They proudly call him "the black American President." They devote to his success miles and miles of print. They attend in droves the celebrations held at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo. They openly show great relief for Romney's exist. Why?
Interest in America and its ways has never been more palpable. This phenomenon is fully shared by both the Islamists and the secularists. It is an interest which reflects general hope in a reinvigorated American involvement in the New Egypt, economically, educationally, technologically and in selected areas of foreign policy, especially in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "Hope and Change," borrowed from Obama, has become an Egyptian mantra. Egyptian resentment toward America's support for Mubarak has practically dissipated.
Cairo's attitude toward Russia has sunk to a new low. The New Egypt feels abhorrence toward Moscow's support for the Assad regime in Syria. In this regard, Egypt, historically, has always looked west, not east. Contemporary Egypt was first developed by the French as of the early 19th century.
Egypt, taking a brief holiday from the woes of its transition from dictatorship to democracy, celebrated the onset of Obama's second term in adulatory terms. They highlighted Obama's call for healing the wounds of the bitter presidential campaign. "Tahrir" wishes that a similar reconciliation would be possible with the remnants of the Mubarak regime.
Cairo saw humility in Obama's declaration in his victory speech in Chicago that he had become "a better President." It wishes that its leaders would show the same strength of character. Though the challenges facing Washington, D.C. and Cairo may not be the same, but the Egyptians perceive in Obama's reference to "the challenges ahead" a reflection of what their new leaders keep on repeating.
Even Romney's speech conceding defeat and wishing Obama's success in the coming four years was a reminder to Egypt that it does not yet posses this tradition of congratulating your adversary.
There is also in Cairo that sense of quick pride in the enhanced importance of the minorities in America. The Egyptians also saw in the small margin of victory for Obama a reflection of what happened in the competition between Morsi and Shafik in June for the post of the presidency.
As to the expected "gridlock" in U.S. governance, well, that is nothing new to Cairo. This is although the Egyptian gridlock has different poles. In Cairo, it is between the judiciary and the other branches of government.
What did the New Egypt fear in Romney? First, they do not know Romney. Romney did not even define himself. Romney was defined by his adversaries. Second, they were hostile to his references to the rise of the Islamists to power as "chaos in the Middle East." The Egyptians also saw in Romney a man of war. In Obama, they saw a man of peace, especially as regards Iran.
It also greatly helps that Obama's middle name is "Hussein."
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