In case you haven't heard ...

For those of you not aware, the citizens of the United States elected a new President on Tuesday. Perhaps you've heard of him ... Barack Obama. If you know me, you know how I feel about this. (take a moment to close your eyes and imagine Kerry doing her happy dance)

But what do the French think ???

Yep! You guessed it! They're psyched!! (big surprise, eh?)

In a survery conducted a few days before the election, something like 90% of Europeans polled would vote for Obama if they could. The elections have been all over the news on every TV channel here, and most of them have sent reporters to various cities around the country. I even saw a report from Wilmington, OH ... just a few miles from where my Dad sails.

The overall attitude of the journalists and the people with whom I've spoken about this (EVERYONE wants to talk to me about the election!) is that they're happy and excited about the change of leadership in the States. They think Obama will do a good job, but they also acknowledge that he's got a HUGE job ahead of him.

The French have also started speculating whether a candidate from a racial minority could win a presidential election here, and most think it couldn't happen yet. However, in the last presidential election, one of the two main candidates was a woman.

As for me, having been somewhat out of the loop during the campaign, as far as US media goes, I was a bit surprised to see just what a large part Obama's race played. I don't know just how much it was discussed in the months leading up to election day, but it was clear on Wednesday that his election was historic ... and incredibly powerful. Looking at the crowds of people gathered in Chicago and New York, I got the impression that his election was a significant first step to reunifying the country. Many people feel as though there is new hope for America ... and for the world. The French are already looking to the future, especially hopeful that he will bring a turnabout to the economic problems plaguing not just the US, but France and so many other countries around the world.