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If the vote for the next president of the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:off ice:smarttags" />United States was to be put before the world, the race would not even be close. Numerous polls around the world have shown that Barack Obama is the overwhelming choice for people outside of America. Not only has Obama made waves in his homeland, he has garnered unprecedented support from the remainder of the world that is losing faith in the idea of American leadership. The discussion here is not to answer whether Obama can be "President of the world". Essentially, it is about whether Obama can be a leader of the world, whether he can be the beacon of hope to lead us out of these tumultuous times. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:off ice:office" /

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That Obama is a lot more popular in countries outside of the US is not all that surprising. The truth is that unless you are an American, you are not likely to be privy to the intricacies and complexities of American politics. International opinion would not be based upon the party stance on issues of abortion or gay marriage or whether global warming is man-made. It is likely that international opinion would be based more on who would be more beneficial towards creating a more peaceful international community.

In that sense, McCain is portrayed as someone who would be tougher on terrorism than Obama. Although Obama has repeatedly stated that he is avail to using military force when it comes to dealing with terrorists, he is adamant that all diplomatic avenues should be exhausted before resorting to force. Even when force is needed, he supports multilateralism. This "Obama doctrine" is definitely more palatable to the international community. McCain is also saddled by his association with the incumbent Bush who will leave behind a legacy of two controversial wars.

The election of Obama would go a long way in improving the world view of the US. Obama himself has said that his meteoric rise would have been inconceivable anywhere else but the US. A black president in the White House would show the world that Americans have the maturity to see beyond the color of one's skin, a trait that has somewhat been undermined by the unwarranted animosity shown towards people of middle-eastern origin in the aftermath of 9-11.

Huge crowds greeted Obama during his trip to Europe, with many waving American flags. Although critics say that he might have jumped the gun a little, no one can deny that Obama has demonstrated the ability to bring together the peoples of the world in a way that no American president ever has, which is all the more remarkable considering that anti-American sentiment is at its height. Obama might be the one to restore American pride and American standing in the international community.

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