The World Reacts

2008-11-05

THE TIMES OF LONDON – Charles Bremner

It's been a while since France went so crazy over the United States. Decades at least and perhaps not since John Kennedy's days in the early 1960s.

The pleasure and admiration today over the election of Barack Obama is genuine. It's coming from all sides -- not just the editorialists, politicians and philosophers who have been spouting in the media.

President Sarkozy was so enthused that he dashed off an effusive note at 5am Paris time, about an hour after the result appeared. However, he didn't get the name right and scribbled "Cher Barak".

The man at the newspaper kiosk congratulated me with a broad smile. He knows I'm not American but Anglo-Saxon is close enough. Like quite a few people, he had stayed up very late watching the results.  

The picture above gives a flavour. It's from Rue89, a popular leftwing news site. The headline reads: This time the world says thank you to America. Le Monde, also on the left, was breathless about Obama's campaign. "What intelligence, what mastery, what sang-froid..." it said this afternoon.

Or take the response of Jack Lang, a senior Socialist and long-serving culture minister under the late President Mitterrand: "The America that we love is back. This election will have the effect of an electric shock and will bring about a spiritual revolution."

The goodwill is just as strong from Sarkozy's centre-right party. "The Americans have voted for the American dream," gushed Patrick Devedjian, a Sarkozy friend and leader of the president's UMP party.

As well as sending high-speed congratulations, Sarkozy is talking to Obama by phone tonight. Super Sarko is losing no time in seizing glory from Obama's victory, to the point of suggesting that the Democrat copied him. "America last night made the choice of la rupture", the President told the weekly Cabinet meeting today.

THE AUSTRALIAN – Paul Kelly

IT IS a sublime moment - Barack Obama to succeed George W. Bush, an affirmation of America, its foundation mission, its abiding dreams. The American people have turned the page. This is more than a vote for change. It is a act of renewal, a turning point in American history and a quest for a better nation.

The American people chose Obama yet most of the world also wanted Obama - that invests his presidency with a potential authority unknown in history and an opportunity to touch not just Americans but people around the world.

Amid this night's euphoria in America, the depth of its current crisis is daunting. President-elect Obama faces the most compelling and challenge agenda of any new incumbent for more than half a century.

The expectations vested in Obama's presidency are huge. Yet so is the political capital on which he can draw to unite the nation and chart a new course.

He will require political skills as outstanding as the oratorical skills he has displayed over the past nine months. His victory is a special and moving vindication for African-Americans. But Obama must also transcend his origins from the Democratic Party left to pioneer a new vision of his country.

 

THE STRAITS TIMES – Singapore

Today, America voted in its first Black President and it has sent out an incredible signal to the rest of the world - that this is a different America, and one that is willing and ready to look beyond the colour of a person's skin.

Indeed some Singaporeans were skeptical about whether Americans would actually vote an African American for president.

Ms Patricia Reed told The Straits Times how a taxi driver wanted to bet S$2,000 that McCain would win. "Americans won't vote for a black man," he told her.

Well, today America proved him and the rest of the skeptics in Singapore wrong. Unfortunately, Ms Reed won't be getting her $2,000 any time soon.

 

The JAKARTA POST (Indonesia)

Menteng students overjoyed with Obama's win

"Obama... Obama... Obama... We love you!" yelled hundreds of students from all grades in a Menteng elementary school in Central Jakarta on Wednesday, as they watched results come in for the U.S. presidential election.

Students and teachers were overjoyed to suspend classes, gather in a 1,500 square meter ballroom and witness how a former student of the school became elected the next president of the United States.

Headmaster Kuswadiyanto said the teachers and students had been starting their school day differently during the past few days.

"Every morning before lessons start, we've been praying for Barry, hoping for him to win the election," Kuswadiyanto said, as quoted by kompas.com.

As tallies on the television screen grew and confirmed Obama's win, all the students expressed their happiness by running around, scattering all over the place, dashing out of the ballroom and roaming the schoolyard even though rain was pouring down.

Obama's victory was also their victory. They were proud that the one-time Menteng student had became the leader of the most powerful country on the planet. "I want Obama to come here so we can talk with him," said Ajo, a fifth grader.

The teachers said the school would pray for Obama again on Thursday. "We want to express our thankfulness, so we will continue praying for him.... Today we are just enjoying this victory with the students," Kuswadiyanto said.

 

THE CAPE TIMES, Capetown, South Africa

Obama is inspiring, says Madiba
5 November 2008, 16:16
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Anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela congratulated US President elect Barack Obama on his victory on Wednesday, saying he was an inspiration to people all over the world.

"Your victory has demonstrated that no person anywhere in the world should not dare to dream of wanting to change the world for a better place," Mandela said in a letter to Obama.

"We note and applaud your commitment to supporting the cause of peace and security around the world. We trust that you will also make it the mission of your presidency to combat the scourge of poverty and disease everywhere," Mandela said.

Obama became the United States' first black president as his Republican rival John McCain conceded defeat in historic elections on Wednesday morning.

South African leaders congratulated him, expressing hope that his election would place Africa's problems higher on the global agenda.

"Your election to this high office of the American people carries with it hope for millions of your country men and women as much as it is for millions of people of particularly African descent both on the continent of Africa as well as those in the diaspora," President Kgalema Motlanthe said in a statement.

"We express the hope that poverty and under-development in Africa which remains a challenge for humanity will indeed continue to receive a greater attention of the focus of the new administration," added Motlanthe.