Barack Obama has secured the requisite number of delegates in order to receive the Democratic nomination for the US Presidential 2008 election. Although Hillary Clinton has yet to concede, numerous groups – including the Congressional Black Caucus – have urged Obama to consider Clinton as his running mate.
A cursory glance at the foreign blogosphere would seem to indicate that Obama is the favored candidate abroad. Today's rejoicing in the blogosphere only serves to back up that hypothesis, with bloggers celebrating Obama's potential nomination.
From South Africa, The Times blogger Ray Hartley expresses some concern over an Obama presidency:
Obama spoke of restoring the US to a position of leadership in the free world and the world will no doubt applaud this re-orientation.
But I can’t help feeling that this massive shift in resources from a failed foreign policy to domestic issues might, ironically, see the US become more insular under an Obama presidency.
In order to win over middle America, Obama is going to have to look inwards and back up his promise of “Change we can believe in†with a better life for those battered by the economy.
American student Exuberant Rationality explains Obama's global popularity:
Yes, Barrack Obama is the candidate of choice for the rest of the world. This isn't too surprising, given that he has family living on nearly every continent and his willingness to have open dialogue with everyone, including “enemies.
An African-American blogger, Homeland Colors, recognizes the role of race in Obama's global popularity:
Around the world people of color are rejoicing. They are celebrating, not because Obama is himself the leader they are looking for, but because he shows that one can be born of any race or ethnic group and make something of oneself. For the last four centuries, one had to be of pure European descent to gain certain positions. That era may be over.
Blogger Tane of New Zealand's The Standard puts it simply:
Thank God that’s over.
The first comment on the post stands out:
OK, I am a right of center leaning person but I for one am extremely heartened by the fact that an African American only one generation removed from a hut in a kenyan village is now vying for the most powerful position in the US.
That he could not only be a candidate, but a viable candidate with a real chance of securing the top job, speaks of an optimism that is sadly lacking in the world today.
I don’t know enough about the specifics of the man, but his charisma is self evident.
Eleven-year-old Canadian The World of Isaac shares a brief thought:
Hillary Clinton still says though that she will not make an immediate decision on what course her campaign is going to take. Who knows what that means as Obama has already won!?
Moroccan Laila Lalami encourages readers to rejoice at this historic event:
For those of you who are not won over to the young senator from Illinois, let me just say that there'll be plenty of time to be skeptical. But for now why not enjoy this historic day? One hundred and forty five years after the Emancipation Proclamation, and forty five years after “I Have a Dream,” an African American has become his party's nominee for the presidency of the United States. That is reason to rejoice.
Last but certainly not least, prolific blogger The Moor Next Door shares a smattering of opinions from news and blog sources on his own blog, with the introduction:
After talking with various people and looking over several reactions to Barack Obama’s realization of the Democratic presidential nomination (as well as Mrs. Clinton’s shamelessly arrogant speech), I have decided to post a few of the ones I agree with or find interesting, along with some older statements that I think might be appropriate to the feeling of the occasion (one of which is clearly from the view of his supporters; the other is more ambiguous, and could come from his, Mrs. Clinton’s or John McCain’s supporters.)