Thoughts on our election

A look at what some of our enemies thought of our election:

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The leader of a jihadi group in Iraq argued Friday that the election of Barack Obama as president represented a victory for radical Islamic groups that had battled American forces since the invasion of Iraq.
The statement, which experts said was part of the psychological duel with the United States, was included in a 25-minute audiotaped speech by Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, leader of the Islamic State of Iraq, an umbrella organization that claims ties to Al Qaeda. Mr. Baghdadi’s statement was posted on a password-protected Web site called Al Hesbah, used to disseminate information to Islamic radicals.
In his address, Mr. Baghdadi also said that the election of Mr. Obama — and the rejection of the Republican candidate, Senator John McCain — was a victory for his movement, a claim that has already begun to resonate among the radical faithful. In so doing Mr. Baghdadi highlighted the challenge the new president would face as he weighed how to remove troops from Iraq without also giving movements like Al Qaeda a powerful propaganda tool to use for recruiting.

A look at what some of our soldiers thought of the election:

Sitting on a couch in front of the television in the early hours of the morning, an Army Captain watched as the election results were being reported. He shook his head in disgust. "This is proof that the media can elect a President." The room walls were grey concrete, the floor covered in a red Afghan rug, the sofa and love seat torn and worn down from constant use. The dusty television was set in a plywood box; a field made "entertainment" cabinet. The Captain continued, "I take [Obama's] not wearing the flag on his lapel and his reasoning very personally. Fuck him. That flag is more than just about a country and its ideas; it is about the man on your left and right that you fight with and die for." The Master Sergeant sitting in the room commented,"He has no use for soldiers. He never took the time on his tours to spend time with soldiers, only senior commanders and foreign politicians."

A look at what some Iraqis thought of our election:

'In Kurdistan, some Iraqis were inspired by Obama’s historic rise, 44 years after racial segregation was outlawed in the United States. “America has opened a new page,” said Tawana Othman, an intellectual in Sulaymaniya, Kurdistan. “Today, a black man has reached the White House.”Some Kurds pined for Sarah Palin, McCain’s running mate, famous for her pointy glasses and snug red dresses. “Obama’s victory froze my heart. I liked Sarah Palin, her leadership, with its mix of innocence and courage. She was beautiful and sweet,” said Shadman Rafiq, who works in a computer repair shop in Sulaymaniya.Rafiq believed that McCain and Palin would protect the country’s Shiites and Kurds, but he feared Obama would abandon them.

via Mudville