When Obama hits foreign shores, some of the billions of people who wish they could vote in the November US elections will come as close as they can get to getting their wish.
The McCain team, after goading Obama on to go overseas must now be kicking themselves to high heaven.
They finally figured out that when Obama goes to Europe, he will be greeted by tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of people who wish they could be voting for him -- as a gesture repudiating Bush and his policies.
The images of those huge masses of people will be very powerful, showing independent voters what they'll be able to look forward to -- a president the world will love, a president they will be able to proud to have representing them.
If Obama's team is as smart as they have demonstrated themselves to be in the past, they will stop down in England, France, Germany, giving advance notice where he goes so the crowds can form. Yes, there will be security risks. That's part of the work nations have to do when very important people visit them. In each of those countries, it is very likely that tens of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands will gather to greet him. The participation in those crowds is the best shot the natives of those countries will have to cast a vote, or at least help Obama.
There will be risks. If significant groups of Muslims show up at the rallies, clad in burkas or other mideastern attire, you can be sure that Fox News and the McCain team will find them and use them as evidence that Obama is a Muslim supported by terrorists. The best way that Muslims can support Obama is to go to the Obama rallies dressed in western clothing or to stay home.
Israel will be an interesting case. Will right wingers demonstrate against Obama? Will the Bush-friendly Israeli leadership prevent large crowds from gathering to show support for Obama? Israel is probably his riskiest stop. Will settlers from the west bank join together to protest Obama, giving him a blackeye with American Jews?
Iraq could be another trap. There's no way to see what's really going on there. The army runs the show and tell. I'm sure, that while Obama will meet with the Bush appointed military leaders, he'll also meet with leaders and people he sources on his own, who don't sell the Bush-McCain Surge-Pollyana line that all is wonderful. The smart thing to do is to finesse McCain, but going to the power players that McCain never went to because he just followed Bush's and Cheney's footprints. If he shows more creativity and connectivity in his Iraq, Iran and Afghan connections, he could come out way ahead.
Of course, even if he does, McCain's people will spin anything he does as weak, incompetent, friendly to the enemy and evidence of inexperience. That's the best they have -- nasty spin.
Crossposted from OpEdNews.com
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Yeah, that must be high on every democrats list. Being liked by foreigners.
Regan was hated in Europe, yet he was one of the more popular presidents in US. As a naturalized citezen I fail to see why European reaction should play any role in US elections. Do we want to be similar to Europe?
As American I want pesident who puts US first and the rest of the world second... That does not mean that we do not need friends and being popular does help. Outside of such self-interest I could care less how big of a crowd Obama gathers in Germany...
WIll you put your comments in context?
What contex?
Geez, a neocon from overseas? I thought people came here for freedom, which includes economic opportunity. Surprise, surprise, someone who likes internal security police, wars of economic opportunity, downgrading education except for the elite....all a common phenomena of European nations prior to the formation of the EU.
I did come here for opportunity. But mainly I came here for equality of opportunity, not for equality of results (see USSR how well that worked out). So far a lot of Obama's ideas have been representing the desire to make everyone the same, rather than give everyone equal opportunity...
As for education - please do not get me started. People here send the kids to school and wash their hands from any other responsobility. We do not pay teachers enought; we can not fire bad teachers; kids who are smart are being draged back by less smart kids (god forbid we have to tell parents that their kidsis a bad student and has to stay back); parents can not be bothered to spend 30 minutes with kids on their homework... Education is US is shamefull. that is not liberal/conservative issue....
I don;t agree when you ask European Muslims to dress in western garbfor Obama's speeches. It is exactly a tact I would expect a Karl rove to employ if advising Obama. I would rather see all Americans dress in Muslim garb when we go to the ballot box in November.
I AM VERY HAPPY THAT THE TROOPS ARE GLAD THAT OBAMA IS THERE WITH THEM. THE MORNING SHOWS ARE VERY NASTY WITH THERE COMMENTS ABOUT HIM AND GIVING MCCAIN CREDIT FOR HIM BEING THERE AND HIS SAFETY HE IS SO FULL OF IT.THE LEADERS AND COMMANDERS ARE GLAD HE IS THERE . HE LOOKS SO MUCH LIKE A LEADER WOW I'LL BE GLAD WHEM HE IS SWORE IN JAN 09 , I KNOW ELECTION FIRST MAN I AM EXCITED ABOUT THE CONVENTION IN AUGUST. WE ARE GETTING READY TO HIT THE STREETS HERE IN CHICAGO TO GET PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEVER VOTE BEFORE TRUST ME THEY ARE READY TO COME OUT .OBAMA. 08 A CHANCE IS COMING SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN THESE HARD TIME IN OUR COUNTRY.
I once lived in an America that was part of a global community. This has been destroyed by 8 bloody and corrosive years of the Bush-Cheney regime. Barack Obama can return us to the pre-Bush world and add even more charm, charisma and intellectuality to the scene - like the young and vibrant JFK.
Stay tuned because apparently about 3% of the people who do vote are not U.S. Citizens and have no right to vote in our elections. Perhaps you missed that report.
The citizens of most European countries don't _love_ America. It's just another foreign country to us. Because its actions often have repercussions for the rest of us, we may _hate_ those, but the country itself, as a country, is not that significant to us. Contrary to what a lot of the US MSM would have you believe, we don't all wish we were American: we're very happy being French, Irish, Italian, etc.
The enthusiasm for Obama here in Europe (which is very real) is because a) he seems like he'd be a good President, and b) we all hope that under him the actions of the US would not be so internationally harmful. This mustn't be confused with wishing we could have him as our own leader - the specifics of each European countrys' political and social agenda is different, as is our political 'style', and all of them are different from the US' political and social agenda and style. But boy, do we hope that the US elects him!
Well said - thank you for the reality check.
I love my country (USA), but I don't like what it has become...I don't expect other people to love it - especially after what we have done over the past 8 years.
I hope that with the election of President Barack Obama we can at least redeem ourselves in the eyes of the rest of the world and garner that support that we should have closely maintained after 9/11.
Why should we "redeem ourselves" . If we elect Obama I hope it is because we want him to lead US not because we want to "redeem ourselves in the eyes of the rest of the world"
I wouldn't go overboard on the "world loves Obama, and America" meme. I love neither; and I suspect that the enthusiasm for Obama is a mile wide and an inch deep.
It must be galling to Republicans that Democrats have usurped their fight song: basically they are pointing at their Repub opponents and saying.."Vote for me, I'm not HIM!" This is what is driving international enthusiasm for Obama..he's not THEM.
I'm confident that most of the world no longer loves Americans. Fear and loathing has supplanted admiration.
"It must be galling to Republicans that Democrats have usurped their fight song: basically they are pointing at their Repub opponents and saying.."Vote for me, I'm not HIM!" This is what is driving international enthusiasm for Obama..he's not THEM."
I can't speak for democrats or republicans. I am a republican I'll speak for myself.
I don't give any credibility to the opinion of regions that have spawned two world wars, Hitler, Mussolini, Lenin, Stalin, Franco, the Berlin Wall, the IRA, Saddam, Hamas, Al Quieda, the PLO, various republican guards and the holocaust. Meanwhile american democrats, republicans, independents, jews, christians, muslims, atheists etc have spilled their blood on europe and the middle east and saved your bacon on more than one occasion only to be bitten on the hand that has fed you. No offense. That said, it doesn't make any difference if it is a republican or democrat. He or she will take the dictators and extremists to the woodshed if they threaten our country. Believe it.
You base this on what? I was just in the UK, Netherlands, Sweden and Germany and never once encountered fear and loathing. I do see anger at the Bush regime and confusion on how he won twice (but then I'm with them on that point). But I've yet to meet anyone who blames me, personally, for the problems with our government.
You must be discussing different parts of the world than the ones I travel in. My first hand knowledge only covers Western Europe, SE Asia and Central America ....
I agree with you Geoffrey, I wish Americans can have the kind of outlook on things as we do in Europe. It occurs to me reading all of these statement that the general believe is that We Europeans hate Americans. This is all lies. The fact of the matter is Americans are well liked and the Country itself is Loved. It's the Foreign Policies that majority of people do not like. Futhermore most Americans Media are feeding Americans what they want them to believe based on their own Political Agenda. ( faux News, Woolf et.al) And I don't believe it is serving Americans any good. That is why I do appreciate Jack Caffety he is one in a million. As for Obama, majority of us are saving money in order to come for his swearing in come 2009. And we are preparing to go from London to German to show that we in England wish and love America and to thank Obama for bringing PEACE to the World. Rose London
The same forces that produced a 90% approval rating for Bush post-9/11 are buttressing Obama's candidacy. On September 10, 2001 Bush was a D-list celebrity; catastrophe gave him "capital".
The catastrophe of the Bush administration is giving Obama "capital". I doubt most of the world's citizens know much of Obama..except as the anti-Bush.
On our trips to Norway, Iceland, France, Ireland and the UK we encounted a feeling of sadness: too bad the USA is sinking and loosing respect due to your politicians. Obama is looked at as the leader who could restore respect and admiration of the USA to the world. However, most feel the Americans will not vote for him. That is sad.
Well you might be right about some of the sentiment being "he's not them" but if Europeans were voting they might as well not bother with the election.
According to a June poll Obama wins convincingly.
In France he gets 65 percent of the vote compared to 8 percent for McCain
In Italy he gets 70 percent of the vote compared to 15 percent for McCain
In Germany he gets 67 percent of the vote compared to 6 percent for McCain
In the UK he gets 49 percent of the vote compared to 14 percent for McCain
Russia is the closest of the Countries polled with 31 percent for Obama and 24 for McCain.
Europeans are not all that wild about polls and are less prone than Americans to stick their noses into other peoples business which accounts for the rather large number of people who fell into the catagory of "Don't Know Don't Care Leave me Alone"
As a Canadian I can fairly confidently say that the fear and loathing only really pertains to the present cabal currently in office. Now if I was an Iraqi? I doubt I'd have the luxury to worry about anything other than what the hell has happened to my world?
Please elect Obama.
wmg57,I am presently in your beautiful country and the people here couldn't be nicer.
Thanks for your vote for Obama message. I have a feeling that he is going to "wow" them in Europe and I have been writing his campaign for months to show the insane old coot how much the world loves him, Obama, and hates all those who are a part of the present criminal's regime in US.
I think that the snarky remarks here on this blog are red eyed jealousy!!!
Go Obama!
Two-edged sword Department here. Adoring foreign throngs work well for Presidents after they've been elected. Before, Americans tend not to like "foreigners" telling them whom they should elect as their president.
IMO, the potential downsides of this trip outweigh the upsides. Let's just win first!
Lets cut out the over expectation. Some people may appear to see Obama, but it will not be thousands, people need to be realistic! For security purposes, that number of people will not be allowed to appear at any one venue, especially overseas, where the US secret service accompanying Obama will be overwhelmed if too large a crowd appears.
McCains team weren't listening to the foriegn press when they goaded Obama into this otherwise they would seen that he is a 'rock star' in Europe.
Serves them right!
The McCain camp is stewing in jealousy this morning... hoping for a gaffe or misstep. ROFLMAO! Serve them right, they should have just shut up and held out until late summer to start talking about Obama not visiting Iraq in 2 years and never visiting Afghan but instead they are left with a superstar and they cant handle it! Would be hilarious if they were not so pathetic!
Blah, blah, blah. We've heard this schlock before. "Someone in the Bush administration did something bad and won't cooperate with us." Are the Dems actually going to do something about it this time, or just whine and pout for a while before giving in?
Of course, let's not let the Republican spin this in ANY way.
Obama had already announced a summer Iraq trip during the primaries, long before McCain started criticizing him for not going there.
McCain is irrelevant in this, just like everything else he says.
Everyone I know in Italy LOVES Obama.
I just pray for a safe trip for Senator Obama and look forward to his coming back to the USA.
Obama/Sebelius '08
Oh wow, everyone you know? Fantastic.
Is Obama going to stop in Rome on this trip? Please let me know so I can get a front row spot to greet him... and greet him with two big middle fingers in his face, and the announcement that he is a fraud.
Everyone knows that Hillary is the most popular world wide... but you can elect Obama president of your little group of friends if that makes you happy.
well then you are more than welcome to vote for McCain, or sit this one out...
Hillary has not been missed.
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Posted July 19, 2008 | 05:37 PM (EST)