World hails Obama's victory

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Barack Obama’s election as the next president of the United States provoked strong reactions from around the world, with most hailing Obama for offering a unifying vision and a fresh start.

“I'm happy that Obama won. Maybe my generation still has a chance to fix things from the Rep mess. Obama is a very learned man. He comes from a strong family and has strong values,” Dee Muskegon, wrote from Michigan in USA.

Obama’s win is in fact being considered as a victory in the fight against racism and proof that skin colour is no longer a factor in politics. “I was a critic of America as a racist country, the reason Americans appeared quite mean to me. That feeling was changed the very instant Obama was proclaimed president elect of USA,” according to a French viewer. “I now wish more than ever before that I was an American. Americans have worked hard to earn this. This event is very defining in the history of the world and it represents an entire change in international politics. Long live the United States of America.”

The Obama name seems to evoke visions of a vibrant, more hopeful future for audiences worldwide. Some are looking for a renaissance in American politics that will herald a new era of restrained, yet engaged, US foreign policy. “I understand that our goverment has been horrible toward many areas of the world […] I believe Obama is a true diplomat and we will encourage him to be a peace keeper and unite our allies all over the world. Peace!,” says a viewer from Portland, USA.

Others hope that a revitalised America will play a more decisive role in tackling the challenges that the world as a whole is now facing, from financial meltdowns to melting ice caps. “Certainly a "wind of change" has blown after the election of Obama but many things are yet to be resolved,” according to a Greek viewer. “Guantanamo, quick and into the heart of the problem solutions for the economic crisis, Iraq-Afghanistan, relations with the EU and Asia. I wish him the best of luck and perseverance. God Speed,” he added.