I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings (esp) to all you Americans but you're making a BIG mistake if you think the Obama effect is going to touch your world for just 4 years.
Obama is nothing more than a black (or rather half-chat) version of Tony Blair. Everything from hand gestures, to speech style to policies AND most importantly, hidden policies and agendas are identical.
Bliar lost power in 2007 & not only is the country still suffering from the damage he wreaked on everything from the economy to it's society & social structure, it'll be suffering for DECADES to come & I'll bet a pound to a pinch of the brown stuff that the Obama effect will do exactly the same to the USA....... & also the rest of the world.