After it was all over yesterday and the MSM finally projected both Tester and Webb as winners, it all started to sink in i.e., the enormity of what was accomplished, how it would affect our beloved country, and inevitably, what the world's reaction was to be after our successful bloodless insurrection. We all heard about how the world was watching and how we, rank & file Americans would be judged on the outcome of this election.
I know that I, like most of you, did what we did in this election not to garner world favor but rather to preserve our democracy before it slipped completely from our grasp. To me, any accolades bestowed upon us by the rest of the world are just icing on the cake.
More below
Anyway, out of curiosity, I surfed the internet for world opinion columns and articles from various media outlets around the world. I included bits & pieces but the full articles are worth a read.
I think it's safe to say: "The world approves!"
Here's a little diddy from the Independent Online:
http://comment.independent.co.uk/...
All in all, it was an impressive tally for one day of voting.
This result, though, is far more than the sum of its individual contests - as the summary removal of the defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, showed. It constitutes a political turnaround comparable to that wrought by the Republicans with their Contract for America in 1994. That victory tapped into the same sentiments that were to facilitate George Bush's contentious victory in 2000. Tuesday night's results mark the eclipse - for the time being, perhaps forever - of that particular brand of messianic, back-to-basics, Republicanism.
And, we have this from the CTV.ca in Canada:
http://www.ctv.ca/...
The Republicans lost in the election because the American voters are now fed up and bored with the war. The American people now realize that Bush is the big liar."
Others around the world hoped that the election results would mark a shift in priorities for the U.S., with a transition to a greater focus on trade policies and human rights.
And, this from Speigel Online International in Germany:
http://www.spiegel.de/...
A telling conclusion to this election campaign, which has been remarkable not just for its bitterness, but also for its potential for change, its unpredictability, and its mélange of fact and fiction. What distinguishes this campaign is also the fact that it has become a referendum on the war in Iraq and on the president himself. Even if Bush's name isn't on any ballot, he has nevertheless been haunting the campaign like a phantom candidate.
Germany's neighbors in Switzerland also chimed in with this from The Tribune De Geneve:
http://www.watchingamerica.com/...
For example, it would no longer be so easy to place conservative judges on the Supreme Court. Great battles would occur over the program of eavesdropping on Americans, and there would be hearings on energy, environmental and health policies. Let's not even mention the tax breaks for oil companies. Democrats could stop bills and - the cherry on the cake - set up boards of inquiry to investigate the scandals surrounding the Bush Administration.
This from The Herald Sun in Australia:
http://www.news.com.au/...
THE Democratic Party has stormed to power in the US Congress on the back of voter dissatisfaction over corruption, scandal and the war in Iraq.
Democrats knocked off top Republicans and quickly picked up seats in formerly impenetrable conservative enclaves including Arizona, Texas, Florida and Ohio.
The balance of power has shifted in Washington, and President George W. Bush faces the prospect of becoming a lame duck leader, unable to pass legislation through Congress without Democratic approval.
The Times of India concentrated on the first Muslim ever elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...
"We believe his election will send a powerful message to the world about America's commitment to religious inclusion and tolerance," said Nidad Awad, executive director of the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations, an umbrella organization linking 11 Islamic organizations, before the vote.
Surprisingly, (to me anyway) The Mail & Guardian Online from Africa concentrated on the "environmental" aspect of the U.S. elections.
http://www.mg.co.za/...
Still, gathered in the Kenyan capital for a key United Nations climate-change conference, delegates and observers said Republican losses could help the environment and might force an easing in Bush's tough stance on other, related matters.
"This is good news for climate," said WWF climate-change director Hans Verholme, adding quickly he did not think the results could force a change in the administration's vehement opposition to the Kyoto Protocol.
This commentary I found at Turkish Press Online.com:
http://www.turkishpress.com/...
US voters have rebuked President George W. Bush over Iraq and political corruption, handing control of the House of Representatives to the Democrats and boosting their power in the Senate in a dramatic Washington power shift.
Folks, I know every one of us voted for change in America for internal reasons, but it kind of makes me feel good to know that this one single, consequential day in American history also put us on the road to reconciliation with the rest of the world in which we live.