The US Presidential Election in 2008: An Introduction to a ‘Global Event’--Matthias Maass * Mexico: Between Skepticism, Hope, and Disillusion--Thomas Cieslik * The 2008 Presidential Election: The View From Venezuela--Lesley Burns * Brazil: Between Continuity and Change--João Pontes Nogueira and Kai Michael Kenkel * Admiration Reborn: The British View of the US Presidential Election--Adam Quinn * Oh La La: Obamania à la Française--Ruchi Anand * Russian Perceptions of the 2008 US Presidential Election: A Case for General Optimism or ‘Russian’ Optimism?--Jeremy Dwyer and Pete Lentini * Israeli Views on the US Presidential Election: Between Perception and Reality--Ronnie Olesker * Palestine’s View of the 2008 US Presidential Election--Mohammad Masad * How the UAE and the Gulf Region Viewed the US-American Presidential Election in 2008--Kenneth Christie * The Iranian Perspective on the US Presidential Election of 2008--Grace Cheng * Pakistan and the US Election in 2008--Moonis Ahmar * Chinese Views of US Presidential Election--Sukhee Han and Jin Kai * Japan and the US election--Robert Dujarric * A ‘Global Event’ With Global Stakeholders: Obama’s Election and the ‘Idea’ of America--Matthias Maass