From Europe to South America to Asia to his father's birthplace in Kenya, Barack Obama's candidacy has made an impact. Black Europeans are pinning their hopes for more representation in their government on a persuasive example set by the election of Barack. Citing his charisma and ideas, black community leaders say his race is not the only reason for the transatlantic support.

Meanwhile, Colombia has adopted a more spirited way to show support — making Obama the mascot of their lottery. Colombia's Metal region placed Obama's face on its Oct. 22 ticket. In a country whose president strongly supports President Bush, the lottery officials explained the mood of the people: "We picked Obama's portrait for our lottery because we're always looking for somebody people are raving about. He's ahead in opinion polls and right now he's the most popular guy around here."

In his NYT's column today, Nicholas Kristof recounts the disbelief a friend in Beijing shared when he told her there's a good chance America will elect a black man president. To see how he explained the potential of an Obama presidency, read more.

Kristof wrote:

We’re beginning to get a sense of how Barack Obama’s political success could change global perceptions of the United States, redefining the American “brand” to be less about Guantanamo and more about equality. This change in perceptions would help rebuild American political capital in the way that the Marshall Plan did in the 1950s or that John Kennedy’s presidency did in the early 1960s.

Are you excited by the possibility of global Bush hatred being replaced by Obama mania?

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