Usually if it looks like a Barack and sounds like a Barack, it’s probably a Barack.

At least that’s the case here in America. We’re hounded with political ads and speeches by the Illinois senator promising us hope and change.

And let me tell you — I totally buy it.

At some point, I expect Barack Obama to rip off his Clark Kent-style suit and reveal how he’ll fix the economy, health care and foreign relations — all while giving me that super dreamy smile.

Aside from being America’s political Superman in the 2008 elections, Barack Obama has an even larger burden to deal with — being a candidate of change in a country where he isn’t even running for office.

Brazil — home of some of the world’s most insanely good looking people and extremely painful waxes — is also home to the world’s highest concentration of Barack Obama impersonators. Well, sort of.

According to The Associated Press, the name “Barack Obama” appears on the ticket in eight local Brazilian elections.

No, he hasn’t found a way to clone himself (although how cool would that be?).

In some kind of bizarre kink in the Brazilian election system, candidates can run under whatever name they want, as long as it isn’t offensive. Given the enormous popularity of Obama in Brazil among a large black population, assuming the name of “Barack Obama” has proven to be an enormously positive political step.

Claudio Henrique dos Anjos, a Brazilian man running for mayor of Belford Roxo, has seen his popularity jump in the polls among voters. He was once in third place and is now in a tie with the frontrunner after using the name “Barack Obama de Belford Roxo.”

This kind of global Obama madness is indicative of the way the world feels about changing the leadership of the United States.

Since our decisions on leadership ultimately affect the entire world, America should take this as a sign that the world has a desire for change.

Or that the name “Barack Obama” at least carries a lot of positive weight and hype. (Somehow I don’t think running under the name “Bill Clinton de Belford Roxo” would exactly have the same effect.)

The world sits anxiously as our November elections draw near.

Globally, people are waiting to see if we’ve learned our lesson from the past eight years.

The local Brazilian elections will affect the United States very little, if even at all. After all, the news of candidates using Barack Obama’s name was little more than a cutesy news story.

But for the world, our upcoming presidential election is more than just charming political talking point.

We’re quite ethnocentric. As a country, we often find it difficult to look outside ourselves and recognize what other countries might be telling us.

To this point, it has only landed us in trouble.

This election, I urge you to listen.

Christina will be Barack with a new column next week. E-mail her at christina.caldwell@asu.edu.