The Day After
By Dr. Jackson Janes

In all the forty years I have traveled back and forth across the Atlantic, I never saw anything like what happened on November 5. It was almost midnight when Barack Obama came out on stage in Chicago to make his first speech as President-elect. And the crowd waiting for him in Grant Park was as excited as all the many others around the world when they heard the news. Whether in Berlin or Brussels, Stockholm or Sidney, and most assuredly in Kenya, it was as if they all had voted for Obama in their own way and were celebrating their new president. Of the six presidents elected since 1968 before him, only Obama was treated to this global cheering.

What was it that made this election so meaningful to millions of people around the world? There is no doubt that Obama represents the direct opposite of what has become associated with George Bush during these past eight years. It is perhaps interesting to speculate how Obama would have done against another type of president without the Bush baggage. But that alone does not explain the excitement generated by this election.

It was clear that our first African-American president represents a sensational and historical achievement for a society which was born with the original sin of racism. The majority of Americans can still remember when 'whites only' signs were the informal law of many parts of the country, and the right to vote was not self-evident for many black Americans.

And yet the election of Obama was much more than a triumph over racism. His message to Americans and the world was beyond that. He used the theme of change to underline the need to overcome the enormous set of problems facing the U.S., and this theme clearly resonated with the electorate. The addition of the economic meltdown in the final two months of the campaign provided immediate evidence that things needed to change. Indeed, had that crisis not intervened and the debate had focused more on defense and security issues, John McCain might have had a better chance of winning the election. But change prevailed in this election; what that change will mean will be the story of the next phase of the Obama era.

Obama is also a symbol for many of what American ideals and ideas represent. His own campaign slogan captures the phrase best: 'Yes we can' - overcome barriers, achieve goals we set, and unite together. And with that message he was able to reach across racial, age, and many other divisions to create an alliance of voters not seen before in U.S. history. On top of his ability to unite these blocs, he was also able to come through in terms of mobilizing these voters for the election, no small part of his success.

But again, why so much enthusiasm outside of the U.S.? And why for this man?

I think it is partly explained in the interpretation of Obama's personal story, the path which led him from Hawaii to Indonesia and back to Chicago, with influences from Kenya and Kansas along the way. It is in so many ways a success story which - as Obama constantly reminds us - would only be possible in the United States.

It is also explained by the picture he paints of the country and his ideas of its global role and responsibilities. But in large measure it is the feeling and the expectation that Obama will listen to others and their concerns. Obama's professed emphasis on multilateralism and diplomacy is highly attractive to foreign leaders due to the stark contrast with Bush's go-it-alone attitude, and the expectations are for a much more open policy. How the new president can manage those expectations while making choices which may not fulfill them will tell the story of a successful presidency - or one that will resemble the likes of perhaps Jimmy Carter.

I have not seen such admiration for an American political figure since John Kennedy, but even he was not celebrated in his election year as has been Obama. Bill Clinton was perhaps more popular in Europe at the end of his term than he was in the United States, but no one knew the governor from Arkansas when he was elected in 1992.

Obama is perhaps for many a symbol of what they would like America to be. What he and America will actually be in the next four years remains to be determined. If there was ever a president whom so many wish well, it is this man who takes up his role as president in January.

All one might add is - now it's time to earn this, Mr. President.

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This essay appeared in the November 7, 2008, AICGS Advisor.

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