Like millions of Americans, I watched the scene at Grant Park in Chicago on election night as Barack Obama delivered the victory speech as president-elect, with a real sense of hope that something fundamental was changing. A few hours later, I began receiving excited e-mail from friends in Europe who were overjoyed with the choice American voters had made.
The election of the first African-American president of the United States has been greeted by people outside the country as a stunning breakthrough and a positive development for global relations. Excitement was palpable in news photos and TV images from around the world -- with one striking exception.
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