9/11 Had a 'Dramatic' Effect

Australians are more interested than some Americans in the US presidential race, Carnegie Mellon’s Adelaide campus executive director Tim Zak says.

“They’re better informed and more interested,” Mr Zak said.

However, he said most Aussies lack the historical context to properly understand the politics behind the presidential race.

“For example the issues in Iraq and the issues around terrorism, it’s very hard for any media outside the US to have a sense of how dramatic 9/11 was for the country;” he said.

Mr Zak said this was compounded by former president Bill Clinton’s choice to diplomatically respond to terrorist attacks, rather that with military force.

Mr Zak is officially “registered” in the US as an independent voter and as yet, doesn’t know which way he will vote.