Hey World, What Do You Think of US Now?

And they say newspapers are dead in America. The New York Times sold out after printing 275,000 extra copies. People were seen standing in line outside the New York Times headquarters at 41st and Eighth Avenue in New York. Nowadays it's hard to give away newspapers for free. But today is when displaying the results "Obama Wins" on Google News isn't going to cut it. We need that hard copy to make it real and to store away for our grandchildren. I was there, we can share. I witnessed America say a collective "Yes!"

For many Americans, the other guy didn't win. They feel a sense of loss. An aging American hero who energized his own base of mavericks in 2000 won the nomination of his political party in 2008, but not the hearts and minds of the general electorate. Senator McCain, you inspired me eight years ago. I don't know where that Senator went in 2008. I never felt uplifted by your rhetoric. Joe the Plumber drove me crazy. It wasn't your year. It never could have been.

We made a mistake in 2004. And we had to correct that mistake yesterday.

We said we were sorry in 2004. Global friends, today we display a sense of pride about America, some of us for the first time, some in a long time. We're having our Michelle Obama moment. Or maybe that immediate period just after 9/11 when the French newspaper Le Monde declared, "We are all Americans now."

Where do we go from here? Do GWOT and GSAVE become outmoded acronyms? Recall the Global War on Terror and Global Struggle Against Violent Extremism. Will the Obama Effect translate into a transformative, life-affirming diplomacy? Today we think it will. Only tomorrow will tell.

For now, my students are excited and enthusiastic. They keep saying America is back, that they are proud to be Americans, and that Obama's win allows them to wear two hats as American citizens but also global citizen diplomats.

We may be seeing the beginnings of presidential leadership that co-inspires mutual trust instead of conspiring to undermine public will.

Obama's acceptance speech was beyond anything the Democratic persuader-in-chief Bill Clinton could have delivered in 1992:

"And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world -- our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down -- we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security -- we support you. And to all those who have wondered if Americas beacon still burns as bright -- tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope."

I worked at the US Information Agency from 1992-1994 as a cultural affairs and educational exchange specialist. I recall thinking it's America's stories, not the official story about America, that is our best advertising campaign to the world.

And along comes one Barack Obama who embodies that philosophy.

Like Ben and Jerry's Coffee Heath Bar Crunch, this guy is almost too good to be true.

Read more reaction from HuffPost bloggers to Barack Obama's victory in the 2008 presidential election

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Comments

[RonCanada]

Ok, America, I apologize for all those bad things've been saying for the last few weeks (things like "laughingstock of the entire world", and "never underestimate the ignorance of the American voter".) You finally got it right. Now run with it, and prove that you really are the greatest country in the world.

[ConfuciusSay-]

It is extremely significant that the US finally has a president-elect that has some experience of the actual world. Reality is uh, reality-based.

When Bush began his transparent lies as early as 2003, it became clear that he did not deserve a second term, and ought never to have been elected at all. The 2004 election tarnished America globally. As the last 4 years dragged the country from disaster to disaster, as your rights were curtailed, as you began to torture, as your economy predictably collapsed, as the global standing shrank and shrank, the rest of us on the outside could only shrug. You guys asked for it.

Despite the resounding evidence to the contrary, a depressingly large percentage of the US voters continued to see nothing wrong with the failures, still backed the Republican party, and are now growling and cursing the results yesterday.
With thinkers like Bill Kristol leading the pack, with misinformation being Foxfed, and with the terrifying influence of Evangelical churches directing the vote, it is perhaps quite predictable that lack of reason, absence of facts, and prejudice dominates the decision making processes of these voters.

The world's largest war machine needs to be permanently removed from their grasping hands. Give them books instead. You have 4 years to try to modify their behaviour.

[VoxCanaille]

You're catching up! You're close enough behind us, we can almost hear you yell "democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope".

I'm certainly glad America seems to get it now; it's been a long time coming, but America still has a lot of catching up to do. This wonderful outcome to the election does not instantly place you out in front. When habeus corpus is restored, when tyrrany is removed (ie repeal the Patriot Act), and when actual full equality exists in America (ie California 8), then perhaps you can re-apply for your previous position.

[Geoffreys]

You may be right and we may have lost our pre-eminent position but, from my travels outside the EU and North America, I see there is a desire for the US to reach for our ideals and to strive to be the shining beacon on a hill. I'm proud of my country and what we re-started yesterday.

We're not perfect by any means and we'll always have one more hurdle to overcome, but idea of America is back.

[peterg76]

The world is relieved, cautiously optimistic, and still puzzled that anyone would have voted McCain at all.

[blaqntelligence]

Don't worry my friend I, this American citizen, share your relief, cautious optimism, and puzzlement.
Please join me also in sharing a quiet pride in our country.