Some reactions? Flatly, they got what they deserve. "Bush’s election merely confirms America’s continuing love affair with mediocrity. Democracy has been kidnapped by neo-conservative warmongers. Simpleton, arrogant, deceitful, criminal, myopic: these words define Bush and his skewed domestic and foreign policy vision. The election of Bush demonstrates that basing an entire campaign on division and fear can yield positive results. Let Bush harvest the poisoned crop he has planted in the economy, security and environment." Foreigners say: "I am amazed that a people as straight-forward, clear and honest as the Americans have elected this muppet, after four years of lies and incompetence." Republicans say: "Fortunately, the vast majority of Americans do not care one iota about foreigners’ opinions of the American elections or America generally. The American people understand that the man in the White House is committed to freedom and to the same democratic values for others which have served to make America great. I know that President Bush is not the brightest firefly in the woods but instinctively we know that he is a better man.." (here)

Clinton concludes rightly "Most Americans don't live by rationality" (here)

Radio-Canada added: The American civil war ended, and it is the south and the southern values that won.

The FT questions what it means when those leaving the booths had "moral values" uppermost in their mind when they voted to return a born-again Christian to office. "As far as the Enlightenment programme of progress towards secular liberalism is concerned, the US has disengaged forward drive and shifted into reverse." (here)

Luckily, more cosmopolitan and less concerned with the brute exercise of power, Europe and Canada are actively "rebuking the vision of unlimited material progress, questionning market capitalism, state socialism as well as nation-state ideology", pioneering the development of a new vision based on "sustainable development, quality of life and multilateralism". (Read "The European Dream" by Jeremy Rifkin)