Now the yard signs are uprooted from front lawns and the bumper stickers are gradually peeled from partisan cars. Two weeks after the election, the country and the world settles down and accepts what four more years of the Bush administration will mean.
Junior Jessica Adams, studying abroad in Grenoble, France, this semester said, "It has been impossible to be an American in France and not get comments before, during, and after the election."
Adams said, "When they found out that I was American, I had about 10 French people ask me whether or not I voted, and one French person blatantly told me that he hated George Bush and all Americans."
Many Americans would not expect to find political sympathy in France-indeed, Republicans did not find any, as the Nov. 2 issue of France's Liberation newspaper titled a picture of President George W. Bush "The man to beat."
The headline of Britain's Independent on election day announced, "A day that will decide the fate of the world," printing sentiments many speak.
Junior Melissa Leismer, who is studying abroad in Spain, said some Spanish friends told her, "The whole world should be able to vote for the president of the United States, because the United States has turned into an empire."
Leismer said a bellboy in Morocco taunted her because of her political opinions.
In Venice last weekend, Adams said she was surprised by a Communist demonstration in boats. The protestors yelled and waved anti-American flags. One written in English said, "The United States kills people."
Both said the political mood is, overall, calmer after the election.
Christoph Seel, an exchange student from Saarbrucken, Germany, said most Europeans favored Kerry, but people are less emotional now and are willing to move forward.
"That's the way it is," Seel said. "They will just cope with the situation and make the best of it."
Sophomore Sarah Ishak of Egypt said many people from her country do not feel more settled after the election because they worry about American bombings.
Ishak said, "Even though Egypt is an ally now, the everyday Egyptian worries about who's next . first Iraq, maybe then Syria, maybe then, who knows? Maybe Egypt."
Foreign exchange student Hujun Peng, from Shang Hai, China, said a lack of political freedom in his country means the average Chinese person is not deeply invested in either domestic or international politics.
As far as they did care, Peng said the general opinion of his friends and family at home was that "to choose Bush is four more years of war. To choose Kerry means heavy taxes. It is hard to say which is better."
Sophomore Elizabeth Wong from Hong Kong said that many Chinese, though sheltered from politics and world affairs, are more approving of Republican small government rhetoric after living under strong and highly controlling government.
"They really want more freedom and rights," Wong said, "because a lot of people don't like Communism."
Writing before the election, former student Arild Overvik of Norway sent a letter to the Collegian explaining the European argument against Bush.
Overvik prefaced his letter by saying, "I think that much of what is said, both here and there about Bush and Kerry is on a shallow level . [T]he violent arguments, addressing individuals rather than issues, is disturbing . because in the end, it will silence the 'unpopular views.'"
Calling America the self-anointed defender of liberty, Overvik said its ideals are noble and shared by almost the whole world, but the use of force to effect them is wrong.
"A noble speaks in such ways, but a noble also acts in accordance with her words," Overvik said. "And it is here that a large majority of Europeans have a different view than most Americans-on what it means to act like a noble, and what it means to be free, and where the better course, that is, through what means it is possible to approach the ideal."
Overvik said he does not champion pacifism, but he wrote against America's execution of the war in Iraq, saying, "stepping into the centre of a conflict armed only with non-violent means, now, that shows courage, a sort of courage the new world asks for."