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It would be a bit hypocritical to say that either John McCain or Barack Obama would make a difference to US-Thai relations or simply to say that the two candidates are different in their attitudes towards one of its oldest allies in the Asia-Pacific - Thailand. Of course, that is not the case. These days, Thailand does not rank very high on anybody's wish list, let alone the person who is going to be the president of the world's most powerful country. But it does feel good at least that the two presidential candidates know the locations of Southeast Asian countries and their capitals. McCain was a prisoner of war in Vietnam and Obama grew up in Indonesia.

However, when it comes to our choice of the next US president, Obama is our man. He would make a fine US president who shows sensitivity towards foreign countries, especially developing countries. Of course, major powers are important as they are the security and economic partners of the US, such as Europe, Russia, China and Japan, but it would be the developing countries that would shape the US position in the world. For the past eight years under the Bush administration, the US and its people have suffered too much from Bush's black-and-white perceptions and personal beliefs of the world.

For the past two years of the presidential campaign, Obama has shown that he has the intellectual capacity to handle diverse situations. Just look at the way he was attacked by his rival camp, focusing on his faith and old networks, and how he responded. He has never lost his cool. That for us is a very important leadership quality especially in the post-Bush world.

With Obama as president, the US image overseas would also improve. After all, it is the US that can produce such a political maverick in a short time. True to the common saying that the US is the land of opportunity -where anybody can be somebody - the rise of Obama inspires the world and the global audience is quietly wishing him all the success. Why?

The US with a sensitive and humble but firm leader would certainly draw admiration from around the world. If an American leader were well liked in the rest of the world, the US would not behave in unilateral ways. The main reason why President George W Bush decided to go to war in Iraq on his own was because he thought no other country would support him. He thought he was protecting the US interest and he could do it alone. That was a huge mistake. With Obama and his charisma, he can create an international atmosphere for multilateral action. That kind of approach would make the world safer.

The US led by Obama would use more of the soft power it has in abundance. There is nothing special about it. It is about attitude and confidence. Obama has confidence - he thinks dialogue and negotiations would go a long way in securing the world. That is a good beginning.

It is rather sad that Iran's potential nuclear power has dominated the presidential election and the US media. It is as if Iran can make or break the world. It cannot. There are over 192 countries on this globe, which can make a difference, not just a single country.

Countries in Asia look forward to Obama. Indeed, they want to find out also if his unique upbringing in Indonesia and other countries would help him in leading a friendlier US, as well as the world.

One thing is clear though - a US that is loved by the world will not act irrationally. It is when the US is insecure and feels abandoned that Washington starts to act with and think of its overwhelming power.