http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion/bookman/stories/2008/07/24/bookmaned_0724.html Published on: 07/24/08 Barack Obama's nine-day international extravaganza enters its European phase today, with a scheduled speech in Berlin expected to draw thousands of enthusiastic Germans. In fact, in a recent Gallup Poll, 62 percent of Germans said that if given the chance, they would vote for Obama as president, while only 10 percent would vote for John McCain. Polling in Britain — 60 percent vs. 15 percent — and France — 64 percent vs. 4 percent — produces similar levels of support for Obama. That doesn't mean a lot, of course. The senator from Illinois is running for president of the United States, not president of Europe. Americans will make their own decisions about whether he or McCain belongs in the White House, and they have the votes that count. Still, it will be interesting to see America's reaction to Europe's reaction. For some Americans, Obama's popularity overseas will only confirm their suspicions of him as somehow less than authentically American. McCain's campaign has been hinting at that line of attack for weeks, hoping it will blunt the impact of televised scenes of Obamania an ocean away. On the other hand, electing a U.S. president who was more popular in other countries than their own elected leaders would have some practical advantages. For example, a German chancellor, French president or British prime minister would find it a lot easier to support American policies if they're championed by a president who happens to be popular with their folks back home. We've seen the opposite phenomenon for years, with international antipathy to President Bush costing us support from countries that might otherwise be allies. However, the most important message sent by the strong support for Obama in Europe and around the world doesn't really involve Obama himself. It involves how the rest of the world still sees our country and its role in the world. Obama is not the president of the United States; he is only a candidate for president. And yet thousands of people in other countries are turning out to see him and hear him. It's safe to say that no leader of another country, no matter how charismatic, would be able to draw crowds like that. If he was Barack Obama, leader of Britain's Labor Party, thousands of Germans would not be turning out to hear him speak. That says something very important about the United States of America and its importance in world affairs. Our reputation has suffered a lot, as Americans who have traveled abroad can testify. But the excitement generated by Obama suggests that the damage to our reputation and moral authority does not need to be permanent, no matter who we decide to elect as president. People around the world still place a lot of hope in the United States, but they want us to live up to the standards we preach. They want us to be who we claim to be — our better selves. They want to be our partners and allies; they want to respect and even admire our country. Part of the recent anger, even hatred, directed at America can be explained by the fact that too often we have betrayed those expectations. If Saudi Arabia, Syria or China tortures prisoners, few people are surprised or even outraged. But when a nation that has traditionally stressed the centrality of human rights and that led the world in negotiating the Geneva Accords decides to violate its own principles by indulging in torture, the sense of betrayal is very real. So when we see the rest of the world excited by Obama's candidacy, it's less about Obama as an individual than Obama as a symbol of an America whose leadership and friendship they might once again trust. The less charismatic, less youthful McCain might have to work harder to restore that faith in America, but it would certainly not be beyond his capacity. Our friends are hungry for an America worthy of global leadership; our enemies are fearful of that America. Regardless of who becomes president, we ought to try to be that America once again.
Interesting article about the importance of America. Do folks in other countries usually get so excited about who is running for US prsident or is it just a reaction to the unpopular Bush?
Politics aside, as an American, I feel an enormous sense of pride when other countries admire and look up to us and our president. Watching Europe's reaction to Obama is a throwback to years when being an American overseas wasn't likened to being the devil.
No they don't usually get this excited. They are reacting to the idea that America might replace Bush with someone A LOT different from him. One way Obama appeals to me is that he represents a total repudiation of our current presidential disaster.
Americans are deciding who is President, not the rest of the world. The last time I checked, we were the best nation on Earth. Why would we take the advice of others on how to run our country? Ridiculous.
Not picking on you..........but it's reasons like this that scares me to why people would pick one candidate over the other (not saying that is your reason, but I hear this a lot).
restoring American crediblity in foreign policy is something that scares you? It scares me that people would be scared by this.
Carter-revulsion helped Reagan get elected. Tell you what: My best friend is a "Reagan Democrat" who loved and defended Bush like few others until recently. It was sickening to me. He's so fed up now that he compares George W. Bush to Jimmy Carter and his anger at the Republican party stuns me. He wants them punished. It's just a fact of political life that when one side messes up so much (Carter and W) that people lean to the opposite side just because it represents the biggest change. Obama still hasn't made the sale to me. So far, the story of the general election is the incompetence of McCain's campaign.
When you have role models like Tony Rezko and Jeremiah Wright, I'm not sure what the rest of the world wants to look up to
Is it normal to campaign outside of the US? He's not president (yet ) and he's not really an acting senator (he's campaigning full time). I don't see why he, or McCain should be out globetrotting until they have some official standing. Unless you're granting the Germans a vote, I don't know what business he has there. At this point, his focus is getting elected, as it should be. So these photo ops with foreign officials, or in Iraq or elsewhere are really just part of the coordinated campaign image making process. Props, really. Sorry. I know he's uber cool and all -- and it's funky that everyone likes him....but it just feels so manipulative. And wrong. Same goes for McCain. (except for the uber cool part).
And who says Barack is better suited for this then McCain? My point, which seemed to go right past you, is that you should vote for the candidate you think best fits the issues you are concerned with and who will get us back on the right track moving forward, both here and globally. I (just a personal belief) don't think you should just vote for someone based solely on him not being the other guy, which I hear quite often. Now, we live in America and you can vote for whomever and for whatever reason that may be, it just scares me that people don't go deeper into qualifications and stances on issues. But that is my problem, you guys carry on...........
A_3PO, Hey, I agree with you 100%, I was just trying to say is that I am not comfortable with people thinking that way and the truth is a lot of people are.
Try reading the article. It's not sayind we should take the advice of others. It's saying if we lead the world again and have a good strong brand, it makes it easier for us to enact our policy.
Uh - McCain's minions have consistently lobbed the "experience" "not ready" part at him, McCain in fact said he wasn't qualified to do anything about Iraq without having first gone there. If you can think of a better way to counter the "well he doesn't have foreign policy experience" charge than physically going to meet with foreign leaders - I'm open to suggestions.
Ah, the hubris. How do you define "best" and when was the last time you checked? As for me, I define "best" as living up to our ideas and ideals. While the potential is still there (as is evident by the article), the reality is that the current administration has actively worked to undo a century of American Progress on many fronts from voting to civil rights to the economy and the environment and many, many others. This is no longer the best America can be.
Sammy answered the manipulative part. It's designed purely to bolster his foreign policy image. Yet who is he representing? This close to an election, his position as senator or on various committees is moot. How would you feel about candidates for European elections coming to the US to campaign? I'd want to tell them to come back once they're in power.
