Watching America Vote
By NBC News' Iqbal Sapand
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – There were no all night parties or victory celebrations in Kabul to celebrate Barack Obama's win, but for Afghans here an Obama presidency raises expectations and for many brings new hopes.
President Hamid Karzai wasted no time congratulating the president-elect. But, he also used the opportunity to send a strong message that Afghans can no longer tolerate the high toll of civilian casualties from indiscriminate bombings by U.S. and NATO forces. "We cannot win the fight against terrorism with airstrikes," Karzai said. "This is my first demand of the new president of the United States – to put an end to civilian casualties."
Karzai was referring to airstrikes Tuesday against the Taliban in the southern province of Kandahar which hit a wedding party and killed a number of civilians.
A Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousef , was quick to condemn the United States. "You see," Yousef said, "his (Obama's) victory was welcomed with more innocent people losing their lives." "Obama has already said he will send even more troops to Afghanistan," Yousef said. "More troops will mean more innocent people dying; it is not the solution for Afghanistan."
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By NBC News' Karim Hilmi
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Iraqis expressed hope Wednesday that Barack Obama’s victory in the presidential election would usher in a change in policy toward their struggling country, but many remained skeptical.
"The American policy is fixed and it won't change. Washington has its own agenda to carry on. We will wait and see if Obama is going to withdraw American forces from Iraq," said Alwan Awad, a bookshop owner in Baghdad. "Let him start a new era of extending bridges of cooperation and friendship with Iraq and the rest of the Arab and Muslim world."
Obama, president-elect in the United States, has pledged to change U.S. policy toward Iraq by drawing down troops and shifting them to Afghanistan, another country beset by conflict years after a U.S. invasion. This message resonated with some Iraqis.
"I loved this man's motto ‘change’ which has a large meaning and effect on the whole world," said Nawzad Kurdi, a shoe manufacturer in Baghdad. "I sincerely hope that this man will lead a new policy and strategy to show the real face of the Americans as friends and partners to people of the world and change the bad image which Bush drew for the Americans, particularly in Iraq."
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By Jennifer Carlile, msnbc.com reporter
LONDON, ENGLAND – Britons awoke Wednesday to headlines like the Daily Express’ "A New World Dawns," and The Independent’s "Mr. President" in bold print below a full-page picture of Barack Obama wearing a winning grin.
From all-night television coverage to special, late editions of the morning papers, not printed until most polls had closed, the U.S. election has eclipsed all national news here. Although Obama’s win wasn’t announced until 4 a.m. GMT, early morning commuters across the capital already new the verdict from across the pond.
"It’s fantastic news; great for the U.S., great for the world – just an absolute milestone in history," 41-year-old Londoner Jamie Davies said as he sipped a coffee from Starbucks before heading to work.
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| Luke Macgregor / Reuters |
| Supporters celebrate as Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) is announced President during an election party held at the U.S. Embassy in London, early Wednesday morning. |
Ahead of the election, four out of five British citizens said the outcome would make a difference to their country, according to a Gallup Poll taken in October. That figure was higher than from any other country polled.
"Everyone knows that whatever America faces, the world faces," said Evans Olekanma, a shopping center employee in Hammersmith, West London.
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By Ron Mott, NBC News Correspondent
KISUMU, Kenya – You can’t walk more than a few dozen paces through the downtown streets of this city of roughly 500,000 without hearing the names "Barack," "Obama," or more likely, "Barack Obama," springing forth from sidewalk conversations.
He seems to be on the minds and tongues of just about everyone here, to say nothing about all those T-shirts, bumper stickers, and colorful clothes that are fashioned into women’s dresses bearing his image. In fact, one young man made a hat that puts an ordinary 20-gallon cowboy hat to shame. It rose two feet off his head, covered with newspaper clippings about Obama.
Simply put, Kenyans are beyond excited about the prospects of a President Obama.
Kisumu is about a 90-minute drive from the rural village of K’Ogelo, where Obama’s grandmother, siblings and extended family live. It’s usually quiet and low-key in these parts, but then again, there’s nothing usual about a potential U.S. president having ties to this hard-working, farming community carved out of the forested vistas of western Kenya.
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By Dan Strieff, msnbc.com reporter
LONDON
– "I really wish we could vote in your election
– after all, it affects all of us, you know."
For most Americans who recently have spent time abroad, chances are they’ve heard some variation of that statement.
As the United States prepares to elect a president every four years, the rest of the world looks on with a mix of hope, trepidation and fascination – and never has that been the case more than this year’s contest between Republican Sen. John McCain and Democratic Sen. Barack Obama.
With the Bush era drawing to a close, more than 150,000 U.S. troops are fighting in two war zones and the world's largest economy is reeling. Meantime, a campaign that has energized American voters also has captivated the world.
Due to the preponderance of U.S. economic, military and cultural power, U.S. elections have a far greater impact on people outside the United States than foreign elections have on Americans.
"There is quite a lot of interest in American politics … so that people feel a personal stake in which way the election goes," said Stephen Casey, a professor at the London School of Economics and an expert on U.S. foreign policy and public opinion.
Click here to read the rest of the story about why global interest in the U.S. elections is so intense this year.
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By Paul Goldman, NBC News Producer
TEL AVIV, Israel – Thousands of Americans living in Israel cast their votes this week for the U.S. elections. With approximately 40,000 Americans in Israel registered to vote, their numbers are small, but significant.
And Shimon Greenspan and Dina Lerner, founders of a private, non-partisan organization called Vote from Israel, were determined to make sure their votes were counted.
Several months ago Greenspan and Lerner, were sitting around with friends talking about the upcoming election and were amazed to find out their friends were not intending to vote. There were many reasons, but they mainly boiled down to that that it was just too difficult.
All the excuses prompted Greenspan and Lerner to create their organization and encourage U.S. residents living here to register and vote. In a period of only a few weeks, their organization has been responsible for registering up to 10,000 U.S. citizens to vote in the November elections.
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By Lawahez Jabari, NBC News Producer
RAMALLAH, West Bank - With the U.S. election now just a few days away, Palestinians here have been fascinated by the race, not only because the system of primaries, conventions, and debates is so different compared to the way leaders are chosen here, but also because of the prospect that Americans could actually elect a person of color as their leader.
It's always been a given that the unflinching support for Israel by the U.S. helps give Israel leverage in its negotiations with the Palestinian Authority and that statements of support from the White House have always been the best indicator of that commitment. But, that's also why this year's election has been closely watched by the Palestinian media and by Palestinians in the streets of the West Bank, Gaza, and east Jerusalem.
All of the people I spoke with in the West Bank are tantalized by the idea of a Barack Obama presidency. They see it not only as an historic moment for the U.S., but also as the possible breakthrough they've been waiting for in their own struggle for a state.
At the same time though, enthusiasm for an Obama presidency is tempered by the sobering facts on the ground.
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By Jason Cumming, msnbc.com reporter
LAKENHEATH, England – In a country where "football" means "soccer" and "American football" is derided as an inferior version of rugby, the quarterback painted on the bookie’s front window is an unusual sight to say the least.
On the other side of the High Street, the Stars and Stripes are on display outside the Costlow cell phone shop. A laminated U.S. map welcomes customers to R & B Property Agency and there are noticeably more SUVs and Ford F-350s on quaintly named streets like Dumpling Bridge Lane than in most places in Britain.
With the U.S. Air Force’s 48th Fighter Wing based on 2,000 acres of countryside at the edge of this village, about 500 of the community's 2,000 dwellings are occupied by Americans and their families, giving the area a distinctively American flavor.
But the absence of "McCain 2008" or "Obama for President" signs sprouting from lawns in Lakenheath has much more to do with geography than a lack of interest in the race for the White House.
As a home to American airmen for 60 years, RAF Lakenheath is one of three U.S. military outposts within a 15-minute drive of the village. Officials estimate there are as many as 30,000 Americans in the area.
Long considered a source of aggravation, the conversation-halting roar of F-15s overhead now provides local residents with regular reminders that the looming U.S. election could have a dramatic impact on their livelihoods.
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By Homero Nava for msnbc.com
MEXICO CITY – Given our common 1,900-mile border, it’s not surprising that Mexicans south of the border are paying close attention to the U.S. presidential election.
Migration issues and the violent anti-drug war along the border region are big issues – but without a doubt, the top worry for many Mexicans is the economy.
While Americans have been wrestling with the bailout plan, Mexico has already been suffering – the peso’s value has plunged by 18 percent this month, its worst monthly performance since December 1994, when Mexico’s currency fell by 48 percent.
The peso rebounded a bit this week, but Mexico’s growth rate has slowed from 4 percent to 1 percent and unemployment is on the rise.
Many Mexicans have placed responsibility for the disaster squarely on President Bush, and by extension see presidential candidate Sen. John McCain as someone who would pursue the same policies as the current administration.
"We definitely don’t want another Bush. I have more faith in [Barack] Obama, because at least he would listen to new models and new ways of working," said Vanesa Musi, a Mexican artist.
Musi is not alone, many in Mexico are hoping for the arrival of the "Obama era."
According to a Reader’s Digest Global Presidential Poll, 70 percent of respondents support Obama, and 25 percent support McCain.
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By Ali Arouzi, NBC News Producer
TEHRAN, Iran – In a country that can be very isolated, people from all walks of life in Iran seem to know the ins and outs of the upcoming U.S. elections. Most are well informed about the candidates and their running mates and almost everyone has an opinion or a theory – some surprising, some far-fetched.
Some even want to claim Sen. Barack Obama as one of their own – with Persian lineage to boot.
"Obama has an international background, I understand his background is not totally American, he even has family ties with Iran, I hear Bushehr," said a university professor who asked only to be identified as Max. He was referring to the southwest port town of Bushehr, which coincidentally is the site of Iran’s controversial nuclear facility.
Others seem to believe that the hard-line policies of Sen. John McCain may be exactly what are needed to deal with the current Iranian regime. "I think McCain should become president, America needs a strong experienced man to deal with this region," said a student who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
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