海角大神

As Wednesday dawned rainy and gray on the Champs- 脡lys茅es, a Parisian waiter spontaneously gave a fist pump and shouted, 鈥淥bamamania! Yeah!鈥�

The world, which has tracked this American election like no other, sees Barack Hussein Obama as their president, their choice. And they see him through their own geographical and cultural prisms. To many, he represents the restoration of faith in American democratic ideals, of equality. The global euphoria over the election of the first black US president is also partly an expression of a populace that wants to believe that the same principles can apply to their lives, too.

Of course, as the son of a Kenyan goatherd, he鈥檒l be Africa鈥檚 man at the White House, say Kenyans. But his appeal seems to transcend his heritage or his skin color. In Pakistan, for example, where politics has been the province of a wealthy elite, Mr. Obama is a powerful symbol for the dispossessed masses. Yes, he went to Harvard University. But also went to a Muslim elementary school in Indonesia. 鈥淭hey will say, 鈥楬e is one of us,鈥欌�� says Rasul Baksh Rais, a political scientist at the Lahore University of Management Sciences.

In Saudi Arabia, many young Saudis have been affectionately using his middle name, dubbing him 鈥�Abu Hussein,鈥� or 鈥淔ather of Hussein.鈥� Here, he symbolizes a restoration of faith in the democratic freedoms that Saudis don鈥檛 yet have. 鈥淪audis 鈥� did not really believe in the American version of democracy. How could they when all the presidents of the so-called 鈥榤elting pot鈥� were Anglo,鈥� writes Eman Al-Nafjan in her post on the Saudiwoman鈥檚 Weblog. 鈥淏ut now they are rubbing their eyes in disbelief.鈥�

Similarly, Liu Na, a high school teacher in Beijing, China, said Wednesday that 鈥渉is victory proves that there is real democracy in the United States.鈥� She added, 鈥淗e is not from a family of profound influence鈥�. Obama has a very international background, which represents America鈥檚 special situation; so many citizens are immigrants. He relied on his own hard work and abilities to go so far.鈥�

The Anti-Bush reaction

The global enthusiasm for Obama also has a lot to do with the way the world views America in the post-9/11 world. It鈥檚 a reaction. Even America鈥檚 allies had grown tired of the Bush administration鈥檚 dogged go-it-alone unilateralism in its war on terror, and later its appeals for help in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The current financial crisis, seeded in decades of laissez-faire regulation of American banks and hedge funds, also persuaded many that America needed new leadership. But while global citizens knew they couldn鈥檛 cast votes, it was clear that they felt they had as much at stake in the US presidential elections 鈥� and indeed, in the very idea of America as a democracy 鈥� as Americans do.

鈥淗is [Obama鈥檚] message is so powerful for Africans: Yes we can,鈥� says David Monyae, an independent political analyst in Johannesburg. 鈥淚f an African-American can do it and become president, then people in Africa think, maybe black nations can also do it, and achieve prosperity, and people who are struggling for democracy in Zimbabwe can do it, and those in power can do what is in their power to change their countries for the better.鈥�

In Europe, the meaning of Obama is tied up with the meaning of America in a very real sense. Obama has tapped what has long been a 鈥渦niversalist鈥� strain in French thinking, political scientists say 鈥� in part, that all individuals are equal and owed that equality.

鈥淥bama will bring a new trust in America around the world. We can now think of ourselves dreaming again with the Americans, dreaming about better relations, about a real future,鈥� says Harold Herman, a lawyer in a Paris firm. 鈥淔or eight years, we鈥檝e not been able to think of ourselves in a real relationship with America, and it is not what we wanted. But now, new things are possible. The US, Europe, and Africa all have new possibilities for the future.鈥�

Dominique Moisi, a leading Paris intellectual, echoes the euphoric mood: 鈥淭his is a Copernican revolution in the image of the US.鈥�

In Montreal鈥檚 Haitian community, Obama鈥檚 visage has become ubiquitious, as iconic as Che Guevara. Sixty-four-year-old Haitian immigrant Jean-Michel Baptiste says he鈥檚 sold hundreds of Obama T-shirts from in his small ethnic grocery store in recent weeks.

鈥淚 never ever thought I would live to see a historic moment like this,鈥� said Mr. Baptiste Tuesday night. 鈥淎 page in history has been written. A black has been elected as the president of the most powerful country in the world,鈥� he said.

Even though Canada has a Haitian-born woman, Michaelle Jean, as its governor-general (a titular representative of the Queen of England), Baptiste says it鈥檚 not comparable. 鈥淟ook, she was appointed to her position. Obama earned his position by merit. He was chosen by the American people to be their commander-in-chief.鈥�

Louis Balthazar, a political scientist at the University of Quebec in Montreal, offers some insight into Obama鈥檚 popularity in Canada. 鈥淔irstly, he鈥檚 not [George W.] Bush. He represents something different. He鈥檚 not arrogant or domineering. His approach is respectful and cooperative.鈥�

Professor Balthazar says that the jubilation in the Haitian community is understandable. Obama鈥檚 election sends a strong message throughout the world about minorities. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a lesson to other countries, to us in particular. It鈥檚 an inspiration for us,鈥� he says. Of late, there has been a growing backlash to cultural minorities in the province of Quebec.

鈥淧eople are happy because he is of our color,鈥� says Tariq Bashir Mohamed Kheir, a Sudanese engineer, sitting down to an early morning cup of tea in Khartoum, Sudan. 鈥淚t will break the view of Americans.... They see blacks as inferior to whites鈥�.鈥�

Laurent Joffrin, editor of the French daily newspaper Lib茅ration, wrote in his Wednesday column, 鈥淥bama鈥檚 story shows that identity is not a fact of nature that locks men up inside their births, but [is shaped] by a conscious adherence to democratic principles.... Does that seem hypothetical or abstract? Maybe. But for an hour, a day, let鈥檚 believe in it. For the first time in a long time, the New World deserves its name.鈥�

End of multilateralism

In Beijing, Chinese leaders hope that Obama 鈥渨ill fundamentally shift from [President George] Bush鈥檚 unilateralism to multilateralism and give serious concern to cooperation with Europe, China, and Japan,鈥� says Yan Xuetong, a professor of international relations at Tsinghua University in Beijing. Over the past eight years, he added, America has come to be seen abroad as 鈥渟elfish, violent, and applying double standards. Obama can redeem America鈥檚 international image.鈥�

For Russia, the election comes after several years of deteriorating relations rooted in differences over the invasion of Iraq, NATO鈥檚 expansion, and, more recently, in the August war between Russian and Georgia. But Elina Kirichenko, head of North American studies at the official Institute of World Economy and International Relations in Moscow, says that Obama鈥檚 election is 鈥渁 very important signal to the world. Americans are saying they want changes. The fact that Obama is young, and is not a child of the cold war, is very hopeful. During the campaign he seemed much more flexible than McCain and spoke more about common interests of the world鈥檚 peoples.鈥�

In New Delhi, Teerna Khurana, a strategic consultant, lists all the ways that Obama could be a bad choice for India. He might reconsider Bush鈥檚 recently concluded deal to sell nuclear technology to India. Obama has also stated his desire to keep more jobs in the US, potentially undercutting India鈥檚 greatest economic success story 鈥� outsourcing. And his desire to find a solution to regional insecurity in Pakistan and Afghanistan could resurrect the issue of Kashmir.

Yet Ms. Khurana is overjoyed at Obama鈥檚 election. 鈥淚t鈥檚 good for America, it鈥檚 good for the world,鈥� she says, before adding, 鈥渢he only question is if it鈥檚 good for India.鈥�

In Tokyo, 鈥渕any people feel relieved鈥� by Obama鈥檚 victory, says Minoru Morita, a political analyst. 鈥淚t proves the soundness of America. Many Japanese believe Obama will work with other world leaders to put the world on the right track.鈥�

Skepticism in Iraq and Latin America

While change may be welcome in some quarters, Obama is met with skepticism in parts of the Arab world.

Rahim Sabri, owner of a popular breakfast restaurant in Baghdad, waves off Obama鈥檚 promise to end the war in Iraq. 鈥淥bama is also the face of the occupier,鈥� he says. 鈥淯S troops ... are at a crossroads: Either withdraw or stay forever.鈥�

But some Iraqis see Obama as a symbol of change that will affect them. 鈥淥bama is different. This time I am optimistic,鈥� says Jassim Attiya, a high school physics teacher. 鈥淲e are fed up with colonial white faces; people want to end the US presence in Iraq.鈥�

Many Mexicans worry that Obama has said he鈥檇 reconsider negotiating parts of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Still, 鈥淥bama winning means there is a real alternation in power,鈥� says Dan Lund, an American pollster based in Mexico City. 鈥淭hey are fascinated by this.鈥�

In Venezuela, residents there say they see parallels between the first black president in the US and their own president, Hugo Ch谩vez, who represented a change from the old power elite.

In Bolivia, now governed by its first indigenous president, people see a similar parallel, says Eduardo Gamarra, a political scientist at Florida International University: 鈥淏olivians and especially those who favor Evo Morales are looking at Obama with some expectations there.鈥�

鈥� Contributing to this story: Zhang Yajun from Beijing; Caryle Murphy from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Scott Peterson from Baghdad; Robert Marquand from Paris; Fred Weir from Moscow; Nachammai Raman from Montreal; Sara Miller Llana from Mexico City; Heba Aly from Khartoum, Sudan; Rob Crilly from Nairobi, Kenya; Mark Sappenfield from New Delhi; Peter Ford from Obama, Japan, and Takehiko Kambayashi in Tokyo.