Australia embrace Obama for president

Australians have enthusiastically embraced Democrat Barack Obama's historic victory
to become the first black man to lead the world's premier superpower, the United
States.
They joined people across the globe who have been transfixed by the dramatic race
between the 47-year-old senator from Illinois and his Republican rival, 72-year-old
John McCain, to become the 44th US president.
Both Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull sought
inspiration from the late Martin Luther King as they congratulated the new US
president-elect on his landslide win.
"Forty-five years ago Martin Luther King had a dream of an America where men and
women would be judged not on the colour of their skin but on the content of their
character," Mr Rudd said.
"Today, what America has done is turn that dream into a reality."
Mr Rudd, in Launceston for a community cabinet meeting, is yet to telephone Senator
Obama to congratulate him on his victory but is expected to do so soon.
He painted the Obama win as a message of hope for the world.
"Senator Obama's message of hope is not just for America's future, it is also a
message of hope for the world as well," Mr Rudd said.
Australian Greens leader Bob Brown predicted an Obama administration would manna for
a greener globe.
"President-elect Barack Obama raises the hopes of the world for a fairer, securer,
more ecologically-sound future," he said.
Mr Turnbull mused on whether Dr King would have ever dreamt of a day when an
African-American would be US president.
"The idea that an African-American could be president would have been unthinkable
only a few decades ago," he said.
"As president, Barack Obama will have the opportunity to show the world the
strength, resilience and above all the diversity of American democracy."
Across Australia, crowds big and small watched the historical moment unfold on their
television screens as the result was announced just five hours after the first polls
closed in the US.
In Canberra, the US embassy hosted a red, white and blue-themed election party at
the National Press Club, where hundreds of guests supped on pizza, hot dogs,
hamburgers and donuts.
It may have been a bittersweet moment for US ambassador Robert McCallum, a close
friend of outgoing President George W Bush.
He told journalists he would resign his commission, as is tradition, at the time of
the presidential inauguration in January.
And he reiterated the continuing strength of relations between Australia and the US
no matter who was in the White House.
The moment in history appeared tempered for Mr Turnbull's coalition colleague
Barnaby Joyce, the Nationals' Senate leader, who questioned what Senator Obama
protectionist leanings would mean for Australian farmers.
"It is essential for Australia to understand that the rules of this game have
changed with confirmation of the new President-elect Obama and his impending trade
policies," Senator Joyce said in a statement.
The Queensland senator warned agricultural and manufacturing industries could suffer
from a more parochial US trade agenda.
"For Australia, the question is how Mr Rudd and Labor will mitigate the effects of
President-elect Obama's proposals and how they will affect our Australian economy,"
Senator Joyce said.
Mr Turnbull expects the realities of global politics will prevent the US heading
down a protectionist road.
"I think we might find that some of the ... almost protectionist rhetoric that we've
heard from Senator Obama during the campaign will become subject to the realities of
a global economy," he said.