Obama in Europe: I know we like our Freedom Fries, but a Bratwurst isn’t so bad.
Tomorrow, Obama is to give a speech in front of Victory Column in Berlin, Germany. He is supposed to have a huge crowd attend, and people are likening it to the days when JFK would visit Europe and be treated like a rock star. Right now, Europe is incredibly in favor of Obama over McCain with Gallup polls showing people from across Europe favoring the junior Senator from Illinois by 50 to 60 percentage points in almost all nations.
Now, being a pretty ‘political’ guy who spends way too much time for my own good staying abreast with US/international politics, not too much surprises me as I realize that often the vast majority of people do not take the time to truly understand issues and therefore do not make rational decisions. However, given the context described above, I was actually shocked to hear how reports of Europe’s admiration for Obama is hurting his electability and that many Americans don’t like him as much due to it.
Shouldn’t we proud that we may soon be electing someone who our closest and most important allies actually listen to and admire? Shouldn’t we be proud that after so long, our potential next leader is respected in the world, and not the laughing stock of 6 billion people? Shouldn’t I be proud that I don’t have to introduce myself as a Californian in some countries around the world to avoid awkward conversations about why I elected Bush? It seems that for once we have a leader who we can (for now) be proud of, but America is turning into that jealous boyfriend who cannot stand anyone else talking to or admiring his girlfriend.
We should be happy that an American politician, presidential candidate or not, black or white, US Senator or city councilman, is being respected and admired around the world. It can only help our reputation abroad, and I truly don’t understand why people think cheering Europeans, Middle Easterners, or Africans is a bad thing for Obama or us as citizens.
I know we want to think we own everything (freedom fries….come on now…), but at the same time, we have to realize America is still the juggernaut in this world, and all our leaders and national decisions affect the rest of the globe. Everyone around the world has as much a right to cheer for our candidates as we do, so let’s rejoice that for once in a seemingly long time, people seem to be looking over at this country with respect and not ridicule because of who we elect.
