# Will there be massive public celebrations worldwide if Obama wins? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 29, 2008, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-massive-public-celebrations-worldwide-if-obama-wins/470027 "2008-10-29T01:59:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-massive-public-celebrations-worldwide-if-obama-wins/470027/81 "2008-10-30T03:13:18Z")
> [@flickster](#): > > Not necessarily because of the victory, but because the regime that has been treating them so “mean” has been defeated. You mean the regime that has handed them victory after victory ? The regime that destroyed one of their biggest enemies, Saddam ? The regime that’s acted as if Osama Bin Laden was Bush’s foreign policy advisor ? That one ? ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-massive-public-celebrations-worldwide-if-obama-wins/470027/82 "2008-10-30T03:29:02Z")
Yeah, I was kind of wondering. Which Islamic extremists have we been treating “mean” that an Obama administration would not also treat “mean”? And I’m still sort of curious as to exactly which nations/regions you’re talking about. ---
**Author:** ![vison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e47774/32.png) [@vison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vison)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-massive-public-celebrations-worldwide-if-obama-wins/470027/83 "2008-10-30T03:43:10Z")
Not dancing in the streets, but maybe if I lived in town instead of out in the middle of nowhere I might be . . . I like to imagine Mr. Obama’s first State Visit to Canada. He alights from Air Force One and is met by Her Excellency Michaelle Jean, our Governor General. Mme. Jean is a black woman, born in Haiti - it nearly gives me goose bumps to think of it. How the world has changed in my lifetime! It is sometimes almost unbelievable. A good thing. In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, there was an enormous outpouring of love and friendship for the USA. Mr. Bush erased that pretty quick. As a Canadian, I admit that I am still irked by his failure to even mention our instant and unquestioning aid to the USA on that terrible day. Mr. Obama is young, clever, well-educated, articulate, sophisticated, attractive. He will be a breath of fresh air and will be welcomed by those of us who are friends of the US. ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-massive-public-celebrations-worldwide-if-obama-wins/470027/84 "2008-10-30T05:36:10Z")
> [@Mighty\_Girl](#): > > And I will personally raise a glass of wine to Mr. Obama’s health and successful administration. > > Or drink the whole bottle should McCain win. Same here. Well, maybe not the whole bottle–it’s a work night. I will be profoundly depressed if McCain wins. I want to see Obama win. I wish my mother were still alive to see this. She’d be mainlining CNN 24/7. ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-massive-public-celebrations-worldwide-if-obama-wins/470027/85 "2008-10-30T05:45:44Z")
> [@vison](#): > > I like to imagine Mr. Obama’s first State Visit to Canada. He alights from Air Force One and is met by Her Excellency Michaelle Jean, our Governor General. Mme. Jean is a black woman, born in Haiti - it nearly gives me goose bumps to think of it. How the world has changed in my lifetime! It is sometimes almost unbelievable. A good thing. > > In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, there was an enormous outpouring of love and friendship for the USA. Mr. Bush erased that pretty quick. As a Canadian, I admit that I am still irked by his failure to even mention our instant and unquestioning aid to the USA on that terrible day. You gave me a shiver there, too. That never occurred to me! And as for [what Canada did](http://www.navcanada.ca/NavCanada.asp?Language=en&Content=ContentDefinitionFiles%5CNewsroom%5CBackgrounders%5C911crisis.xml) for the US on September 11th–I feel awfully petty about it, but it pissed me off greatly that Bush did not even bother to mention it in his speeches. He thanked Australia. He did not thank Canada. And I feel crummy for feeling angry about it, but it’s an example of goodwill evaporating. Just a small one, among so many others. > [@ctv.ca](#): > > Nova Scotians played a significant role in the chaos that followed the attacks in the U.S. by hosting thousands of stranded travellers whose flights were forced to land in Halifax. > > Some 9,000 passengers from 44 flights spent the night of Sept. 11 in Nova Scotia school gyms, stadiums, cafeterias and hotels. > > Thousands more were stranded in Newfoundland and a few hundred on Prince Edward Island. Businesses donated toothpaste and underwear, residents opened their homes and churches, and striking school bus drivers put down pickets to take passengers to and from the airport. > > In total, some 200 planes were diverted to Canadian airports across the country after the U.S. attacks. Anyway, back to the future. I hope. And yes, there will be a small and heartfelt celebration here in my slice of Canada. I am much more interested in the US election than our own, recent election, which didn’t really change… anything. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-massive-public-celebrations-worldwide-if-obama-wins/470027/86 "2008-10-30T07:00:04Z")
Obama is the strong favorite throughout Japan, but I doubt there will be public celebrations if he wins (other than in his ‘hometown’). At least I’ll stop getting that sinking feeling in my stomach whenever a random stranger asks if I’m an American. ---
**Author:** ![Aquila\_Be](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a698b9/32.png) [@Aquila\_Be](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquila_Be)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-massive-public-celebrations-worldwide-if-obama-wins/470027/87 "2008-10-30T07:45:53Z")
I can’t see any point in getting over excited about either of the current Presidential candidates, but I will be relieved and joyous to see the exit of that Dubya dolt in January 2009. Beyond any shadow of a doubt he is by far the most useless and incompetent individual to hold that office since Jimmy Carter. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-massive-public-celebrations-worldwide-if-obama-wins/470027/88 "2008-10-30T10:47:19Z")
> [@grayhairedmomma](#): > > They’re made for valentine’s day (pink & white). I’ve also seen red, white, and blue for July 4. I don’t know if they make them around Election Day, though. ---
**Author:** ![sinical\_brit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/48db29/32.png) [@sinical\_brit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinical_brit)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-massive-public-celebrations-worldwide-if-obama-wins/470027/89 "2008-10-30T13:39:49Z")
> [@sinical brit - page 1](#): > > Regardless of how many people around the world can actually can be arsed to ‘party in the streets’, the media will find some shots of it to show Americans. It will then be brought up on blogs everywhere as justification for something or other. > See Iranians celebrating on 911 etc… > [@flickster](#): > > Only places where there might be huge demonstrations of support will be areas controlled be Islamic extremist or in places where the current governing body is seeing visions of boat loads of US $$$ coming their way… > > \ > > The reason I selected area controlled by Islamic extremist is that they would interpret (right or wrong) the election as a victory. And there we have it. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-massive-public-celebrations-worldwide-if-obama-wins/470027/90 "2008-10-30T18:16:19Z")
I wouldn’t call a couple ounces of Lagavulin massive or public, but I intend to celebrate, yes. Maybe a nice cigar, too. ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-massive-public-celebrations-worldwide-if-obama-wins/470027/91 "2008-10-30T23:57:26Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > You mean the regime that has handed them victory after victory ? The regime that destroyed one of their biggest enemies, Saddam ? The regime that’s acted as if Osama Bin Laden was Bush’s foreign policy advisor ? That one ? You’ll probably be able to compare the crowd footage of the mass demonstrations that took place over a sketch of Muhammad with a bomb turban and many will be same. It’s not really their fault, for the most part they are but mere puppets but there they will be all the same. Whipped into a frenzy by their fanatical masters. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-massive-public-celebrations-worldwide-if-obama-wins/470027/92 "2008-10-31T00:53:42Z")
> [@flickster](#): > > You’ll probably be able to compare the crowd footage of the mass demonstrations that took place over a sketch of Muhammad with a bomb turban and many will be same. It’s not really their fault, for the most part they are but mere puppets but there they will be all the same. Whipped into a frenzy by their fanatical masters. You are just being silly. There are huge numbers of people, Islamic and otherwise who are extremely angry with both America and Bush for reasons that have nothing to do with Islam. America and Bush DESERVE to be hated for what they have done. ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-massive-public-celebrations-worldwide-if-obama-wins/470027/93 "2008-10-31T01:37:22Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > You are just being silly. There are huge numbers of people, Islamic and otherwise who are extremely angry with both America and Bush for reasons that have nothing to do with Islam. America and Bush DESERVE to be hated for what they have done. Please excuse the momentary tangent… DT, If you hate America so much why do you reside in California? Just curious :dubious: Silly that one of the greatest things about this country is that it allows the individual to have their own opinion. Not sure how much longer the thought police will allow that, so enjoy it while you can. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-massive-public-celebrations-worldwide-if-obama-wins/470027/94 "2008-10-31T01:56:47Z")
> [@flickster](#): > > Silly that one of the greatest things about this country is that it allows the individual to have their own opinion. Not sure how much longer the thought police will allow that, so enjoy it while you can. I laugh at the idea that you’re worried about the loss of your rights only now that it looks like the Democrats are going to be in power. Some of us have been on that subject since Dim Son grabbed the White House. ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-massive-public-celebrations-worldwide-if-obama-wins/470027/95 "2008-10-31T02:19:48Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > I laugh at the idea that you’re worried about the loss of your rights only now that it looks like the Democrats are going to be in power. Some of us have been on that subject since Dim Son grabbed the White House. There have been many more attacks on free speech from the dem side over the past year ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-massive-public-celebrations-worldwide-if-obama-wins/470027/96 "2008-10-31T02:34:19Z")
I’m going to sleep. …For a very, very, very long time. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-massive-public-celebrations-worldwide-if-obama-wins/470027/97 "2008-10-31T02:44:36Z")
> [@flickster](#): > > There have been many more attacks on free speech from the dem side over the past year Name one. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-massive-public-celebrations-worldwide-if-obama-wins/470027/98 "2008-10-31T05:46:02Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Name one. The Obama campaign threatened legal action twice to shut down Republican commercials. Obama’s campaign issued ‘action alerts’ to have their supporters flood telephone lines to call-in shows to prevent the public from asking questions when Stanley Kurtz, who was investigating the Rezko affair, was being interviewed. This happened several times. “Joe the Plumber” came under state scrutiny and was raked through the coals by the Democrats for the crime of asking Obama an uncomfortable question. The Democrats want to pass a ‘card check’ law, which will remove worker’s right to vote in a secret ballot, exposing them to threats and intimidation and social ostracization for expressing their preference. Democrats keep playing around with the notion of reviving the Fairness Doctrine, a law specifically designed to squelch Republican speech. I can’t think of anything comparable to any of that on the Republican side. Can you? ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-massive-public-celebrations-worldwide-if-obama-wins/470027/99 "2008-10-31T05:59:29Z")
Will there be massive public celebrations around the world if Obama wins? Well, certainly [these guys](http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE49T76620081030?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&rpc=22&sp=true) appear to be pretty excited about it. And I guess some [Palestinians](http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/08/05/obama-camp-routed-out-illegal-donations-from-palestinians/) will be pretty pleased about it. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-massive-public-celebrations-worldwide-if-obama-wins/470027/100 "2008-10-31T06:11:13Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > The Obama campaign threatened legal action twice to shut down Republican commercials. Cite please. Not doubting you. I just need to know what to look for. > [@](#): > > Obama’s campaign issued ‘action alerts’ to have their supporters flood telephone lines to call-in shows to prevent the public from asking questions when Stanley Kurtz, who was investigating the Rezko affair, was being interviewed. This happened several times. Cite please. > [@](#): > > “Joe the Plumber” came under state scrutiny and was raked through the coals by the Democrats for the crime of asking Obama an uncomfortable question. No. Sam came under scrutiny after McCain thrust him into the limelight. > [@](#): > > The Democrats want to pass a ‘card check’ law, which will remove worker’s right to vote in a secret ballot, exposing them to threats and intimidation and social ostracization for expressing their preference. This is quite troubling, based on what I’ve read about it. I’m no union expert, so I’m not up on the details, but it doesn’t sound good to me on its face. > [@](#): > > Democrats keep playing around with the notion of reviving the Fairness Doctrine, a law specifically designed to squelch Republican speech. I’ll tell you one person who doesn’t support it, Barack Obama. [Cite](http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6573406.html?desc=topstory) > [@](#): > > I can’t think of anything comparable to any of that on the Republican side. Can you? I can. Voter suppression. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-massive-public-celebrations-worldwide-if-obama-wins/470027.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-massive-public-celebrations-worldwide-if-obama-wins/470027.md?page=6)