World Closely Watching US Presidential Elections

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A man dressed up as U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, center, sits with others...

A man dressed up as U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, center, sits with others dressed in masks and costumes to represent various world leaders on a circular bicycle in Amsterdam, Netherlands this past Saturday. The 'live' mobile public artwork by artist Eric Staller called PeaceTank toured the Dutch capital on a bicycle to draw attention to U.S. elections to be held Nov. 4, 2008.

(Peter Dejong/AP Photo)

When Sri Murtiningsi asked her third graders what they wanted to be when they grew up, the answers ranged from doctors to a pilot. One boy in the class raised his hand: Barack Obama said his dream was to be president of the United States.

Forty years later Murtiningsi — like the rest of the world — is watching closely as Americans prepare to head to the polls Tuesday.

"Barry was the only one who said he wanted to be president ... I hope his dream comes true," Murtiningsi said of Obama, who spent four years living in Indonesia as a child.

Many believe Obama's international experience would go a long way in helping repair damage caused by the unpopular U.S.-led war in Iraq, with recent opinion polls from more than 70 nations favoring him a resounding three-to-one over Republican John McCain.

Newspapers across the globe came out in support of the Democratic candidate Monday.

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"Obama the best hope for U.S. revival," said an editorial in The Australian Financial Review. The Gulf News, an English-language paper in the United Arab Emirates, agreed, saying only he could "undo the great damage done by the Bush administration to America's image," especially in the Middle East. Obama "deserves to win," declared The Irish Times.

In Israel, though, where McCain is popular, the Maariv daily reported that officials are worried about an Obama presidency because of his willingness to hold diplomatic talks with Iran. Israel believes the international community must not embrace Iran's president, who has repeatedly called for Israel's destruction.

"Obama is very naive about how things work in the Middle East. He thinks that by being nice to Iran they will stop building nuclear weapons and stop threatening us. He doesn't understand that being nice doesn't work in our region," said Ariel Hajaj, a 36-year-old Jerusalem contractor. "McCain understands the way things work here better his approach is more suited the Middle East and he would be better for Israel."