Obama's Berlin Speech: Candidate Dampens Expectations (VIDEO)

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The buzz about Barack Obama's Berlin speech is almost at a fever pitch in the final hours before he delivers it. Will he appeal to Americans while speaking to Germans? Will he speak German? Will he come off like Reagan, Kennedy...? Obama tried to tamp down expectations on his press plane today. He told reporters,

"I doubt we're gonna have a million screaming Germans," Obama said.

Half a million? asked another reporter.

"Let's tamp down expectations here," Obama said. "If we get a few tens of thousands..."

Obama said he "did not realize - my staff basically just told me that this space is bigger than I realized. So."

Asked a reporter: Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

"Uh, it's a potentially bad thing if nobody shows up," Obama said, laughing. "You know, we're sort of on the high wire all of the sudden. It's like, 'I'm sorry, how many people does this accommodate? How many?'...We really have no idea what's going to happen. Sort of a crap shoot. I'm happy with the speech though."

Time magazine isn't being shy like Obama. It hails Obama in Berlin as the second coming of JFK.

The city has been buzzing with anticipation over Obama's visit, and his reported request to use the Brandenburg Gate as the backdrop for his only public address in Europe sparked a local media frenzy. Chancellor Angela Merkel reacted with "bewilderment" to the senator's request to speak at this historically charged location, and appeared concerned that approving the request would be interpreted as taking sides in the U.S. presidential race. Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, for his part, welcomed the suggestion that Obama speak at a venue rendered iconic by John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan, saying it was "a vital expression of German-American friendship."

HuffPost will be streaming the speech live at 1pm EST. Click on the embed below and then find the channel with Obama's speech.

Comments

[LiberalForever]

People on the right including McSame, will attempt to belittle the speech. But, for the first time in YEARS, i was proud to be an American. The purveyors of war and greed don't want the world to EVER come together. Ironically, that is the only way to save it. Great speech.

[SMAGGIE]

- + OB08::

Maybe he is YOUR President, but certainly not mine. Please do not call him that until, IF HE is elected. We will hear and see too much of him then, as now.

[elr50]

That's ok, Smaggie, Bushit is and has never been MY president, and for the past 7+ years this has not been my country.

Better get used to it, he WILL be your president in a few months, and I would love to see you then. Revenge is so good.

[ebonyjsg]

Sorry we can't oblige you! We are just so proud of President Obama job well done! He is a true leader! McCain challenged him and he has risen and surpassed everyone's expectations! Obama is the change we need for this country!

[PaulChippendale]

Hi from Australia -- I was very impresed with the Berlin speech.

[RJII]

what's up Australia. OB08. Don't give up on us in the US. Time for the world to come together in peace, not war.

[OB08]

President Obama - oooooh so proud of you.

[yhgtup]

I am so proud of Barack!! Brought tears to my eyes!!

[Chillinout]

MSNBC just said there was an estimated 200K people there.

[Isaiah40j]

Actually there were over 300,000

[curioustorquemada]

Looks like the Nuremberg rallies of 1936.

[schrowa]

I liked the speech. Yes, the tone was a bit ominous, but he speaks the truth. We are responsible for the world around us. The problems we face can not be dealt with individually, they most be dealt with collectively. Great speech.

[RJII]

had to be ominous. otherwise, americans would complain again that he's assuming the presidency.

[SurrealPumpkin]

OMG McCain just explained it all to us: Obama is taking direction from the liberal MoveOn.org. That was the only new sound bite in his comments.

[Alethea]

Sheesh.

Everytime I listen to Obama I'm just astounded by his perfect grasp of what America is supposed to stand for. And it's not just America, this is what humanity has always wished to be.

Unity, justice, opportunity and freedom. That's it in a nutshell. We were once the hope of the free world. And if we put our minds to it, we could be again.

Fear, discrimination, torture, and war for the sake of asserting our dominence are the complete opposite of what America is supposed to be. I just don't get why the Republicans can't see that.

We're better than the way we've behaved over the last 7 years. So lets work towards proving ourselves as the beacon of hope for humanity once again! As Obama says "we are the one's we've been waiting for!" :D

[gladys46]

YES WE CAN!!

[ebonyjsg]

OH YES WE SURELY CAN!

[LaPointeBreak]

We will be the laughing stock of the world if we fail to elect Obama as the next President and leader of the free world.

[Steeevyo]

This speech was quite boring and uninspiring.
(German) crowd pleasing.
Lets see who in the MSM has the guts to say it first.

[Tommygun264]

Yeah, nothing like those inspiring barn-burners McSame and Bush turn out. Get real.

[Ibackobama]

The reason was that he could not appear to campaign in foreign soil which he did by talking only about bringing down walls trying to balance the haves and have nots, etc. This was not the place to make a speech on foreign policy... not to the masses anyway...

[ebonyjsg]

You are right! He wanted to provide inspiration and encouragement to Berlin and the world for us to know that we can accomplish anything if we come together! You are so right, that was not the time or place to get all in depth! That will come in time! We just have to have the vision and the faith to believe that YES WE CAN achieve it, if we believe it! Thanks Barack so much for giving us hope again!

[DCinFrance]

I'll give you that, Steve. It was less than I hoped for. He walked the tight rope, and tried to say what otherwise he should have said directly. He knew it, and tried to dampen hopes before it. Just the same, I was pleased to see the crowds, and all those around me, manifest the great hope that the United States of America could one day live up to that which brought it to be.

[gladys46]

Perhaps that's because you hope for little!! Wasn't O smart to be such an engaging visitor!!?

Just wonderfully brilliant!! Ha.

[Steeevyo]

For me its more or less a good sign.
The fact that the speech lacked profound vision for me that just supports my belief that all the Euro US divide that has been talked about is more or less athmospheric, and that we will continue working together in a good and constrcutive manner in the forseeable future.

[Mattyhorn]

Great speech...not too long or melodramatic...very presidential...very diplomatic...the speech of a true leader.

...and not a whiff of politics in terms of the election...no mention of Bush or McCain...very classy.



Obama '08

[ebonyjsg]

I agree! Obama has really shined during this trip! Anybody should be overjoyed at the prospect of him being our President! He would represent us well to the other parts of the world!

[kcam44]

yea, so unlike Bush's speeches. So refreshing!

[vschicago]

I see the spin has begun, Andrea M from MSNBC just said he spoke to only over 100K people; try close to 750,000 people, Andrea

[Ibackobama]

Andrea has a thing against O, you can tell the way she always adds a snide comment when she talks about O. German police confirmed it was about 200K.

[ebonyjsg]

Yes she does! She tries to hide it but it does come through! I get so sick of seeing the biasness in some of the journalist and media! I just wish they would just present facts! Obama was truly amazing and I don't think he overstepped his boundaries!

[Steeevyo]

ive been to love parade sveral times and the average was 750k to one million.
those today were never ever 750k.
100 thousand sounds reasonable. And btw. 100k is a lot of people.

[Tommygun264]

100K? Gee, that's only 99,900 more than showed up at McSame's last speech. So I guess the Germans, WHO WERE THERE, lied when they said it was between 200,000 and 250,000.