U.S. Politics

Given the level of enthusiasm in the country, this should not come as a surprise.

Mothers in Kenya have marked Barack Obama's historic win in the US presidential elections by naming their newborns after him and his wife. More than half of the babies born in a Kisumu Hospital [near the village where Obama's father was born] on the day after the election were named either Barack or Michelle Obama.

These baby Baracks and baby Michelles join a number of 10-month old "Kofis" -- a name popularized after former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan came to Kenya in January to mediate after the country's contested elections. (Image from flickr user theeyesview under a Creative Commons license)

The Secretary-General congratulates U.S. President-Elect Barack Obama.

"As Secretary-General of the UN, I look forward to working with the new administration to fulfil our common goals and enormously important objectives," Mr. Ban told reporters in New York. "This is, I believe, an historic opportunity." He recalled previous statements by Mr. Obama, who was elected last night and will take office next January, in which he spoke about the strong stake the US has in the UN. This will be a "good opportunity not only for, not only the United States, but the United Nations as a whole to resolve all issues through dialogue," the Secretary-General said, expressing confidence that there will be greater cooperation between the Organization and the US.

The world is ready to work together.

The front page of newspapers from the United States and around the world. Via Media Tumblr. Check out the Newseum for more.

The money quote:

"To all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand."

Here's the rest of the speech.

The English language Pakistani newspaper The Dawn offers a great round up of world leaders' reactions to Obama's Victory:

'Your brilliant victory rewards a tireless commitment to serve the American people. It also crowns an exceptional campaign whose inspiration and exaltation have proved to the entire world the vitality of American democracy,' French President Nicolas Sarkozy said in a letter to Obama. 'By choosing you, the American people have chosen change, openness and optimism,' Sarkozy added. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown praised Obama's 'energising politics... his progressive values and his vision for the future' as congratulations poured in before the final result was even announced in the race between Obama and Republican John McCain. China's President Hu Jintao said in a written message: 'In a new historical era, I look forward to... taking our bilateral relationship of constructive cooperation to a new level.' Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso pledged to work with the new US leader to strengthen relations. Mexican President Felipe Calderon congratulated Obama on his 'triumph' and invited him to visit the United States' southern neighbour. Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said Obama's victory was a landmark for equality. 'Twenty-five years ago Martin Luther King had a dream of an America where men and women would be judged not on the colour of their skin but on the content of their character,' Rudd told reporters. 'Today what America has done is turn that dream into a reality.'

Meanwhile, the government of Kenya has declared Wednesday a national holiday. Presumably, this song will play on repeat over Kenyan Radio.

Because of the centrality of two eastern states (Pennsylvania and Virginia) we should know by the early evening whether this is going to be a late night or an early night. Either way, UN Dispatch will be up until the polls close and a winner is declared. I'll be covering the elections from an international viewing party at the Historic Sixth and I Synagogue in Washington, DC (co-sponsored by Humanity in Action and L'Institut Montagne) and from the Democratic National Committee election watch party where I'm credentialed as media. Finally, readers in the Netherlands should attend the President's Night 2008 party at the Melkveg with which I will be corresponding throughout the evening via phone. For people on the go tonight, check out UN Dispatch's twitter feed for updates throughout the evening.

Interested in what the rest of the world thinks about today's elections? Check out MorningSide Post for international live blogging; PRI's The World for the global elite's take; and Voices Without Votes to see how bloggers around the world are reacting to today's historic elections.

Soon the election will happen, and America will have chosen its next President. The constant horse race polling will stop, but the speculation will not. Of course, this speculation will obviously not be about who will be the next President, but rather who will advise, represent, and generally surround that president. Of particular interest to us here at UN Dispatch, is the President's selection of a new U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Of course, we have no idea who it will be, but it is interesting to think a bit about the position, and maybe that could give some insight into who might best fill the role. What is not widely known about the position of Permanent U.S. Representative to the UN, or Perm Rep, is that it (like a few other major government posts) can be elevated to a cabinet-level position, should the Commander-in-Chief so desire. Indeed, the position has been part of the cabinet under some administrations, beginning with that of Dwight D. Eisenhower, and his Perm Rep, Henry C. Lodge. Other administrations, including Kennedy, Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Clinton, have also had UN Ambassadors as part of their cabinets, a group that includes names like Adlai Stevenson, Jeane Kirkpatrick and Bill Richardson, among many others. Some administrations have also included the Perm Rep in the National Security Council, making the Perm Rep a key adviser to the President on matters of security and foreign policy. So beyond speculation of who the U.S. Ambassador to the UN will be, speculation should also consider what the position will be. Would an Obama administration include the Perm Rep in the cabinet? Would a McCain administration include the position as part of the National Security Council? Do the answers to those questions make a major difference in who should be selected? What do you think? (Cross-posted to On Day One)