One more day – in fact eight hours from now – our nation will have a new president. And as we have pointed out ad infinitum – the world is watching, and praying, that Barack Obama can deliver.
This article from France’s Le Parisian illustrates that the mushrooming excitement and hope now being expressed at the Washington Mall is a reflection of the hope – unrealistic or not – Obama is inspiring across the world, particularly in Europe.
For Le Parisien, Philippe Martinat writes in part:
“The French aren’t the last to sympathetically observe George Bush’s successor’s move to the White House. According to our CSA poll, 70 percent admit to placing ‘a lot’ or ‘some’ hope in Barack Obama. In a country that has long cultivated ambivalent sentiments toward the Americans, the French assessment of the approaching mandate of the new president is surprisingly lenient. Not only do most of our citizens believe that the actions of Obama can improve the lot of Americans, a third of them are betting that they, too, will feel the benefit of these positive effects. At a time when the ceasefire agreed upon by Israel in Gaza still appears fragile, and when war continues to ravage many parts of the globe, 72 percent of French believe that Obama’s arrival to power can bring peace to the world. Undoubtedly, relief at seeing Bush’s departure is no small contributor to this result …”
By Philippe Martinat
Translated By Sandrine Ageorges
January 18, 2009
France – Le Parisien – Original Article (French)
Three days before his inauguration in Washington, in front of three million people and billions of television viewers, Barack Obama embarked yesterday on a triumphant journey from Philadelphia. The French are putting a lot of faith in him.
On his way down from Philadelphia yesterday morning, in the midst of a polar cold snap on the train that would take him to Washington following the same itinerary as his political role model Abraham Lincoln, Barack Obama probably felt the crushing weight of expectation created by his election. Expectation that goes far beyond the borders of America.
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