What Does Obama’s Nomination Mean for American Travelers?

Well, least you can say is that its a fresh start. After 8 years of George Bush and the Iraq war, well, if Obama manages to end the war…There’s going to be a lot more of that ‘Hope’ stuff being bandied around.

I, for one, will be happy to have someone new in the White House.  During a recent trip to Germany, my family got an earful from a man who wanted to tell us how terrible our President is.  It was an eye opening experience for my tween son who thought “everyone loves America.” —Family Travel Girl

This is an interesting question. I would love to know what the general sentiment is for other countries besides Greece.

I have to admit it’s hard to imagine the reaction towards American travelers would be largely positive with Barack Obama as president.

Not to start a discussion about race, but America isn’t known for having the highest degree of respect for its Black citizens. For this reason it almost seems more likely that Barack Obama will be taken less seriously because of his race, and that people will tease and jeer at Americans even more with Barack as their president than they do now with Bush.

Then again, one of the main reasons so many people hate America and Americans (seemingly) is because of their perceived smugness and superiority complex. In that case, Americans electing a Black president could be received as a sign that America is becoming more enlightened and more open to embracing all cultures and recognizing that the country and the people are only part of a larger global scheme rather than the center of the universe. In that case then perhaps Barack Obama as president could mean Americans would be treated with more warmth overseas.