Never before has the world taken such an interest in a Presidential election as they did in the American race to the White House.
Political activists in particular will be learning serious lessons from Barack Obama's campaign on how to utilise modern technologies to win elections.
Fianna Fáil’s Micheal Martin, who was the party's director of elections for the disastrous Lisbon Treaty campaign, has already admitted they will be looking to the Obama campaign and his use of mobile phones, email and networking sites to bring in the young vote for the upcoming local and European elections.
Simple, catchy slogans like “We need change” and “Yes we can”, reiterated over and over, got the American public believing in this 47-year-old, largely inexperienced candidate who has now become the first black American president.
Even Simon Cowell has been enlightened by the entertainment value provided by the most costly American campaign ever, with the multi-millionaire British entertainment mogul now determined to change the way political messages are delivered in the UK - insisting he could create a TV show to help revitalise Britain's political culture and lure a new generation of voters to the ballot boxes.
But back to the question why Irish eyes were smiling on Wednesday morning at the news that Obama was to become the next US president.
Is it because we are so in tune with American politics that we embrace Obama's ideals and values? Or is it simply anything but Bush will do? Because we seem to have tarred John McCain with the same brush that George W. Bush has been tarred with the world-over
Yes, they are both members of the Republican party. But no, they don't share the same beliefs about the war in Iraq. McCain was a prisoner of war during the Vietnam war and was hugely critical of Bush's handling of the Iraq war. Yes, he supported the war, but he was not a supporter of Bush. He was probably the nearest thing to a Democratic candidate the Republican party will ever nominate.
McCain, however, has had a clearer policy on immigration, which would suit the Irish cause in American. Obama, on the other hand, hasn't been around long enough for us to determine what his thoughts and sentiments are on immigration, that remains to be seen. But he has stated that American companies based overseas should return to America. That would have devastating effects on Ireland.
Now, I’m not anti-Obama by any means. In fact I was one of those with smiling Irish eyes when I found out the result on Wednesday morning. But as the day wore on I began to ask myself why I was smiling. Why did I fancy Obama so much over his Republican rival? I didn't have too many clear-cut answers. I like his youthfulness, he seems to lack the cynicism of McCain, he doesn't get fazed, he is a family man, he is a black man who made people living in what used to be a hugely racist country forget his colour and see beyond the prejudices, he wants change, he is the opposite of everything we detest about Bush, who must be counting down the days till January 20. Others told me they were happy because he isn’t a Republican or a right-wing Christian nut job or greedy for oil or a puppet on a string.
I hope he doesn't lose sight of the change he envisages for America. I hope his advisors have the tools to turn the world's economy around. I hope he continues to think for himself and have the courage and conviction to take the necessary hard measures to turn the economy around and heal deep rifts with troubled countries who have become dissatisfied with Bush’s attitude to foreign policy. I hope he and Ireland became fast friends.
