Election Eve

Being so far away from "the action," I feel even more excited and desireous to participate in watching and seeing results from the election day. I spent most of the evening at the Hannover Kunstverein, where a new show opened up with work by students from the Kassel Kunst Hoch Schule in various media--most in multi-media or interdisciplinary forms. At midnight, they began live coverage of the US election with three differnt channels broadcast: CNN, Al Jezeehra and German 2DF Channel. I was proud of my chance to explain the process to my Germany friends and colleagues. At the same time, it was obsessive, the coverage and it was slow-going. With three screens in three directions and sound simultaneously circulating, we all laid down on beanbag-like cushions, chatting and staring. After 4 beers, this was luxury, I enjoyed seeing the differences in the projections or tallies from one corner of the world to another.
I contributed my vote. I participated out of a sense of duty, as an American, to choose the next president.
It makes me angry when some Americans say how Obama is trying to "appease" or appeal to foreigners or foreign states. The idea is that he should only concern himself with the US internally. In fact, the US IS concerned with partners and foreign powers, and US presidency occupant effects other lands. The people who get angry about Obama appealing to other nations or simply caring about the opinion of other nations are mistaken in their naive perception of the world as somehow separate from the US. They see the US as a superpower, alone in its high status, and alone in its decision-making. After this "financial crisis," is this also an example of the interdependency of all nations? Who fools him/herself into thinking that the US leader is not a position in which other parts of the world are interested??!
I wish that I could believe that Obama's win would signal a big change, but I do not see that. It will be a better change, but what he can change is not certain.

This event was entertainment or something to fill a space for me. This entertainment is for all the people. The audience does not want conclusion or a solution, it is believed. It only wants tension, struggle, and emotional confusion. When there is no drama, I believe many Americans look for it.