Delighted Democrats

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Cheers echoed off the walls of the Uptown Geneva café and theatre. Inside Obama fans hugged each other, high-fived, cried and shouted their relief at the news that their man would be re-elected for another four years.

“I feel absolutely relieved, overwhelmed and very, very proud of the vote,” said Sarah Burkhalter, an art historian from Geneva University. “But I’m realistic that this is just half of the country; the country is very divided. The priority will be the economy and making sure the healthcare bill goes through and the rest of the things he’s promised.”

Will from Maryland was also extremely relieved:  “It was very close for a long time. I’m just relieved it turned out this way. Obama now needs to realise who his opposition are and recognise that there are things his supporters expect like action on climate change and investment in education and infrastructure. The people who vote for him have hopes and desires – we’ll see this time round.”

  

“It’s redeeming for us as Americans abroad,” said Therese Betchov. “We’ve been watching the closeness of the lead up and the ideological divide. This is really significant; it’s not just a victory, but a strong victory which sends a big message for America.”

Mark from Florida: “It was a big battle tonight. This turnout in the US was amazing. The Democrats have really shown their support this year. There is a lot of progress to be made in the US; hopefully this is the right candidate that we re-elected.”

Eleanor T Khonje: “This is the second-greatest moment of my life after 2008. The challenge is what he does with these four years. I’m pretty sure we’ll see a lot of positive change. My voice is cracking up…I’m just so happy, I don’t want to start crying again.”