World Hopes for a 'Less Arrogant America'

Around the world, large crowds packed outdoor plazas and pubs to await U.S. elections results Tuesday, many inspired by Barack Obama's promise of change and a sense of relief that — no matter who wins — the White House is changing hands. As millions of U.S. voters decided who would be their next leader, the world was abuzz with the sense of bearing witness to a moment of history that would echo well beyond American borders.

"America is electing a new president, but for the Germans, for Europeans, it is electing the next world leader," said the director of the German Council on Foreign Relations. In Germany, where more than 200,000 people flocked to see Obama this summer during a trip to the Middle East and Europe, the election dominated television ticker crawls, newspaper headlines and Web sites.

In Kenya, Obama's ancestral homeland, the atmosphere was electric with pride and excitement as people flocked to all-night parties to watch election results roll in. Kenyans believe an Obama victory wouldn't change their lives much, but that hasn't stopped them from splashing his picture on minibuses and selling T-shirts with his name and likeness. Kenyans gathered around radios and TV sets Tuesday night as the results came in.

The Irish village of Moneygall was also trying to claim Obama as a favorite son — based on research that concluded the candidate's great-great-great grandfather lived there before emigrating to the United States. The entertainment at Moneygall's Hayes Bar included a local band called Hardy Drew and the Nancy Boys that has been winning air time with its rousing folk song "There's No One as Irish as Barack Obama."

London Mayor Boris Johnson — a Conservative — was rooting for the liberal Obama. "For those who have become disenchanted with America — including many Americans — (Obama) offers the hope of re-igniting the love affair," he said. In Paris, among the festivities planned was a "Goodbye George" party to bid farewell to Bush. A Paris bank tell said, "It lets America turn an important page in its history."

Obama-mania was evident not only across Europe but also in much of the Islamic world, where Muslims expressed hope that the Democrat would seek compromise rather than confrontation. Worldwide, most Muslims believe the Bush administration alienated Muslims by mistreating prisoners at its detention center for terrorism suspects at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and inmates at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison.

In the Japanese coastal town of Obama — which translates as "little beach" — images of President-elect Obama adorned banners along a main shopping street, and preparations for a victory party were in full swing.