World Welcomes Obama's Win

June 4, 2008 — -- The news spread quickly around the world that Sen. Barack Obama had clinched the Democratic presidential nomination, making him the first black nominee of a major U.S. political party.

And news of the historic night made it to the front pages of most of the world's major newspapers, and the top of radio and TV newscasts.

Here is a sampling of the coverage from around the globe and comments from people gathered by ABC News.

London

Obama's claim to victory is the lead story today in nearly all the U.K. papers. The press has described Obama's announcement as "historical," an "epic struggle" and a "moment in history."

But newspaper editors have urged caution. The Times reports that "It's fair to wonder, as the 2008 U.S. general election finally gets under way, whether this might be just another false start. It might. But for the time being, Barack Obama is changing the world."

The left-leaning Guardian's headline reads "Game over, game on," continuing, "Barack Obama has the nomination wrapped up, but the real fight is just beginning."

Sen. Hillary Clinton also made it into all the newspapers, with The Independent writing, "Hillary has been beaten. Bill has dishonored himself. And Chelsea? Chelsea need have no regrets. She may be the candidate that brings the family back to the campaign trail again. But that drama is for another decade."

Germany

All TV morning shows led with news about Obama's win, speculating about what's going to happen to Clinton and whether Obama is going to offer her the vice presidency.

The ARD/ZDF morning show featured Karsten Voigt, the German government's envoy for transatlantic relations, who said, "Most Germans see Sen. Obama as a kind of mixture of JFK and Martin Luther King."

"Germans perceive Barack Obama as being peace-loving and cooperative, and that is what Germans admire in foreign politicians."

The tabloid newspaper Bild Zeitung called it "a historic victory." The front page of the Koelner Stadt Anzeiger read "Obama wins -- endless marathon is over." The Passauer Neue Presse said, "Obama is the winner -- Hillary ready to run for vice president."

Obama did not make it to the front page of Die Welt, but the online version of the newspaper exulted that Obama has achieved the "impossible -- he's the first black candidate to run for the White House. Commentators compare his win with the first landing on the moon."

France

Most French TV networks and radio stations led with the Obama win.

The conservative morning newspaper Le Figaro devoted half its cover page to Obama. Next to a picture of Obama and his wife, Michelle, the headline reads, "Barack Obama is ready for the battle for the White House. The candidate has already won primaries in its camp. It remains to be seen how Hillary Clinton will concede and negotiate her way out."