 5 at SM malls in Manila and Cebu to provide continuous updates of election results in the US. The program will be held simultaneously from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Ambassador Kristie Kenney and US Deputy Chief of Mission Paul Jones will be participating in the Manila and Cebu programs, respectively, to help answer questions anyone may have regarding US elections and the US election process.

Voting machines that use ballots similar to those actually used in the US elections will be available in both venues for those who would like to participate in the mock elections. The embassy describes the “Election Watch” event as a celebration of democracy through elections. The 44th US President will be immediately known, barring unforeseen election result contest, if ever.