Viewed from the European side of the Atlantic, the U.S. is better off now because in electing Obama you proved you were still a country to be respected, not just be terrified of - you still have the Limbaughs and the Palins and all those other maniacs, but at least they're not the first or only thing we think of now when we think of America.

I don't know enough about the details of policies to evaluate thoroughly, but in terms of the bigger picture, Obama's election remains and will remain an iconic moment in global history.