A historical moment for America, and most of all, for the black community

I’m very interested in international politics, so, of course, I followed with attention yhe American elections. During the Primaries, I watched the TV to be informed about the candidates and their ideas. From the beginning, I felt more concerned about the Democrat’s program, especially on environnemental issues. I was quite surprised by Barack Obama’s nomination since I thought America wasn’t ready yet to have an African-American candidate. Because of the world economic crisis, I believed that the Americans were more cautious and that they would become even more conservative. After the nominations, the French newspapers became more interested in the campaign and it was really easy to follow. We also had many different points of views, so we could compare the candidates programs and understand the stakes of the campaign. I knew this election had become historical since M. Obama was the first African-American to reach this point in the race for presidency. If I were American, I would have voted for him, not only for the symbol he embodies, but mainly because he had greater ideas and ambitions for his country than M. McCain. On the 4th of November, I stayed up late at night, watching TV and waiting for the announcement of the winner. When I learnt that M. Obama had been elected, I was aware that it was a historical moment for America, and most of all, for the black community. I don’t know what he will realize during his presidency or if he will be a good president, but he will certainly change America’s image in the world.

From Floriane Schaeffer, Lycée en Forêt