Europe stirred by end of Bush era

By Erik Kirschbaum

BERLIN (Reuters) - A field of candidates who break the mould, two tight early battles and a yearning for a new face in the White House have electrified Europeans as the U.S. election gathers pace.

Ten full months before the United States picks a successor to President George W. Bush, many Europeans have acquired a high level of expertise about the race and a solid understanding of the nuances in U.S. states such as Iowa and New Hampshire.

In Berlin, Paris, Rome and other parts of "Old Europe", still annoyed by that unflattering tag from ex-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, people are eager to discuss the merits of Hillary Clinton's foreign policy or Barack Obama's charisma.

In cafes or pubs it seems there is often someone talking about Baptist minister Mike Huckabee and his bass guitar, Mormon Mitt Romney and his opposition to gay rights, John McCain's age and his views on Iraq, or Rudy Giuliani and his untimely slide.

"It's not just a race with a bunch of white men with white hair this time," said Norman Roy, 26, a Berlin office worker. "With a woman and a black, the election is something completely different this time around. There's a real buzz to it."

Political scientists, columnists and ordinary Europeans said the appetite abroad for a new U.S. president is especially high after the seven years of discord with the Bush Administration over issues such as Iraq, Iran and global warming.

"Bush polarized Europe and a lot of people associate this election with the hope that a horrible period of U.S.-European relations will finally end," said Christian Hacke, a political science professor and U.S. expert at the University of Bonn.

"There's a craving among Europeans for a new start."

INTENSE INTEREST IN RACE

While the November elections themselves traditionally capture the attention of Europe, the level of interest in the primaries -- fuelled by newspapers and TV coverage -- is astonishing considering that they have no say in the outcome.

"You often hear Europeans complain 'shouldn't we have a voice in the election because it has such a big impact on our lives'?," said Gary Smith, director of the American Academy.

"That's all the more the case now," the head of the Berlin think tank said. "A lot of Europeans have been looking forward to this election -- and a new president -- for four years."

That sentiment is heard across Europe these days.

"I hope this election marks the end of Bush policies and a return to more reasonable foreign policies," said Sotiris Karageorgiou, 42, a salesman in Athens. "It will be better for the whole world."

Media in Greece and across Europe have gone into depth describing Obama's victory over Clinton in Iowa and TV news programs have run frequent reports from both campaigns.