I did not vote for obama or donate to his campaign, but I'll send him a couple of questions anyway. For those of you who have donated your money or time to support Obama, or have voted for him, I think it's your personal responsibility to contact him. You can send your questions to the campaign by clicking here.

McCain wanted the troops to leave Iraq and return home with honour, dignity and with victory. Obama wants the troops to leave Iraq, period. I do not know if this is what Obama genuinely believes to the best option or he was simply being pragmatic and adopted this stance to win the favour of the Americans who desperately wanted their troops home as soon as possible.

I was done with my last TV interview at around one in the morning. When I walked out of the studio I was really surprised to see dozens of cars driving around honking their horns, and people running around the streets screaming and dancing!

Niki and I decided to join some of our friends and neighbors who were watching the celebrations on U street. Police cars had to close many blocks to traffic because hundreds of people (mostly african-americans) were drinking and partying, hugging and crying, screaming and singing just in the middle of the street

We stood near the corner of 14th and U where a white SUV parked in the middle of the intersection with 4 young men and women dancing on the top of it. Other dozens were dancing in the street as well. A police car tried to go through the crowd and ask them to clear the intersection, but then decided to run away amid angry shouting and booing by the crowd.

Later on, some of the celebrators were heading towards the “black house”, and we joined them.

A similar scene took place in front of the White House. We arrived there at around 2 am, and there were other hundreds of obama supporters, mostly african-americans, celebrating and taking pictures. A police car drove through the crowd trying to push them away, but people starting hitting the police car with their hands. Dozens and dozens of frustrated euphoric young men and women banged on the car with all of their strength. “Fuck the pooolice” someone shouted, others chanted “Take no shit… take no shit”. The police car ran away again.

Last night I saw with my own eyes how DC is ready for a real revolution that will change the face of this country. A revolution that will challenge the rusty old establishment, bang on police cars, and end centuries of suffering. But despite the fact that more than 60 million americans gave Obama a mandate to lead this revolution, I have a lot of doubt he will.

Obama, after all, is the establishment. He is that police car that people attacked. He is the bomb that fell on wedding party on Monday in Afghanistan, and the bullets that killed Palestinian on Tuesday in Gaza. Obama is the one who'll continue the same unjust domestic and foreign policies.

change will come one day, but not under the two-party system.

Layla Anwar only foresees doom for Iraq during Obama's presidency:

So Obama, the booma, won the elections. [Booma means owl, but in Iraqi dialect it also means someone very stupid]…the vice president for the booma Obama is none other than J.Biden. J.Biden, the Zionist, is an ardent supporter of the partition of Iraq into three statelets. No wonder Maliki and Co were also backing the booma along with Iran… I am glad that the evil, bastard Bush is out. No doubt about it. But I shall not congratulate you on your 44th president. He will simply finish off what the other Zionists had started — The final partition of my country.

To hell with all of you and all of your presidents.

To say that Neurotic Wife is pleased with the US presidential election would be an understatement. She writes:

Change, change, change. Change is on its way. Change to the vicious Bush administration. The Bush administration that lied, tricked, conned the world, and most of all conned the Iraqis. … For me, this is not just about history, this is about someone who was able to bring down the very people that broke my country. It’s a great punch to the very people that destroyed the individual Iraqi. And that to me is an enough victory.I will only have to say to Mr Obama, don’t let us down. You came thus far, and as an Iraqi Im depending on you. Don’t let dirty politics break your promises. … I learnt a few lessons in life, and that is to never ever over expect things from individuals, but in this instance I am. I am expecting many things from Obama. And disappointment is NOT one of them. As for all the red neck extremists out there, for all you people who cannot fathom how a black American can be your president, Tough luck. Live with it…

It’s a beautiful clear sky today. A BLUE sky. The start of a new era. The Obama Era…

And Fatima, an Iraqi American is at last proud. She declares:

For me, I am so proud of America right now. Proud of it for overcoming so much, and showing us what it is capable of.
And for me, I really hope that Obama does not disappoint. I hope that he leads this nation to justice and equality for all, and that he stays away from aggression, wherever it may be. I hope that he does not become just another one of them presidents.
And finally, I really do salute John McCain on his work and his speech last night. It was chivalrous, and I hope he rests after his long years of service.GOOOBAMA! Long Live Justice, Equality and all this is good in this world!

And Finally

I end with messages of congratulations from Iraqis to America.

Iraqi Mojo:

Americans have elected an African American man named Barack Hussein Obama as their next President. God bless America!

Sahar:

Am I happy for Iraq? I don't know. I don't know what will happen and I'm afraid.Will he pull out the troops?
Will he care enough to reach a good compromise – fair to the Iraqi people?

But in spite of all my fears, I am so happy for America - You have come such a long way. You had the strength, the will to elect this man of change. And with all my heart I hope he puts America on the path to recovery.

To see America again on the pedestal of freedom and democracy, a benign force that heals instead of hurts, unites instead of divides – soon inshalla.
I wish to congratulate you all.

Iraq Pundit:

Over the years I have often found myself defending Americans from such critics as the French or Arabs, who charge the people of the U.S. are ignorant racist idiots. I have tried to talk to those critics, but naturally I got nowhere. Maybe the election of Barack Obama as president of the United States will tell them how wrong they are. Only the heartless were not moved last night when Obama was announced the winner of the presidency. … So congratulations to Barack Obama. Let no one say this is not an amazing country.

And from Baghdad, Marshmallow26:

Congratulations dear Americans on the elections and the new US president. no matter how the results came out, you hope and we hope that the new president will bring a brighter future to the USA and Iraq.More than 130 million Americans have been voted. That is a massive number.

What I like the most about Americans is that they didn't put ” race” on top priorities while voting, the majority of white people had elected Obama who is an African descent, because they don't believe in colors or religions but principles towards the country and its people…

Once again Mabrook :)

Our sampling was done in a short timeframe and by no means represents a statistically accurate cross-section of the Iraqi public. However, we do feel that you will hear an array of different opinions, and begin to gain a little insight into how the Iraqi public views the American government and electorate, more than five and years after the invasion.

As Nibras Kazimi says, “Perhaps no other country in the world sees itself as directly affected by Tuesday’s outcome as much as Iraq… If any case could be made that non-Americans should be allowed to vote for either Obama or McCain, then Iraqis would get the first go.” So who would Iraqi bloggers vote for? There is a very wide range of opinions to choose from. Nibras himself gives his whole-hearted support to McCain. He writes:

History can be made on someone else’s time, not when there’s a crises afoot; Iraqis need to be vigilant and practical in their choice… Who will be a better president for them? Who will help them defeat the terrorists, curb Iran and stabilize the region?The clear answer is McCain.

Another Iraqi living in the US, Iraqi Mojo would have supported McCain but was put off by the choice of vice president:

I like McCain. I appreciate his efforts to help Iraq defend itself against terrorists. He has criticized the Bush administration's blunders in Iraq. But when it came time to choose a running mate, McCain chose poorly, in my opinion. I found her comments about “real” America to be strange - they reminded me of Arabs who cling to “real” Iraqis. Palin mocked community organizers and implied they don't have actual responsibilities.

Neurotic Wife, an Iraqi who worked in the Green Zone, is not impressed with the argument that American troops need to remain to keep Iraq secure. She writes about a conversation with her husband and discloses a hint of bitterness towards the current Iraqi government:

Looks like Obama will win, he said. What do you think Neurotica? Wow, I was actually impressed he asked my opinion, for in the past few days he has been pretty sick and not really conversive. I wish Obama wins, I typed. I wish he wins and withdraws all the troops by end of the year. HUBBY was shocked at my answer. How come Neurotica? If the US leaves there will be chaos and Iran will jump in. We cant let that happen.I Lol’ed so much, for Iran is ALREADY in. The government of Iraq is nothing but Iran’s puppet. “Neighbouring countries should respect the sovereignty of Iraq” is ALL BS. I really really want the troops to leave, and Im serious…

I want chaos to break. YES. I DO. This is the only solution. The only solution to the current Iraqi govt. They are useless, and will continue to be so because even though they say they want the forces to leave, they know it wont happen, and so every night when they go to bed, they're confident that a soft cushion awaits their empty heads. They depend on the forces. I get really angry when I talk about this subject. I get really upset, that such a rich, resourceful country has ended up in such filthy hands. Filthy, corrupt and no loyalty. No loyalty to the earth they are walking on. I want them to suffer…

Yes, Obama, please win. Win and withdraw the troops. Personally I believe the US is wasting its time. Its time, money and effort. Try and save the fallen economy instead with the money you will be wasting on Iraq. Iraq has enough money. Iraq is rich. Unfortunately the wealth is going into Ammar al Hakeem’s pockets, and his repulsive likes. Do you know that he bought properties here in the Emirates worth millions of dollars? No you don’t know that fact. He spends millions while the children of Iraq die of starvation, cholera, typhoid, abuse, rape and torture. WELL DONE Ammar!!! Lets see what happens to you when the forces leave? I want to see you torn apart, exactly the same way a lion preys on his victim. Is what Im saying vicious? I really hope so.

The reply McCain gave when one of his supporters accused Obama of being an “Arab” dismayed several bloggers. Treasure of Baghdad wrote:

I'm sure all of you saw this ignorant American woman rallying for McCain saying she doesn't trust Obama and that she has “read about him and found out he's an Arab.” At first, I thought she said “he's an error” which is why I accepted McCain saying, “No, Madam. He's a decent family man…” But when I realized she meant an “Arab” and connected it to what McCain said, I felt very offended. It appeared as if he was saying, “No, Madam. He's is decent, not Arab.” I wonder if he said that deliberately to convey that Arabs are not decent and that since Obama is not an Arab, he's decent!In all cases, I'm not surprised that this came from a McCain supporter and from McCain himself. I wonder what would the Arab Americans feel when they heard this ignorant woman. What would they think when they see the country they built along with their Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, atheist and Hindu countrymen intolerant like this.

Hammorabi puts his outrage more bluntly:

this indicates the hatreds and racial discriminatory attitude that JM [John McCain] harbors toward the others especially Arabs and Muslims.If JM is going to be the next US president he will never be able to remove the stigma of being racially discriminating against the Arabs neither any one Muslim including the American Muslims will forget for him such nauseating comments. He will be nothing but a failure. In fact whether he is elected or not the American Muslims and American Arabs should lawsuit him for his racial insult against them.

And Finally

Given the obvious embarrassment Barak Obama has shown about his middle name, Hussein, I wonder how the Republicans will take Nibras Kazimi's compliments when he compares John McCain to that great Muslim leader:

‘Hussein’ is a popular name in the Muslim world, in both the Sunni and Shia components of it, because it was the name of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson. There are only two male bloodlines that go back to Muhammad, through the brothers Hassan and Hussein… But Hussein is made more unique because he led a desperate rebellion against a dynasty that had usurped the leadership of Islam. Hussein was led to believe that he enjoyed overwhelming support in the battleground state of Kufa, and he barnstormed his way over there only to find that his get-out-the-vote machine was busted, while that of his enemies had managed to raise an army of several thousand…Hussein found himself on the plains of Karbala surrounded by a rebel band of a few dozen kinsmen and womenfolk, the mavericks of Islam. All around them were the fluttering banners and ranks of the enemy, thousands and thousands of them, hemming in the rebels from the riverside of the Euphrates…

I will spare you the details of the epic battle… The last man standing was old Hussein. He had just watched his cousins, his brothers, and his sons get cut down one after the other… The story ends with Hussein making his last stand, and the rest is history…

John McCain though, fights in the same spirit as Imam Hussein. Faced with incredible odds, he marches on towards battle. There’s honor in his cause, and that keeps him strong, unwavering.

And I guess that’s also where I draw my own strength and commitment in this bleak final stretch.

“Every day is Election Day. Every land is a battleground state.”

Here’s to fighting the good fight!

Apart from the usual suspects, talk of the US Presidential campaign in Iraqi blogs is pretty thin on the ground. But that silence in itself speaks volumes. Neurotic Wife gets the reason from some co-workers:

I asked a few Iraqis, many did not seem to have interest in the US politics “We have enough of the Iraqi one let alone the US” in their own words.

The selection of Joe Biden as vice presidential candidate made some bloggers suspicious of Democratic candidate Barak Obama. Iraq Pundit opines:

Barack Obama's choice for vice president can only drag the country into ugly territory. His pick simply confirms his total disregard for the Iraqi people. All along, Biden has made it clear that he sees Iraqis as nothing more than savages bent on killing one another. His solution is to divide the country to stop the beasts from murdering the other beasts. He can argue all he wants that President Bush and John McCain are not nearly as smart as Biden is, but at least they will not abandon the Iraqis.

Nibras Kazimi adds:

Wasn’t Biden’s ‘intellectual’ heft supposed to be the whole point of adding him to the Obama ticket to balance out the greenhorn factor?

Iraq’s political class doesn’t seem to be buying it, though. They are not reassured by the Biden pick, whose name is forever associated, in Iraqi eyes, with a hastily-thought plan to divide Iraq

However, there seems a general preference for Obama among Iraqis. Fayrouz is smitten for her own fuzzy reasons:

It's not only hope that drives us to him as his opponent claims. It's how he put us on our feet to face the reality on the ground. It's his ability to make us believe in the “good America” that we always loved. It's the power of “we” instead of the power of “I” that drives people to him.

While Iraqi Atheist compares Obama to his favorite TV show. He writes “Season 4 of LOST is much more awesome. And even more awesome is Barack Obama.” and Neurotic Wife asks Iraqis in the Green Zone to offer an opinion. She writes:

of the minority who did say they are curious, said they like Obama more. It was funny, cause one of the guys said in a very enthusiastic manner and I quote “No Macyeen, yes Bahama” Bahama? I thought to myself, is that a new candidate that I haven’t heard about, hmmm? It took me a few seconds to register he actually meant Obama, lol.