Global implications of the U.S. election

America "Barack"-ed the vote. Now, will the new president Barack the world? Sir David Bell, chairman of the Financial Times and non-executive director of The Economist, certainly thinks so.

"The world is unbelievably pleased about the outcome of this election," he said.

Bell was reunited last night with his former professor, Jonathan Steinberg, who is currently a professor of European History at Penn. The two held a discussion on the global implications of the U.S. presidential election in Irvine Auditorium, in conjunction with Fox Leadership.

The room was packed to the brim, showing the sheer level of public interest in what's ahead for America.

"This event drew such a large crowd because Sir David Bell is . very active in British culture and life, and this perspective is good to have," said College senior Annie Lee, coordinator of the forum.

America has been criticized for the past eight years because of the current administration and its deteriorating international relations, the duo emphasized. But with an imminent fresh face in the Oval Office, they believe hope has been re-instilled across the world.

"The world became very disillusioned - not with America, but with the leadership in America," Bell clarified. "But the whole election process has been a synonym for change, and has simply captured the interest of the world."

With YouTube and online news, it was possible for the world to follow the campaign in an unprecedented way. "We thought of it almost as if it were our own campaign," he said.

Now that four years of potential have become a reality, Bell noted that there are still problems that lie ahead.

"The scale of financial problems is not really fully understood, and if not properly handled, the consequences could be enormous," he said.

He added, "For the Cabinet, the critical question is who is going to be the Secretary of the Treasury, and it's great that Obama isn't rushing to pick one just yet."

In terms of foreign affairs, Bell expressed a simple wish for a more "sophisticated" approach to the Middle East and more conversation with rising countries such as China and India. "The center of gravity is moving; it's no longer a white world, if it ever was one," he said.

Students voiced similar opinions. College sophomore Luke Reilly said, "I'm hoping for a different way of interacting with other countries, not so confrontational and more humble."

But are the expectations for Obama too high? "It is a huge possibility," Bell admitted. "He may get a lot of criticism. But what's important is that we keep the facts - what he's said he's going to do - separable from the opinion."

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