an international perspective

Looking at our election with international eyes

It's easy to forget in our little media bubble that many, many people outside of the U.S. were anxiously watching the results of our election. The Economist looks at our elections from afar.

Courtesy of WatchingAmerica, here are some other international takes:

Die Welt, Germany :

Right-Wing Extremist Viciousness Punished

"The Republicans have suffered a clear defeat. The Democrats have regained the majority in the House of Representatives. Our United States correspondent describes the reasons and presents a scenario for America's political future - he predicts a political pig pickin.'" Read on…

The Frontier Post, Pakistan:

Though President Bush was not a candidate in this U.S. midterm elections, this was very much a referendum on his presidency. And by handing a decisive victory to his opponents the Democrats, the American electorate has expressed an overwhelming lack of confidence in his leadership. It has forced Bush to kiss a humiliating defeat. Read on…

The TimesUK:

Inside the hall, there were affectionate cheers for Laura Bush as she urged the audience to "go out and bring some more supporters to the polls". Reeling off a list of her husband's achievements, such as tax cuts, she continued: "Thanks to our troops, the Iraqi people are free from the oppression of Saddam Hussein and working to build a democratic country." There was a stony silence and she quickly moved on.

The crowd was composed of hand-picked Republican supporters, yet even here there were defectors. "To be honest, I'm not as big a fan of President Bush as I was," said Gloria Murray, 51. "I don't know that it is his fault exactly, but there have been a lot of mistakes that have lost people's respect." Read on…

(Crooks and Liars)