Obama Election Reactions Around The World: A Look Back One Year Later (PHOTOS)

Exactly one year ago today, on the night of November 4th, 2008, Barack Obama was elected the next President of the United States. To say that people around the world responded with emotion would be an understatement.

In Kenya, Obama's relatives were singing "We are going to the White House!" in the streets, and the Kenyan government declared the following day a national holiday for the U.S. President-elect. In the days following, babies born in Kenya and the U.S. were named after Barack and Michelle Obama. And the residents of Obama, Japan had been going crazy all year. See the moving photos of reactions around the world below.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Obama's half-brother Malik is carried through Kogelo village, Kenya. The president-elect's relatives erupted in cheers Wednesday, singing "We are going to the White House!"

See photos of McCain, Palin and their supporters reacting to the election of Barack Obama.

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Comments

[janie@atthelake]

Love the photos!

[msbadger]

I hope everyone that voted for Obama revisits these wonderful slides, and can recapture that wondrous feeling we had. Reality has intruded in a big way but let us never forget how absolutely unlikely and miraculous this was. I still love the man and believe in him. This is way harder, way worse than any of us realized. Please continue to support our President! Imagine the shi---t we'd be in without him!

[Pupadup4oBama]

Bravo! co-sign!!!
LOVE the pic of the couple kissing...your eyes just go right to that red hair of hers...it's a very private moment in the middle of all that celebration.
LET's not forget!

[goldnchyl]

fanned!

[pearlx2]

These pictures and the joy on the faces of people around the world are amazing. We have a VERY special President. Nothing the media says or does can take away from that fact. He will do amazing things for the entire world, and has already begun to do so. It is not a fast-track job; change take time, but President Obama has done and will continue to do great things.

For some reason, even the so-called liberal media are all trying to play down his accomplishments, and are all criticizing him at this one-year juncture, when the man has actually done very well in the environment he inherited. I don't recall anybody setting George Bush under a microscope like this. Everyone was so supportive and respectful of Bush when he was president, except at the very end of his last term. All the negativity in the face of positive results by Pres. Obama and all the criticism, even on the left, leaves me to believe racism is involved. There is no other excuse. If any white president had come into the mess that Obama did, and did what he's done so far, there would be nothing but praise, not unreasonable demands such as "why has he not completely turned everything around in 365 days?"

George Bush sat around for 8 years and did nothing but start 2 wars; nobody in the darn media asked "why is he not doing anything, why hasn't he done this?

[Pablo Manriquez - Huffpost Blogger]

These are some pretty awesome shots. I especially like New York City & Senegal.

[berrycooda]

I think that the President didn't really realize that he was in for
a rude awakening when he was elected.
Talk is easy but it takes more than talk. Congress is the one who
initiates the laws and the Pres. signs them as he agrees with them.
Some he probably doesn't agree with but has little choice.

He seems to be learning as he goes along just like the others have done. You can see the change in him as the weight of this responsibility is on his shoulders.
No matter what the previous administration left, he knew that when he made all the promises about what he would do.
However, he has appointed a whole lot of people to do the thinking for him and give him their opinions (just as past Pres. did) and now the burden is on him to make the tough choices...good or bad and time will only tell if they were the right or wrong choices.
He wants the health bill to pass so much that he seems to be avoiding the economy and other important issues.
Health care is important, but shouldn't take precedence over people working so they can afford to have health insurance.
Sounds like the "Jesus Christ Superstar" era is ending after one year.

[foxisms]

Our Presidents, (and specifically this Presdient) have been reduced to just one more voice in the crowd albeit a louder one, with no more control over the processes than steering the predesignated course of this country's real but unseen navigators and occasionaly standing on the bow of this ship alerting us when either shoals or rocks or land is visible from his vantage point.
The presidency (and again this President in particualr) is not lacking, faulty or broken. The system is. The hull of this ship called America has been breached for 100 years and it is all we as it's crew or any given president can do but to bail and pump so that we don't swamp completely.
And until we as a nation recognize and accept this for the reality that it is, we can never hope to make the necessary repairations to stay afloat and perhaps once again set sail on our properly intended course because we have handed the helm over to privateers and mutineers who have as much to gain or more through our sinking as they do with our returning to a safe passage.

[lilian101]

His generals apparently control public opinion on troop movements in Afghanistan, or was that just a publicity stunt to take the stink off President Obama?

[foxisms]

It should be becoming apparent to even the stanch believers that the office of the President no longer wields the sort of power that it may have at one time in America.
The system is far too convoluted and fractionalized with those powers being distributed between industry, banking interests and the flow of capital from these entities and into the halls of our representation in Washington to the point where America itself has become a corporation, silently controlled by the will of huge financial investors equivelant to stock holders and proxied interests.

[lilian101]

The Office of The President is not the Office of the Dictator, that is not constitutionally permitted.

[balloonloon]

Looking back: Obama election day montage; From around the
world to historical evening in Grant Park, Chicago

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjVyeRpzEFw

[InquiringMind1]

The World Reacts

[liveinhope23]

He has the world's hardest job - and the easiest one to second guess. I remember many times during the campaign when I wanted him to do something dramatic. To lash out, to react to dishonest criticism and political trickery. He never did. He kept cool. He stayed dignified. He always gave a measured and sober response which, in hindsight, was the smartest thing to do.
Like many other people on Huffpo I am impatient with the slow pace of change. However, I helped to put this man in the White House based not only on his speeches and promises, but his character and his intelligence.
When I read the snarky criticisms that the President is all about "good speeches and no action" remember that these speeches ARE action. They have changed the global political dscourse by being rational, respectful and sensitive to other cultures. They replaced the big, bad USA, cowboy mentality with the view that our country is a concerned player on the world stage - not a drunken fratboy willing to bomb anyone that gets in his way.
There are many things that I wish had been accomplished yesterday. LGBT civil rights, de-crimilization of drugs, meaningful healthcare - the list goes on. But I counsel myself to be patient and have a little trust in this extraordinary man. Not because I drank the Kool-Aid, but because on so many previous occasions, his restrained and considered approach was the right way to go.
Want more inspiration? Consider the

[liveinhope23]

alternative.

[goldnchyl]

Excellent comments but you forgot to mention the fact that its the political process that is so slow. The president laid out his agenda during the campaign and has stayed pretty consistent with its implementation. We have three branches of govt tho it seems some have forgotten that. It isn't best for the president to ram through his agenda if he wants to govern the entire nation. IMHO, its best to get everyone to do their job in order that all are represented. This president has been consistent throughout his campaign and in his governance.

http://politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2009/nov/03/one-year-after-grant-park-look-promises/

[bigben1986]

Agree with your assessment wholeheartedly. We are living in a 24/7 media punditry. Instant gratification mentality and thinks that change will happen just as soon as he took office. I can feel and see the changes already happening as far as other country look at America now. America restores her place as number one again. Economic prominence will soon follow if our congress will really work together to solve this problem. Forget about party affiliation. Solve the problem together as Americans.

[soeasy]

I wonder if the many years that we lived in the dreamworld , believing that "some things are priceless" and should be bought with credit cards, made us think that we had elect a man that could do miracles . We have a good President , but he can not do miracles and because of that some people are disappointed . Get over it! The Bush/Cheney administration left for President Obama , as a present : two wars that are like hot potatos, unemployment as we did not see for many years, Education that are a shame, Economy, that brought us back to a sad reality, Healthcare , Environment, etc, that can not be solved from day to night. Should he solve all theses problems at once, or should he solve them one by one? Wake up peole, and instead criticizing for him not be doing miracles, quickly, ask yourselves what you can do for your country.!

[jentastic]

Obama is showing leadership by bringing the world together through peaceful measures.
It's too bad the media is focusing on the negative.

[selenasade]

When President Obama first came on the scene, I saw him as an excellent preacher. I got my knuckles rapped a number of times when I said preachers talk, they don't do. After President Obama was elected, I opted to give him the benefit of the doubt. I thought, for one brief shining moment, that he would at least try.
Today I am on my way back to my first opinion... the President is a great talker. But I have revised my opinion of what he, or anyone, is capable of doing in this climate of rule by a few unknown movers and shakers at the top. I would love to see the President speak truthfully about the obstacles to change. But I don't think that will happen because I believe President Obama has thrown in the towel. And I certainly don't blame him for that. There is an obvious question that really needs to be asked though: what is the alternative?

[jentastic]

How exactly has Obama thrown in the towel? Examples?

[James Hahn]

I at first felt defensive concerning your comment, but I to feel a sense of disappointment.. not only with Obama but with the whole party.. I read this morning about a health care delay.. (The longer the delay the the more prone to failure) Back to Obama..I want to give him time, its obvious 1 year is not enough, but don't see a fight in him.. and I mean a fight to straighten out his own party.. to rally the troops.. again the longer they dally the more problems they are going to have.. I wish the president would explain his afgan policy.. his hesitancy.. ( I though he was waiting for the election to forge his policy for the future with a clear govt) but he needs to speask to the american people .. and give SOME thoughtful explaination.. I some times feel hes evasive so he wont have to defend his position.. he will wait till its boiling.. and then he deflects well.. But my patience with Obama and the Dem. Party is quickly eroding.. and the THOUGHT of any Republican .. just makes me want to vomit.. Big business, bush, rape of the middle class. I could go on.. No other choices.. and no where to turn.. COME on MR President show the way..

[selenasade]

James, yours is a thoughtful, truthful reply. I think the President is between a rock and a hard place. No one gives a tinker's dam about the people who do the daily work that is needed to feed clothe and generally run society. They never have, else why would society be organized in such a way as to keep food producers, for example, at the bottom of the heap and derivative traders at the top. I am certain that Mr. Obama means what he says, when he says it. But he is faced with an administration that is committed to keeping status quo. They listen to the pronouncements from Wall Street and obey the orders of the rich, which bear no resemblance to reality. There might have been some change had Main Street been bailed out instead of Wall Street, to quote a cliche, but there was no way that could happen. Any money must go to those who already have it. Having said this, had he but known it, just after he was elected I am sure the people would have followed the President anywhere. He could have rallied his followers to help him carry out the CHANGE of which he spoke. Methinks it may be far too late now to do anything that will be effective. Perhaps we will soon follow a long line of civilizations to bite the dust.

[alisonv]

I notice that photos from Italy are missing! Here's a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QU-D1lZqO5g

I still support the President Obama as much as I supported Candidate Obama. I believe he is going to do what he promised. He's a great American and I expect great things from him.

[pbziegler]

We're not doing a lot of cheering for him now. And if we progressives stop sending money and working for the Democratic Party they will be in for a big surprise. Like last night we WILL stay home. YES WE WILL.

[VoteOnPaper]

What good will staying at home do the country or your community?

[pearlx2]

Yes, that's stupid. And that's how you get Tea Baggers in Washington.

That's a disaster plan.

[goldnchyl]

extremes on either side are never good. if progressives are truly more evolved than their rightwing counterparts, shouldn't they be more capable of resisting emotional responses? Shouldn't you be more capable than those on the extreme right of containing what you feel and considering more thoughtful responses? Like the president? Those who feel that they worked so hard to elect President Obama and now because everything hasn't been fixed in a year, I feel, are short-sighted and naive if they ever thought that it could happen like that. The president hasn't changed but you sure have. What have YOU done for the country lately? Besides bi*tch

"The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America -- I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you -- we as a people will get there."

Barack Obama,
November 4, 2008

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/04/obama-election-reactions_n_344818.html#postComment&cp

[OverIt]

Truly one of the best nights of my life. A top ten "Time Machine" moment for sure if I had the opportunity.

[alisonv]

Me, too! We stayed up all night together in Rome to watch the returns come in. What a moment!