The election from foreign perspective

[Escaep]

I am just curious as to how people from other countries view Obama being elected. Is this really big news where you live? Is it something you talk about in school or at the dinner table or with friends or at the workplace? Has it changed your view on America and American citizens in general?

Stuff like that, sorry for the flurry of question i am just very curious to see what other people in other countries view of our elections.

P.S. I already read the world leaders views thread from Stern but i want to hear it from people here.

 

[CptStern]

yes, there were dozens of parties last night ..400 americans away from home met for an obama support party in toronto last night ..there was also a mccain support group (americans abroad) they had about 50 supporters. My cousins in spain were going to an obama party last night ..thousands of people celebrated in via america in downtown madrid. this was pretty big outside of the US

 

[Jintor]

Australia says Obama being elected is pretty win.

 

[Kase]

i just went ah good for him switched of the tv and went to bed

 

[Sledgehammer]

Europe did not have an entirely objective mass media (they supported Obama, and that was obvious).

Rather big news, in fact, I haven't heard anything else all day. Nobody has talked about anything else, really.

That Obama won, did not surprise me. He is such a talented speaker, that if he didn't win, who could possible? As a president, not so sure (Hitler was a great speaker too, but sadly lacked in other fields).

 

[Gray Fox]

Pretty big news here.

 

[AJ Rimmer]

Yup. 'Merica did us proud. Very positive reaction from most people I know. Even my mother, who two years ago betrayed her life-long commitment to Socialism said "Maybe finally something good will happen now."

 

[Sam]

Obama is less likely to invade us I think.

 

[Kadayi]

Had a bit of a discussion about it today at work. Generally people were mainly happy that Palin wasn't going to be getting her mitts near the Nuclear codes any time soon.

An important thing to understand about Europe is that overall people aren't that hung up about religion or God as they are in the USA, and certainly not about Creationism (most people view Genesis/Old Testament History as allegorical rather than literal, including the Churches). Generally if you start talking about Creationism, people will give you the cold stare and back away slowly. The notion that someone who firmly believes in something as outlandish as Creationism could potentially become the President scared the living shit out of most people tbh. If she's that fanciful in her thinking what else is she likely to believe in? The end times? Would she be looking at trying to bring about Armageddon by openly encouraging Israel in attacking Iran at the first opportunity in order to try and 'evoke' the rapture, or some other rubbish?

In the USA a lot of people might see Palin as Folksy Hockey Mom, but elsewhere in the world she's viewed as a dangerous potentially psychotic lunatic.

As for Obama, well it's a milestone win, and there's a lot of good will towards him as Bush had pretty much become the most despised world leader going. In response to 9/11 the invasion of Afganistan to tackle the Taliban was seen as acceptable, but the invasion of Iraq stunk to high heaven from the off of ulterior motives and no one really believed all the hyperbole about Saddams WMDs. The hope would be that Obama at least gets the troops out of Iraq and allows the region to stabilise. If he persists then the good will will probably disappear quite quickly I suspect.

 

[Barney Fife]

Yup. 'Merica did us proud. Very positive reaction from most people I know. Even my mother, who two years ago betrayed her life-long commitment to Socialism said "Maybe finally something good will happen now."

Heeeey, what you trying to say?

 

[Laivasse]

Here in Ireland it's mostly positive, even if among the people I know the belief that Obama's a cryptomuslim isn't uncommon.

Politicians here are making all the usual positive noises too, but I did hear them express concern that Obama has been elected on a platform of stopping 'outsourcing' of jobs and industry. America farming out its industry is beneficial to lots of foreign countries, just as withdrawing that industry could be detrimental to them, especially in the current climate where loads of countries' economies are hanging by a thread.

Of course, this isn't really relevant specifically to Obama, because every candidate was running with exactly the same manifesto in this regard.

Heeeey, what you trying to say?

Maybe his mother votes for the Swedish socialist party equivalent, and doesn't like the fact that the American Socialist party have strongly averred that Obama isn't a Socialist ?

 

[Emporius]

i just went ah good for him switched of the tv and went to bed

Pretty much this

 

[The Monkey]

Yeah, it's huge news. Something like 90-95% of the people here prefer Obama over McCain, but they're not all positive. Obama supports the death penalty, which goes against what virtually all in Sweden and the rest of Europe thinks. He also drives a protectionist policy which isn't a good thing for anybody. In other words, they like him, but it's also obvious that he's a president with American values, not European.

 

[Maestro]

Yeah, it's huge news. Something like 90-95% of the people here prefer Obama over McCain, but they're not all positive. Obama supports the death penalty, which goes against what virtually all in Sweden and the rest of Europe thinks. He also drives a protectionist policy which isn't a good thing for anybody. In other words, they like him, but it's also obvious that he's a president with American values, not European.

He damn well better.
If he didn't then I think that would be a bad thing.
The heavy anti-gun stance not so quintissential American but I already have my stuff set up to weather that storm.

 

[Eejit]

Europe did not have an entirely objective mass media (they supported Obama, and that was obvious).

Rather big news, in fact, I haven't heard anything else all day. Nobody has talked about anything else, really.

That Obama won, did not surprise me. He is such a talented speaker, that if he didn't win, who could possible? As a president, not so sure (Hitler was a great speaker too, but sadly lacked in other fields).

I hear Godwin's Law a-calling.

 

[Laivasse]

Europe is such a biased country!

 

[Azner]

yes, there were dozens of parties last night ..400 americans away from home met for an obama support party in toronto last night ..there was also a mccain support group (americans abroad) they had about 50 supporters. My cousins in spain were going to an obama party last night ..thousands of people celebrated in via america in downtown madrid. this was pretty big outside of the US

As much as they are overseas, they are still not foreigners. Jolly good

Well, not much talk among local conversation here. But yes the occasional Obama won! and the Government talking about yay we already made ties and how Indonesia and Malaysia will be working together with America and all.

 

[CptStern]

Generally people were mainly happy that Palin wasn't going to be getting her mitts near the Nuclear codes any time soon.

for some reason I read that line in her voice ..but would have added "goshdarnit" at the end

In the USA a lot of people might see Palin as Folksy Hockey Mom, but elsewhere in the world she's viewed as a dangerous potentially psychotic lunatic.

this one too ..which is worse because I can see her saying that about herself

 

[Atomic_Piggy]

Everyone here was happy. Really really happy.