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Belle Waring does some international campaign reporting:
There is an election coming up in Bali, and the roadsides were filled with various campaign posters. They were interesting in that the photos chosen of the politicians were so unlike what would be chosen for a US campaign poster. American candidates are smiling, in motion, vigorous. The Balinese politicians looked serious, and the photos were often unflattering. They all looked like machers, like people too important to go around smiling at everyone and worrying about looking good. Like someone you could go to with a problem, and know that they could help you, if they wanted to. A procession of impassive, neutral faces, some with business suits topped by traditional headgear, and unreadable promises and slogans--a good reminder that I don't know jack about the place.I guess in Bali, the people you could imagine having a beer with are not the same people you could imagine slicing through a half-dozen layers of corrupt bureaucracy.
