奥巴马 a Best-Seller in China

Today, Barack Obama will become the 44th president in United States' history. As an American, I am so proud of my country.

Apparently China is intrigued as well.

From AFP:

BEIJING -- Young publisher Han Manchun was so taken by U.S. president-elect Barack Obama's ideas that he decided to have one of his books translated — and created an unexpected hit in China.

...

The Chinese version of the book — identical to the original, according to the wishes of Obama's representatives — was published in September.

The first 30,000 copies were snapped up rapidly, and the publishing house has had to re-print it several times.

A total of 100,000 copies have now been sold, without taking into account the pirated versions on the streets, and it is now one of at least 10 books on Obama available for sale in China.

According to a survey released before Obama's election win in November, the former senator was popular with urban Chinese because he represented “the 'American dream' due to his vitality, black skin and special upbringing.”

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After such a depressing and awful four years under George W. Bush, the energy that is surrounding Barack Obama is so wonderful and refreshing.

I love the moves that Obama has made coming out of the gate. I truly believe that the post-partisan rhetoric he's been espousing over the course of his career is not simply lip-service. I fully expect him to be all of America's president, not just the 53% who voted for him in November. The most recent poll numbers seem to suggest that America is realizing this as well.

Obama certainly has his work cut out for him: he's inheriting two wars, a fractured government, the environment at its tipping point, and the largest economic crisis (probably) ever to name a few of the most obvious things.

If there was ever a time in US history for us to have a great president, it is now. I'm cautiously optimistic that President Obama will be that leader.

I'm prouder of America today than I have been in years.