Barack Obama’s candidacy is winning over hearts and minds in Europe, where his race, youth, and promise of change are raising hopes for a likeable America, once again. German weekly magazine Der Spiegel placed a picture of the Illinois Senator on its February cover under the headline The Messiah Factor. Inside, the magazine discussed Obama as exemplary rejection of the Bush era and links to the Iraq war, Abu Graib scandal, and egoistic diplomacy. A string of British pro-Obama groups have sprung up on the social networking site _Facebook,’ and a recent survey published by the CSA polling group last month showed that the French now favor Obama over Hillary Clinton.
