I’m not sure which is my favorite reaction:
1. Filippo’s “oh mamma mia,” or
2. The bit about Obama being a real postmodern,
3. Obama encapsulating what non-Americans understand as the American dream.
From ABC International News:
In Italy, Romans on the street this morning were openly excited by the results.
Drinking their coffees and cappuccinos, some called the election results “real democracy.” Many had watched Obama’s victory speech this morning before they left home; it aired live before 5 a.m. Italian time.
Though most didn’t seem sure about how Obama as president would or could change things for them, they were especially relieved that this marked the end of the Bush era.
“Of course, it affects me,” said Filippo at his newsstand this morning, as he happily handed out papers with Obama on all the front pages. “This is change. Not like that Bush. … Oh mamma mia.”
One commentator on television this morning summed up the country’s mood, saying, “While the rest of the world is questioning America’s supremacy as world leader, Americans elect a true postmodern politician, one who encapsulates the whole American dream in one person.”