He Came, Trodded Gently, and Did Quite Well
There were, to be sure, a number of risks associated with Barack Obama's nine-nation foreign policy foray. It is one thing to masterfully run a primary campaign, and quite another to travel to three of the world's hottest conflict zones, each with its own unique challenges.
First was the matter of timing. With much of August occupied by the Olympics and the two parties' political conventions at the end of the month, this trip occurred within the final time-frame left for the candidates to make their marks before the mad dash to November's election.
Instead of playing safe at home, Obama ventured out into treacherous waters, where the dangers were not only the unpredictable circumstances of Iraq, Afghanistan and the Israel-Palestine conflict, but the watchful eye of the U.S. media. While some critics suggested that the presence of all three major network news anchors (and a hundred other assorted media personnel) ensured maximum coverage for the trip, this carried dangers as well. Stung by criticism that they favored Obama, many journalists would feel a need to prove their credibility by pouncing on any major mistake made by the candidate. This could have proved fatal.
It was in Afghanistan and Iraq, where nearly 200,000 U.S. troops have been engaged in combat for over five years, that Obama was to face down his greatest challenge. Prior to the trip, he had been taunted by his Republican opponent, Senator John McCain, for articulating a policy before visiting the war zone and meeting with commanders on the ground. Obama had called for a 16 month drawdown of U.S. forces in Iraq and a stepped-up effort in Afghanistan, which he has identified as presenting the more direct terrorist threat to the U.S. and the region.
Just days before his departure from the U.S., sudden shifts in positions by both the Iraqi Prime Minister and President Bush played into Obama's favor. Prime Minister al-Maliki was quoted as saying that a U.S. departure from Iraq was indeed desirable within the time frame articulated by Senator Obama. (A statement which al-Maliki at first disputed making but ultimately reaffirmed.) And President Bush, himself, appeared to accept the idea of a timetable for drawdown of U.S. forces in Iraq, while also arguing that a beefing up of the U.S. military in Afghanistan was needed.
The military's leadership did express their reservations about a withdrawal timetable, and that might have spelled trouble for the Democratic candidate. Despite the U.S. public's reservations about the war, they have demonstrated increasing appreciation for the commitment and sacrifice U.S. forces have made in Iraq. This provided Obama with a challenge which, in the end, he handled quite well. The visuals of the enthusiastic reception given the youthful Senator by U.S. combat forces provided ample evidence of their acceptance of his leadership. At the same time, while indicating a respectful understanding of the concerns expressed by U.S. military leaders, he noted that - if he were to become "Commander in Chief" - he would consider their views but assert his strategic priorities for where best to employ U.S. forces, demonstrating confident political savvy and his vision.
Entering the troubled waters of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was another matter. There, Obama had several goals to accomplish - all difficult. There were diverse constituencies closely watching his every move. Israelis and some American Jews needed to be assured of his commitment to Israel's security, while Arab Americans and many throughout the Arab world needed to be convinced of his commitment to even-handedness. By any measure, a very tough load to balance.
A respectful visit to long-time U.S. ally King Abdullah of Jordan, and a press conference set against the backdrop of magnificent Greco-Roman ruins, provided Obama with an opportunity to define his policy goals in a nuanced manner. He expressed his strong support for Israel's security, while asserting that the best way to guaranty that security is to "recognize the legitimate difficulties that the Palestinian people are experiencing right now - [because] it is not only in the interests of the Palestinian people that their situation improves....it is also in the interests of the Israeli people." He pledged "to start working from the minute I'm sworn into office to make breakthroughs" and affirmed that the "ultimate resolution is going involve two states standing side by side in peace and security."
Prior to going to Israel, Obama had been pressed by supporters to visit a number Israeli leaders and sites designed to establish his bona fides. These visits went well, but dismayed Palestinians, who chafed at the fact that he made only one West Bank visit with President Mahmoud Abbas and President Salim Fayyad. But the contents of the meetings went well and provided Obama with ample opportunity to assure both sides of his commitment to begin an intense effort to negotiate peace.
From there, it was off to Germany, where his address before a crowd of 200,000 could only be described as a tour de force. The Berlin speech focused on rebuilding America's image and restoring U.S.-European ties. Making reference to the tearing down of Berlin's iconic wall, the Senator issued a line whose meaning might have been missed by some, but whose implications were of significance on many levels, including people in the Middle East, when he said, "The walls between races and tribes; natives and immigrants; Christian and Muslim and Jew cannot stand. These now are the walls we must tear down."
A final observation: During all this time, Senator McCain was clearly frustrated. Some observers noted that while McCain might have taken advantage of Senator Obama's absence from the U.S. to focus on critical domestic messages that would have strengthened his standing, he instead was reduced to an angry heckler on the sidelines. Clearly, the winner in this round was Obama.
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Anyone who is saying anything contrary to your excellent piece here is JEALOUS of the achievements of this remarkable young man, Barack Obama.
They prodded and sent him out there into this political mine field by urging him to "travel abroad" hoping that he "explodes" during this trip but our awesome God who loves this nation (in spite of our iniquities which we usually deny at our own peril) guided and even exceeded the expectations of most of us who held our hearts in our mouth knowing fully well that these agents of darkness are out there to strike at the least opportunity.
Now that Barack has gone into the Lion's Den and come back alive, the same agents of darkness have resorted to a new theme: COCKINESS, as their battle cry to muddy the self-assured attributes of Barack Obama. It seem these agents of darkness prefer buffoonery and incompetence than intelligence and candor.
Conversely, are they telling me that that a half-white, half-black man cannot be self-assured unless he is White?
Excellent analysis ... Obama "and his campaigne" deserve high marks for putting together and executing a flawless trip abroad.
I include the "campaigne" because picking the right people on your team is important ... doesn't hurt to have a candidate who also can execute flawlessly ... but it demonstrates that(barring political influence to pick people he doesn't want) Obama's cabinet and whitehouse staff will be at least as competent as he is.
Mr. Zogby:
Thank you and bless you for such a spot on analysis. Can you please go school Campbell Brown (CNN), Hannity, and Chris Matthews, pleeeeeze!! They are cooking my last grits with their inept and amateur analysis. Aaargh!!
Please also tell Candy Crawley, John King and Joe YUK Scarborough.
Thanks very much, Mr. Zogby, I enjoyed O's Excellent Adventure all over again in reading your post.
Boogy-hussein-gran for Obama
Wonderful article. He really did well, and more to the point his aura and commitment reaches you through that television screen. No, he isn't perfect ,but I think he has a forward progression type of thinking which is based on a more worldly outlook.-i
It is so unfortunate that people , especially the pundits,analysts and presenters who come over as particularly negative,so much so I have to mute my t.v, are looking more for the gaffes, and the cliche of the day..presu
Come on people ....more in-depth thinking is required.
You mention it, Zog, it has been some sixty years since WWII ended. The U.S. has helped many nations, and continues to help many nations. It paid off well for Europe. The dollar is doing rather well, I'd say. Asian countries are making great strides, a.o. China and India. Israel was created and is an established nation with its own army. However, the Palestinians could not pay their government employees, again, last week, because foreign money to do so was not coming in on time. They had demanded a few weeks earlier that Israel provide them with their own Military, which made Israelis wonder, *what, to attack our own flesh and blood with on their behalf"? I see Palestinians who took over Gaza, first from Egypt, and then from Israel, and keep on destroying from the inside out. They even destroyed thriving businesses in Gaza, which could have given them jobs. Some Gazans were even deliberating suing the now refugees from Gaza, for monetary damages, because they lost their jobs! Palestinians strive internally and rise up against their own. They did so in Jordan, they are doing it in Lebanon, and they are doing it between Hamas and the PLO. Barack's policies advocate change from the bottom up. As I see it, that would include providing Palestinians with employment and relocation inside the 22 Arab nations. It should be an Arab and muslim initiative from the bottom up. And our, and other, international aid would finally bear fruit.
Great Article...
Americans have a self-righteous notion that our system of government is a good one that can guarantee opportunity and accountability for all who want to improve their standards of living. After WWII, many war-torn european countries reached out to us for help in rebuilding their nations and subsequently signed on to many of our governmental and societal constructs (although not our specific system of government; they favored parliamentary systems).
How does this play into Obama's campaign strategy?
Perfectly. Here's how:
--Americans yearn to recapture the respect lost over the last 7+ years
--Americans need allies against the struggles with terrorism
--Americans have become huge debtors and need to balance their books again
--Europe is wealthy and its systems are succeeding in delivering human services to its people
Consequently, Obama and a majority of Americans see the logic in pursuing policies and attitudes and alliances that incorporate these notions. The current administration does not, and so far the McCain campaign has not.
Obama is empowering the electorate with this strategy. McCain's strategy is condescending and does not believe Americans are smart enough to see the big picture.
Fortunately, Obama is a great painter and the picture he's painting is quite clear. Unfortunately, McCain is struggling to express his vision in any medium.
Well said NeoLiberal.
Senator Obama accepted Senator McCain's challenge and went abroad to see first hand the challenges that lurk beyond our shores. He also went to listen...s
He projected an image of youth, vitality, and intelligence. He appeared to those wary European and Middle-Eastern eyes to be a true stateman in the making. Not only did he listen, he appeared to hear what was said to him.
Senator McCain lost the challenge. He was left standing here with his hat in his hand, eating wurst and cream puffs. Sadly he has come to represent the old, constipated American domestic and foreign policies that have brought us to this very uncomfortable place in time. He reminds me of a sad old boxer who steps one more time into the ring only to discover he cannot even see his opponent.
Senator McCain was, at one time, a warrior. Now he is nothing but a shadow of the past lingering on the fringes of lost ambition.
Obama '08 No doubt about it.
MsDoc, this is so once the corporate media does not get to play their games on behalf of the corporate elite. It is also so once the American people use their heads and stop reacting to nonsense that is cynically doled out to them by the corporate media.
Dr. Zogby, thank you for your excellent overview of this very complex trip.
McCain's diatribes remind me of J.K. Toole's puffy character Ignatius J. Reilly in "A Confederacy of Dunces" - bogged by constant nursing of a "bad valve" from his predilection to street corner hot dogs.
We've escpaped in postcards from Obama abroad (while enduring a lot of GOP belching at home).
Let's face it: Obama's the smartest, most effective politician, at home and abroad, in my lifetime. (I'm a 65yrold white guy.) Lacking American white racism, Europeans showed their unadulterated adoration of Obama this week for good reason: he shares their quest for justice and peace everywhere. He's a real liberal. But so many white Americans are still so racist that they can't bring themselves to vote for a brilliant, wonderfully articulate and charismatic leader, even though voting for McCain will give them four more years of the Republican government which has screwed them in every way possible: killing their kids in a worthless, needless, absurd war; driving up deficits at an unheard of rate; collapsing the dollar and reducing the American standard of living as a result, including skyrocketing gas prices which are a direct result of the deficits and dollar collapse. Yet a critical mass of Americans is so stupid that they will slit their throats for the third time in a row, simply because their compulsive prejudices make them putty in the hands of their Republican manipulators, who play these dolts like violins.
jeanrenoir
I agree. Sad isn't it!
I have more faith in the American electorate than that. Esp. if Sen. McCain maintains his campaign up to this week's standard.
I hope that you are right. I am truly concerned, though.
I like the idea that MCSame was reduced to a frustrated heckler. He went to Berlin Ohio, ate a sausage and whined how he would like to address Germans but only after he becomes president. This is a guy who went to Mexico and no Mexican cared. He went to Columbia and only the media listen. Then to Canada where only a handful of so-called members of the Empire Club (Required to be there) listened to him whine about how Obama hated free trade. In all the trips, he could not have spoken to 1000 people. Yet here is Obama who, spoke to 200,000 people with such confidence, you would think he wasspeaking to members of his family. MCSame has to be envious.
Excellent analysis. I watched his speech from Germany online during my lunch hour (thank God for the internet) and fell for him all over again.
I watched as each world leader responded to Obama with warmth and comfort. To watch the kid-like excitement of President Sarkozy of France was awing. This was a very big trip for Obama and for the United States of America.
It was a pathetic and almost disturbing week for McCain that left him looking clueless and almost like his campaign was trying to sabotage . . . . his . . . .. campaign.
There was so many moving moments in this trip. I was particularly touched by King Abdullah of Jordan, who went far, far beyond any diplomatic protocols. More Americans who enjoy sneering Sen. Obama's middle name should remember it is also the name of King Abdullah's father - a man who worked hard for peace despite the immediate and constant threats to his life.
Barack Obama was like, here I am, world. I am here to say what I will do for my country and what I will do for the world. I think this world tour shows a leader that is not afraid to step out of his safe box. He took a risk and this risk paid off. He looked very presidential yesterday in front of all those people. You can tell that the world sees what we in America see. All the world's citizens are craving fearless, honest leadership.
The people of the world know that if America has a solid leader, the world will be a better place because of it. Barack Obama recognized that he not only has the American stage to address, but also the world's stage. The world IS watching and we as Americans should be grateful they are.
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