Coming Soon; The Non-US Citizen Vote For Obama
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
Follow Rob Kall on Twitter: www.twitter.com/robkall
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This whole European reaction issue has me curious. When Bush didn't get the unanimous support he wanted for the invasion of Iraq, and the American heartland saw the mass demonstrations around the world, the reaction was heavily anti-Europe. Boycotting Frenchfries etc., even boycotting Canadian goods. Americans largely also seemed to be very supportive of their government refusing to sign up to international treaties.
How is this going to play if there are huge rallies of Europeans for Obama? Has America lost its negativity to Europe? Or is this going to play as Obama actually not being American enough? ie He's the President for the rest of the world whereas McCain is the President for America?
Obviously that's how Fox and the Repugs will try to play it. But will the MSM go along?
Good analysis. Freedom Fries comes to mind. I don't think they ever came up with an alternative to Canadian Bacon, but I guess they've been too busy.
lol, we call it back bacon.
I agree, that is a good analysis. I don't see too many signs that most Americans, outside of the intellectual class, care too hoots what the rest of the world thinks about America. Or rather if they do care, they are inclined to think "if the French are happy we must be doing something wrong."
Most American's do not have a passport , the most exotic most get is Hawaii; not even venturing to Canada or Mexico coming to grips with the world affecting America is a new reality that painfully the working class is coming to grips with.
You make a good point but we need to remember the perspective when we cheered for "American Fries". Bush had convinced us that there were WMD's and Hussein/Al Quada ties. We believed, not only the Bush bull, but that in turn had us convinced that the Europeans would rather ignore the facts and sit on the sidelines while America did the heavy lifting. And that made us angry. Except that we now know that the Europeans and pretty much everyone else were absolutely right (and we were completely wrong) to believe that Bush was just handing us lies as he lead us into an unnecessary war.
"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."
That is all they have left at this point.
They LOVE Obama in France and Italy. I just got back from two months over there. That's all anyone wants to talk about once they know you are a US citizen. His image is often on the front page of many European papers and magazines.
They don't hate America. The LOVE America. They hate Bush.
That sounds right to me. It's Bush they loathe.
Of course we have known that......
feeling groovy, I was with some of my clients last month and two Americans were in the underground waiting to buy Travel Ticket. I don't know what came over me. I approached them all smiles and I offered to pay for their tickets. They looked at me as if saying what?. So I said to them how I have been following the Primaries and how Obama's speech has inspired me to go back to University and do my degree course (am starting in November) and how we love Americans and wish Obama wins. They refused my offer but when I started saying Please... I just want you to Know am feeling happy when I see Americans. They both smile and said thanks. I have no doubt that I was doing the right thing. You know welcoming Americans. I got similar treatment every time i go to America with my family on holidays. And I know Majority of Americans are good people. But can any one tell me if the people who present faux news are Americans?. I have never meet Americans like them before.
It's strange how the World you reference stood by and enabled BushCo these past eight years yet continue to look to America for a leader who will get them out of the mess they're complicit in sustaining. Media hyperbole aside, grave problems created by the global right wing will never be solved through wishful thinking or a few charismatics.
slg;
Obama never said he was perfect. You people love to cut him to the quick. You voted in all these so called "experienced" Presidents for centuries and look where this country is today. We’re embedded in a war that should have never been waged and we’re about to get into another that will be waged if McSame is elected.
We need a healthy fresh set of eyes looking over the mounting debt and problems Bush will be leaving. We will need someone that can put together a team at the quick to work from the bottom of the problems and work their way through to the top.
We need a President that will work to keep us safe by not bullying or enemies. We need someone that's willing to talk with them and not at them; we need someone that will work for this country and not against it and we need someone that will work for the American voters in every way.
We need someone that is willing to work and not pass it off to others to do with no follow up. We need someone that will keep track of their cabinet so that they are in line. We need a President that's willing to work for the people and not just for themselves.
Willing to work?
Isn't he STILL a United States Senator?
He should be doing these things..TO
Why the heck not?
Only make it easier for folks to vote for him because he is actually getting things done.
But then that would take some thought and we just have to wait until after the election?
Obama will be received in Israel with smiles and friendliness. However, Israelis have not yet figured Obama out. To them he is an unknown quantity. Obama's incentive to negotiate with Iran makes Israelis apprehensive. Iran postures and threatens to wipe Israel off the map. And Israel, while not next door, is within rocket distance of Iran now. There are no border disputes with Iran, but Iran has an issue with a zionist - as they prefer to call it - nation in a landmass that they consider muslim and arab. Iran does not even have an issue with jews, as long as they remain in their place, preferably Europe. Obama is too young to remember that after WWII African nations liberated themselves from colonialism, as did Indonesia (Dutch colonialism). Jews fought alongside Arabs for the same cause, liberation from colonialism - the British mandate - in Palestine, and for that Palestinians received 72% of the British Mandate (now Jordan) and Israel was created by an act of the UN and got 28%. Obama and Iran should consider that the Arab Peninsula is better off not having the British colonial power there. And the US should consider not lording it over other nations. Then we will all get along. In history Israel (jews) and Iran (Persia) have had excellent relationships. They need to realize that when many countries were liberated from colonialism, middle easterners (jews) repatriated.
Can't wait to see the pictures with an ocean of humanity cheering on the good guy!
It's ALL McCain has ever had. When anyone with a brain compares the 2 men McCain loses.....
Excellent article. The MCSame team are scared to death because Obama will show Americans what America could once again be. The crowds will show that America still has friends all over world, if only it could get off the Rethug-neocon train.
Congrats on being the one millionth person to use that "McSame" joke. It's not tired at all.
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