Thursday, November 04, 2004

Europe's reaction to the election

It's not just the liberals in America who are feeling depressed, angry, disappointed and/or disgusted this week. Apparently, these are common feelings around the world.

Bush Makes Not-So-Good Headlines in Europe

Thursday November 4, 2004 7:01 PM

LONDON (AP) - The re-election of President Bush dominated British newspapers Thursday, and many cast impartiality aside in reporting the result.

"How can 59,054,087 people be so DUMB?'' the liberal Daily Mirror asked in a Page One headline. Inside, several pages of coverage were headed "U.S. election disaster.''

The Independent bore the front-page headline "Four more years'' on a black page with grim pictures including a hooded Iraqi prisoner and an orange-clad detainee at Guantanamo Bay.

The left-leaning Guardian led its features section with a black page bearing the tiny words, "Oh, God.'' Inside a story described how Bush's victory "catapaulted liberal Britain into collective depression.''

Across Europe, many newspapers expressed dismay at the prospect of another term for Bush, a president often regarded as inflexible and unilateralist.

"Oops - they did it again,'' Germany's left-leaning Tageszeitung newspaper said in a front-page English headline. The cover of the Swiss newsmagazine Facts called Bush's re-election "Europe's Nightmare.'' "Victory for the hothead: how far will he go?'' asked another Swiss weekly, L'Hebdo.