McClatchy: Around the world, Obama triumph lifts battered U.S. image

[babylonsister]

Around the world, Obama triumph lifts battered U.S. image

By Tim Johnson, Saeed Shah and Dion Nissenbaum | McClatchy Newspapers


BEIJING — From the cafes of Beirut to the villages of Kenya, much of the world viewed Barack Obama’s electoral triumph as a transformative event that could repair the battered reputation of the United States, lift the aspirations of minorities everywhere and renew the chances for diplomacy rather than war.

Huge numbers of foreigners and U.S. citizens abroad jammed venues for live broadcasts of vote counting. In Rio de Janeiro, Ryan Steers, a 23-year-old Brazilian documentary filmmaker, said that Obama could improve the United States’ image abroad.

“Obama is someone the world can trust,” Steers said. “That is the most important thing for American right now: regaining its trust in the world community.”

Many could barely believe the news. In London’s Trafalgar Square, a reporter told Hannah Capella, a 20-year-old student, of the election result. "That's amazing," said Capella, an Englishwoman. "I really didn't think it could happen. . . . I always thought he was too good to be true," she said of Obama. "We'll see.”

In every corner of the globe, foreign citizens are expecting a more cooperative approach to the world’s problems under an Obama administration than they experienced from President Bush, McClatchy correspondents reported.

In the Middle East, many Israelis remained wary of Obama, but many Arabs viewed his victory as pointing the way out of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. In Latin America, many took heart in the meteoric rise of an African-American politician.

Pakistanis worried that Obama’s ascent will lead to more U.S. bombings of Pakistan territory, and other Asians wondered how Obama could calm the global financial turmoil. Almost everywhere, however, people welcomed the fresh face of U.S. leadership.

In Kenya, the birthplace of Obama’s late father, President Mwai Kibaki declared Thursday a national holiday.

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http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/55339.html

[Kali]

1. I am shallow but this is one of the main reasons I voted for him

I'm just sick to death of being embarrassed to be an American when I travel or meet other people from around the world.

Gee Dubya is a shameful blight on the world opinion and history of this country. Shame and double shame for letting him get into the White House twice.

[babylonsister]

4. If you're shallow, so am I.

This is going to be a huge bonus with Obama as president.

[treestar]

2. The Kenyan holiday cracks me up

We have one solid ally now!

[wileedog]

3. Heh, from the article...

""Obama as president, it seems that our hands would be tied and we would be pressed to do things that we don't want to do," said Yona Mishane, a Jerusalem plumber."

WTF is it with plumbers and Obama?