US Readers Divided by Europe's Approval of Obama

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Even if Obama can't deliver 98 percent of the list of things that need to change and my taxes even go up, the altered tone and style of his presidency will be well worth it. The world has to start somewhere. Obama has to be better than what we have now. -- Lorelei, US

Extensive research done on voting has long since come to the undeniable conclusion that the majority of people vote for very superficial reasons. Case in point is the almost unbelievable fanatic support for Barack Obama, who is almost seen as a messianic figure worldwide. Yet, even the most ardent Obama supporters cannot answer a straightforward question of who he is or what he has ever accomplished, fewer still seem to know anything about the platform he is running on. I have found many times that putting Obama supporters to the test with these simple questions will inevitably result in vague repeated mantras of "change" and the "hope he offers." It is not unlike talking to brain-washed cult-members who always follow blindly a "revered leader." -- Jeff, US

One reader says Obama brings hope, another says his fans are blindly fanatical

No doubt the US finds itself in a culture shift; but make no mistake, the shift will occur with or without Obama. The biggest failure in the article is you appear to be clueless as to this US election. This is more of a movement than a historical event. And while there will be gains and losses depending on point of view, significant change will occur, and to a much larger extent if the 60-seat threshold is met. We'll all have to wait and see just what the US metamorphosis turns out to be over the next generation, but the US, for better or worse, is changing, and dramatically -- brought on as much by economics as politics. -- Mike Ball, US

I hope that Europeans will understand what it really means for the United States to elect Barack Obama. Its more than just a political step forward, its a glimpse of hope for a society in which people of color or of immigrant backgrounds can finally feel a sense of what this country should be about: the concept of the dream that all people are created equal and free. It would not be just words on parchment anymore; it would be the beginning of a generation of real tolerance, a realization of a vision that brings hope to a future where the US can finally take its place in the world's village and not be just a castle on a hill. It may sound idealistic but it's how he makes us feel. He is an inspiration to people that have become increasingly pessimistic. In my mind (he is) intellectual humanitarian, strong, compassionate and unafraid of a journey that seems to be his destiny. -- Margaret, US