Letter: The world was watching
Last Saturday evening I had an insightful, spontaneous conversation with my 30-year-old niece from France and three 18-year-old Americans who voted for the first time on Tuesday. Two of the newbies said they were voting for President Obama, while the third was a bit undecided but leaning toward a vote for Mitt Romney.
The fifth person in the room, my niece – born, raised and still living in Paris – was asked for her opinion. Were the French watching our election? Her answer, “Of course we are watching your election. Everyone is watching America because you are the leader of the world.”
I then asked her how she would vote, and she replied, “Sixty to 70 percent of France would vote for Obama, if they could vote.” I then turned to the undecided newbie and asked what he thought of her answer, and he said it “certainly added another perspective.”
Guess what, America? This election wasn’t just about us. Each vote represented thousands of Europeans who were watching our election with bated breath. The majority of the world thought we were idiots when we kind-of-almost-sort-of elected George W. Bush, but we would have been considered complete buffoons if Romney were to have been elected.
Your vote Tuesday affected the world, and the world was looking for Obama to hold center stage. They were waiting to hear what we had to say about who we are and what we stand for, and we didn’t let them down.
Thank you, America, for legitimizing the United States to foreign countries by re-electing Obama, living up to the notion that we are still considered the world’s leader.
DANIELLE HUSTON
Bow
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