Asian Americans Encouraged To Vote

Sichan Siv

The US is home to some 17 million Asian Americans, but the group as a whole shows only a 50 percent voter turnout rate, according to 2008 figures.

19 September 2012

Reasey Poch, VOA Khmer

WASHINGTON DC - Sichan Siv, a former US ambassador to the United Nations, is encouraging Asian-Americans to vote in November’s presidential eleciton.

The US is home to some 17 million Asian Americans, but the group as a whole shows only a 50 percent voter turnout rate, according to 2008 figures. The overall voter turnout rate for Americans was 64 percent.

“You need to exercise that right,” Sichan Siv told VOA Khmer. “Many people fought war for us to have that freedom. Don’t just become a US citizen to have a US passport. Register to vote and go vote on Election Day.”

10 Sept 2012
By Mu Sochua

First Lady Michelle Obama's speech at the DNC is about core values and leadership. She makes me think and compare the leaders we have in our country. But also of the hard working mothers, teachers, nurses, all the "small" people that Cambodia's PM has forgotten.

When was the last time our civil servants had a raise?

Our people are in debt because health care is not free, education is not free, vital documents they need are not free.

Land is life but yet it is taken away from our people because it fits the greed of the few.

Core values defines a leader. Greed and the hunger to hang on to power define a dictator.

-----

Michelle Obama’s Democratic National Convention speech: transcript and leadership analysis

09/05/2012

By Jena McGregor

The Washington Post

Michelle Obama took the stage in Charlotte on Sept. 4. (Justin Sullivan - Getty Images)

Michelle Obama’s speech Tuesday night at the Democratic National Convention is getting rave reviews as a subtle but devastating attack on Mitt Romney, a heartfelt and gripping tale of personal struggle, and a warm and moving message that successfully linked biography to policy.

It also provided a telling if (naturally) biased examination of her husband’s leadership.

Without using the word “leadership” once (just as she never uttered the name Romney), the first lady delivered a powerful send-up of the philosophies that guide the president, the moral code that shapes his decision-making and the character that defines how he approaches his job. This did not come off as a transparent effort to humanize the candidate or to reach out to female voters—even if it helped to do both of those things—but as an authentic and genuine look at what she believes to be her husband’s vision and values.

Michelle’s effectiveness may have been her warm-yet-fiery delivery rather than simply the words on the page. That said, here’s my take on how she did it.

(Scroll through the full text of her speech, and click on the yellow highlighting to read my notes.)

Click here to read teh transcript of Michelle Obama's speech

Opposition Party Leader [Kem Sokha] Observing Democratic Convention

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tExmzGyOov0

Kem Sokha is among some 300 international political leaders to be invited by the democracy advocacy group to observe the convention.

06 September 2012

Reasey Poch, VOA Khmer

CHARLOTTE - Kem Sokha, head of the opposition Human Rights Party, is in North Carolina to observe the Democratic National Convention, at the invitation of the National Democratic Institute.

Kem Sokha is among some 300 international political leaders to be invited by the democracy advocacy group to observe the convention, during which the Democratic Party will officially announce its candidate, Barrack Obama, for the presidential campaign.

The convention, which ends Thursday, was important to witness, especially the way the presidential campaign is covered by US media, Kem Sokha said.

Ann Romney's speech at the Republican National Convention

Anonymous: Did KI post Ann Romney speech on here as well?

KI-Media: Here you go...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBA7rPKhGtQ

Cambodian Voters in US Weigh Benefits of Presidential Candidates

Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney campaign buttons are displayed ahead of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., on Aug. 26, 2012.

Issues that affect Cambodians in America are similar to those the rest of the people in the country.

31 August 2012

Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer

Democratic supporters are those who lean more toward the improvement of their circumstances in the US, he said, while Republican supporters tend to be more concerned with what is happening in Cambodia.

WASHINGTON DC - Cambodian-American voters say that as the US presidential election approaches, they are most interested in a president that will help them with community issues here and political issues back in Cambodia.

Presidential candidates Barrack Obama, a Democrat, and Mitt Romney, a Republican, are in a tightly contested race for the White House, with both sides campaigning hard before the Nov. 4 election.

Schanley Kuch, a Cambodian-American from Maryland, told VOA Khmer he will vote for a candidate who can better the living standards of Americans, but will also espouse the principles of human rights and democracy that will help Cambodians back home.

“For the Cambodian people, in my view, it’s a necessary obligation to decide whether we choose economic growth in the US or think about our homeland, which is under the restoration of human rights, freedom and democracy, which needs the support of a powerful country.”

Cambodian Community Day Sees Campaigners for Presidential Candidates

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQnS0P-y2ko

Cambodia Awaits Fallout of US Midterm Elections [-Can the US flip-flopping foreign policy be trusted?]

Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer
Washington, DC Wednesday, 10 November 2010

“I want the Republicans to continue the foreign policy they have been doing, which was tough on dictators, no matter where they are, including Cambodia.”

Cambodian political observers say the recent midterm elections in the US that gave control of the House of Representatives to Republicans could have a ripple effect in Cambodia—through foreign policy, human rights and even the economy.

“I want the Republicans to continue the foreign policy they have been doing, which was tough on dictators, no matter where they are, including Cambodia,” said Kem Sokha, president of the minority opposition Human Rights Party. “Once dictators do something wrong, there must be objection, not leniency. In my view, being lenient towards dictators cannot be successful. The Republicans' consistent warnings to dictators are good for the benefit of democratic fighters.”

However, Mu Sochua, a lawmaker for the main opposition Sam Rainsy Party, said the election is not likely to shift US policy, especially following last week's visit of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Still, she said, “the Republicans' position toward the promotion of democracy is sharper than that of the Democrats.”

Under the former administration of George W. Bush, “if they wanted to help change a country, they provided direct support there,” Mu Sochua said. “Whereas Democrats would take an issue into long consideration before sending troops into a country. However, this doesn't affect Cambodia very much because we don't have armed disputes.”

Last week's elections saw Republicans take 239 of 435 House seats, followed by 187 for Democrats, with nine seats still up for grabs as votes are counted. Democrats, the party of President Barrack Obama, retained control of the Senate.

Koy Kuong, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said such elections made little difference.

“This is totally internal US politics,” he said.

Cambodia-US relations have warmed in recent years. Cambodia has proven a willing ally in the US campaign against terrorism, and with Clinton's visit signaling renewed US interest in the region.

However, a changed political landscape in the US could impact development and aid here, said Ou Virak, president of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights.

“If there is a reduction in international assistance, this means that some health or education programs worldwide, or in Cambodia, can be affected, which could be a problem,” he said.

Rong Chhun, head of the Cambodian Confederation of Unions, said he was concerned there may now be less focus on human rights. However, a push for US jobs could be a good thing here, he said.

“If the winning party can create as many jobs as their voters want, Cambodia will benefit from it accordingly, because our big markets for garments and shoes are in the US,” he said.

[US] Election 2010 [-Congress power shift, Democrats barely hold on to the Senate]

Rare sight: Incumbent Democratic Congressman Ed Perlmutter does cartwheels onstage during his victory celebration in Denver, Colorado, after learning he had held on to his seat

November 2, 2010
Editorial
The New York Times

Voters in Tuesday’s elections sent President Obama a loud message: They don’t like how he’s doing his job, they’re even angrier at Congressional Democrats and they gave the House back to the Republicans. The Republicans spent months fanning Americans’ anger over the economy and fear of “big government,” while offering few ideas of their own. Exit polls indicated that they had succeeded in turning out their base, and that the Democrats had failed to rally their own.

Americans who voted described themselves as far more conservative than they did in 2006 and 2008 — and than the population as a whole. More than 4 in 10 said that they supported the Tea Party movement. But more than half of the voters said they have an unfavorable view of the Republican Party.

The question is: Will either side draw the right lessons from this midterm election?

Mr. Obama, and his party, have to do a far better job of explaining their vision and their policies. Mr. Obama needs to break his habits of neglecting his base voters and of sitting on the sidelines and allowing others to shape the debate. He needs to do a much better job of stiffening the spines of his own party’s leaders.

He has made it far too easy for his opponents to spin and distort what Americans should see as genuine progress in very tough times: a historic health care reform, a stimulus that headed off an even deeper recession, financial reform to avoid another meltdown.

Mr. Obama has a lot of difficult work ahead of him. The politics in Washington will likely get even nastier. Before he can hope to build the minimal bipartisan consensus needed to move ahead, Mr. Obama will have to rally more Americans to the logic of his policies.

The question for the Republicans now is whether they are going to bask in triumphalism or get down to the real work of governing. It is one thing to pander and obstruct when you are out of power. With a divided government, it won’t take long for voters to demand that they explain their plans.

John Boehner, the likely speaker of the House, has not provided a clue of how his party will begin to cut the deficit, which Republicans say is their top priority. One of the few specific promises he has made would dig an even deeper hole: extending all of the Bush-era tax cuts.

And exit polls suggested that even these more conservative voters get what the Republican Party leadership still doesn’t: that there is no way to tackle the deficit and slash taxes at the same time. Only 19 percent said cutting taxes was the top priority for the next Congress.

Anticipating a big win on Tuesday, leading Republicans haven’t been talking about substance, only more obstructionism. Mr. Boehner said the other day that the president was welcome to support Republican programs. But as for Mr. Obama’s agenda, he said, “We’re going to do everything — and I mean everything we can do — to kill it, stop it, slow it down, whatever we can.”

Mike Pence, the No. 3 Republican, said there would be “no compromise” on repealing the health care reform law and permanently extending all Bush-era tax cuts, including for the wealthiest Americans.

A Republican majority in the House of Representatives should pursue Republican priorities. But what we have been hearing sounds disturbingly like what we heard after the 1994 election, when Newt Gingrich, then the speaker-to-be, announced that there would be no compromising on his agenda.

The result was gridlock. The Republicans shut down the government, which ultimately cost Mr. Gingrich his job and the Republicans their majority.

One thing is very clear from all the polls and all the voting: Americans are fed up with that sort of gamesmanship. It’s bad for the country.

Politiktoons No. 54: What two wonderful men

Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at http://politiktoons.blogspot.com
and also at http://sacrava.blogspot.com)

[Cambodian-American,] Please go out and vote for your Candidates

Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Op-Ed by Jayakhmer On the web at www.modernprogressivekhmer.blogspot.com

As a Cambodian American, I urge you to vote in this historical election. I am not here to advocate for any political party. I am here to encourage your participation in the political process.

Please allow me to share with you the state of the campaign.

As Sen. Obama and Sen. McCain prepare for their second presidential debate, the campaign has been taking a significant turn. For the last few weeks the turn has been in favor of the democratic nominee, Sen. Barack Obama.

Although one day is a long time in politics, election polls and electoral maps, thus far, paint a trouble outcome for the McCain/Palin ticket. Less than a month before the election, the Gallup tracking poll has Sen. Obama leads Sen. McCain by 8 points with Sen. Obama at 50% and Sen. McCain at 42%.

The CNN electoral map also confirms Sen. Obama's significant lead. As of today, Sen. Obama has 264 Electoral Colleges and Sen. McCain has 174. A candidate needs 270 to win the election. Based on the map, the 14 blue states are safe for democrats. Those states account for 177 Electoral Colleges and 10 democratic leaning states that account for 87 more.

Sen. McCain has 16 red states that he could count on for voting republican in November and that represent 125 Electoral Colleges and 6 republican leaning states that represent 49 more.

That would leave Nevada with 5 votes, Colorado with 9 votes, Missouri with 11 votes, Ohio with 20 votes, Virginia with 13 votes, North Carolina 15 votes, and Florida with 27 votes as tossup states.

Sen. Obama has to win just one of these tossup sates to win the election in November, but Sen. McCain has most of the tossup states to get to 270.

According to USA election battleground state polls, Sen. Obama leads in Colorado, Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida.

Twenty-nine days before is a long time. Anything can change the dynamic of the race. The debate tonight could be a game changing, albeit the fundamental issue for this election is the economy. And analysts agree that as long as the country remains deeply mire in economic issues the democrats and Sen. Obama will win the election.

Based on that prediction, I do not see that the country will solve its economic issues in 29 days.

Please exercise your rights and vote your conscience.

Jayakhmer

Democrats Make History With Obama Nomination

Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) is shown on the monitor as Democratic Presidential Nominee Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) and Vice Presidential Nominee Senator Joe Biden (D-DE) appear onstage at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado, August 27, 2008. (Brian Snyder/Reuters)

By Meredith Buel
Voice of America
Washington
28 August 2008

Click here to listen to the Khmer audio program

Democrats have formally nominated Barack Obama as their presidential candidate. The Illinois senator is the first African-American to be nominated as president by a major U.S. political party.

In a remarkable show of party unity, Obama's one-time opponent, Senator Hillary Clinton, asked delegates here at the convention to suspend a roll call vote of individual states.

"With eyes firmly fixed on the future, in the spirit of unity, with the goal of victory, with faith in our party and our country, let's declare together in one voice right here right now, that Barack Obama is our candidate and he will be our president," said Senator Clinton.

That led to roars of approval inside the packed convention hall, and Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi called for the historic vote.

Pelosi: "All in favor to the motion to suspend the rules and nominate by acclamation Barack Obama as the Democratic Party's presidential candidate please say aye.

Delegates: Aye

Pelosi: All those opposed please say no. Two-thirds of the delegates having voted in the affirmative, the motion is adopted."

Delegates then launched a celebration, dancing back and forth in the convention hall to the song "Love Train."

The nomination sets the 47-year-old Obama, the Hawaiian-born son of an American mother and father from Kenya, on a path to face Republican Senator John McCain in the November election for president.

Later, former U.S. President Bill Clinton, who spent months on the campaign trail questioning Obama's qualifications for the presidency, pledged to strongly support the nominee.

"Barack Obama is ready to honor the oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States," said teh former president. "Barack Obama is ready to be president of the United States."

Convention delegates also formally nominated Obama's pick for vice-president, Delaware Senator Joe Biden.

Biden, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, slammed the Republican's foreign policy, calling it catastrophic.

"I have been on the ground in Georgia, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan and I can tell you in no uncertain terms, this administration's policy has been an abysmal failure," said Senator Biden. "America cannot afford four more years of this failure."

Then Obama capped off his historic night by making an unscheduled appearance at the convention, bringing a roar of approval from the delegates.

On Thursday, the Democrat's choice for president will accept the nomination at a nearby sports stadium, before at least 75,000 people.

"So we want to open up this convention to make sure that everybody who wants to come can join in the party and join in the effort to take America back," said Senator Obama.

Obama's nomination marks an extraordinary rise in American politics and the culmination of what analysts say was a disciplined and brilliant campaign.

Group Debates Merits of Next US President

US Senators John McCain and Barak Obama

By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
07 July 2008

Cambodian-Americans in Virginia and Maryland have different political stances in supporting presidential hopefuls senators John McCain and Barack Obama.

"We want the US to help Cambodians with humanitarianism and trade," said Tom Keo, a Virginia businessman who favors McCain, a Republican, for his experience.

Tung Yap, president of the group Cambodian-Americans for Human Rights and Democracy, said he supported Obama, the Democratic hopeful.

"For me, I want to see a new leader, like other Americans who do not want to see the same leaders weaken the economy," he said.

Virginia resident Mok Yorn said he supported McCain, "as he has more experience, and helped fight communists a lot, even in Cambodia."

Washington area businessman Chamroeun Muoy, who supports McCain, said Obama has a lot of support by the young, while McCain has a lot of support from those over the age of 30.

"A win or loss for McCain depends on how he can explain economics to," Chamroeun Muoy said.

For Cambodians, McCain a Familiar Face

By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
12 May 2008

Arizona senator John McCain is no stranger to Cambodians. But will they know him as president? His reputation and experience have earned the senator a lot of attention from American voters, and many are convinced he will be next in the White House.

“Don’t tell me we cannot make our country stronger and the world safer,” he said recently, having secured the nomination of the Republican party to run for president. “We can. We must. And when I am president, we will.”

McCain’s messages of democracy hit home for many, and Cambodians remember his strong stance against the regime of Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy called McCain a good man, and said he could push for the FBI to release a report on the 1997 grenade attack on opposition supporters, a report that has been mired in secrecy.

McCain was also likely to push for human rights, Sam Rainsy said.

“Mr. John McCain is a candidate who understands well the democratic process in Cambodia and always supports democrats in Cambodia,” Sam Rainsy said. “I understand that if Mr. John McCain becomes president, the US really will pay more attention to Cambodia than ever.”

Cambodians recognize him above the other two candidates, senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, said Nhiek Bun Chhay, Funcinpec’s secretary-general.

“He knows Cambodia very well and has a good connection with Cambodian leaders,” Nhiek Bun Chhay said.

Cambodian People’s Party lawmaker Cheam Yiep applauded McCain’s reputation and said he was the most likely to help people in Southeast Asia.

Chanly Kuch, a Cambodian voter in Maryland, said McCain may know about Cambodia, but he has not shown yet how his policies differ from the current president, George W. Bush.

Dr. Samuel Nuon, a Cambodian voter in Virginia, called McCain a hero of the nation.

“I believe he will continue to help protect Cambodian freedom,” Nuon said. “Frankly speaking,” said Koul Panha, executive director of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections, “in foreign policy, in intervening to help countries achieve democracy, freedom, to get out of dictatorships and communism, he has done a lot.”

Obama: Change the Country, Change the World

US Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) talks to voters during a campaign stop at Dillon High School in Dillon, South Carolina, January 23, 2008. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
12 May 2008

Illinois senator Barack Obama wants to change the world. But first he wants to change the country. And to do that, he wants to become the first African-American president in the White House.

“We will win this nomination,” he told supporters recently. “You and I together will change this country, and we will change the world.”

Cambodian voters in America and politicians in Cambodia are watching to see what will happen.

Both Obama and New York senator Hillary Clinton have a chance at the presidency “because of the crisis in the US that President [George W.] Bush seriously generated,” said Chanly Kuch, a Cambodian voter who lives in Maryland.

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy called Obama a new man with modern ideas. American voters do not have racial discrimination, he said.

Cambodian People’s Party lawmaker Cheam Yiep said Cambodia was watching the election closely.

Obama could prove popular because of his centrist approach, said Koul Panha, executive director of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections, in Cambodia.

“I think it’s good to focus closely and pay attention to what candidates raise and how to solve the issues, [and] the capacity, the ideals of the candidate, rather than focusing on where a person is from,” he said, adding that Obama was “brave.”

Hillary Clinton Still Hoping to Win

By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
09 May 2008

Hillary Clinton has struggled hard to become the first woman in US history to be president. She has stressed her background and experience in primary races against the other Democratic hopeful, Barack Obama. Her race has inspired at least some Cambodians.

“Whoever sits at that desk in the Oval Office on Jan. 20, 2009, needs all the tools available, all the resources at our disposal, and the wisdom to know how to use them,” Clinton said recently. “I propose a new American strategy to restore our moral authority and war in Iraq and defend and protect our nation.”

Pok Nanda, of Cambodia’s Women for Prosperty, said Clinton deserves to be president. She called Clinton brave, smart and an example to women of the world. She has even worked against human trafficking in Cambodia and strengthened women’s position in politics.

“Her stance is clear, in order to improve social issues, help poor countries on education issues and the violation of the rights of women and children,” Pok Nanda said. “If she wins, I have hope for the Democrats, especially if she is elected president programs on social services for Cambodia will be highly paid attention to by the US.”

Chanly Kuch, a Cambodian-American in Maryland, said Clinton fits for president, but the question is whether Americans are ready to put a woman in the White House.

Were Clinton to humble herself more, she would be a leading candidate, Chanly Kuch said.

“There’s no doubt she’s smart,” Chanly Kuch said. “She’s been winning as a leader since school.”

Chhay Huor, from Georgia, said people were looking for Clinton to win to help restore the economy and ease restrictions on immigration that have been in place under the Republican administration.

But not all are convinced Clinton’s policies will benefit them. Ku Kim Tuy, also from Maryland, called Clinton dishonest, and said the candidate did not have enough economic experience to be president.

“If she wins, she will need more advisers, and that’s dangerous, because those advisers will work for their own will,” Ku Kim Tuy said.

Meanwhile, Cambodian politicians welcomed Clinton’s presidential bid.

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy said she was “fit for the presidential posting.”

Ruling party lawmaker Cheam Yiep applauded the US exercise in democracy and said the American people “should consider giving a woman a chance.”

Democrats Abroad vote in Cambodia primary

Leah Newman of New York votes in the Democratic primary at a Phnom Penh, Cambodia, doughnut shop. (Photo by Katie Nelson, special to the Chronicle)

Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Katie Nelson, Chronicle Foreign Service
San Francisco Chronicle (California, USA)

Phnom Penh, Cambodia -- Cambodia's capital played host to a U.S. primary for the first time last week , drawing U.S. citizens from around the country.

Held at a quirky restaurant called USA Donuts, the vote offered a mix of American traditions never seen before in Phnom Penh. Dozens of expatriates cast ballots in the Democratic primary, choosing mostly between Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton. Dozens more snatched up hard-to-find foods such as Fruit Loops, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, and Stove Top stuffing.

The vote at the doughnut shop is part of the Democrats Abroad program to determine 22 delegates who will attend the Democratic National Convention in Denver. Voting in the global primary, conducted online and at 76 polling places in 33 countries, began Feb. 5 and ends today for an estimated 6.5 million Americans who live overseas. In Cambodia, about 1,800 Americans are registered as residents, according to the U.S. Embassy.

The program was conceived as a way to boost participation in the nomination process, especially for those who might not have requested absentee ballots in time for their home-state primaries or those who cannot return home to attend caucuses. Democrats Abroad has been given state-level recognition by the Democratic National Committee. Its counterpart, Republicans Abroad, does not have similar recognition by the GOP, but the organization works to generate support of Americans overseas for Republican candidates.

Observers say turnout for the overseas Democratic voting - both live and online - has been high and results will be announced later this month. In Cambodia, organizers said 78 percent voted for Obama, 21 percent supported Clinton and 1 percent remained uncommitted. They also said the entire program is a test-run for individual states looking to use a similar Internet-based system.

Every element at the doughnut shop- food, music and ballots - seemed out of place in Cambodia, where locals are just beginning to confront their recent past in trials against the aging leaders of the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime of the 1970s. And even though voting has become commonplace, accusations of deep-seated corruption and blatant vote buying have been widespread.

Yet the American voters were generally giddy to be participating in a live electoral process so far from home. Regardless of age, almost everyone bobbed their heads to the eclectic mix of voter-themed music heard on the restaurant's boom box. Many more grinned or whooped it up as their ballots slid into a locked, silver vote box.

"Living abroad, it's easy to feel disconnected," said 30-year-old Carlyle Gollogy of Santa Cruz, who works as an administrative assistant at a local nonprofit hospital. "Being here today, it eliminated a lot of the (red tape) by giving you an accessible way to be part of the process."

Many voters also said they want to see a change in Washington's foreign policy.

"I think this is probably the most important and exciting election in my lifetime," said Susan Hagadorn, a San Francisco native who has lived in Cambodia for three years and works as a consultant for nonprofit organizations. "There's a deep dissatisfaction about how America is viewed from abroad. That we can come together to do something about that here, through voting, an American tradition, is really exciting."

Wayne Weightman, who helped organize Saturday's vote, agreed, saying he eagerly voted for a former Hawaii classmate, whom he knew as Barry.

Obama "was always this amazing guy who could talk to anyone," Weightman said. "To realize that you knew someone who has the possibility of making it so foreigners abroad can stop apologizing for their country, well that's just inspiring."

USA Donuts was an obvious choice for the polling site, event organizers said. Owner Johnny Ly is a 39-year-old Cambodian refugee who fled during the Khmer Rouge era with his family to Long Beach, where they operated a doughnut shop.

Ly moved back to Cambodia in 2000 to open an American-style doughnut shop. He now runs two stores with a third on the way. He imports special flour from California so that his pastries have just the right chewy consistency. The rest of his wares are shipped by relatives, who shop at Costco and Wal-Mart.

Ly gets a kick out of catering to Americans, whose culture he adopted during his 20 years in the United States.

"To be part of an election. That is American," said Ly.