I didn't see the speech, being at work at the time, but as soon as possible I read the entire transcript. Der Spiegel's editor is right to note that Obama strikes a utopian chord, but I think Spoerl lays the European Weltschmerz on a tad thick. If Europe's jaded and reluctant to go along side by side with the US, why did 200,000 people show up to listen to Obama?
Faced with Obama's oratorical skills and careful preparation on substantive matters, I think McCain would be a total fool to try and debate him. Better to stuff himself into a wood chipper feet first than suffer that comparison.
I think it just means that Obama is advocating something a bit different from realpolitique. He still believes in American exceptionalism and that the Us can do no wrong so we will see him keep things like trade practices like dumping and other neoliberal economic agendas such as discouraging universal single payer healthcare & education in 2nd or 3rd world nations, a US centric GATT & WTO.
However even if he wanted to one person cannot alter the direction that American foreign policy has been going for more than 100 years. After all this is the same country that murdered Lamumba, invaded Grenada, helped spread death squads throughout Latin America.
Tenacitus, events are already altering that direction. We are an empire whose death moment has come.
There was really no practical way an American hegemonic empire was going to survive the multiple revolutions in communications, computing, transportation of goods, military small arms, and campaign strategy that the last century has seen in.
We are seeing the end in Iraq. In more ways than one, since it is also our Adrianople. And we were just about out of hellroom for more mistakes well before we got trapped in the Sand Pit.
Obama can believe that angels are going to fly down from heaven and miracle our asses out of there in some way other than defeat. It still isn't going to happen.
It doesn't matter what he believes now, if he's smart enough to turn on a dime when he gets the message that this direction is just plain played out.
The Wanderer: do you remember, in 2000, how the talking heads decided that Bush had "won" the first Gore/Bush debate because he didn't sound as utterly stupid and out of his depth as everyone expected him to (Well, he did, but that's another issue) and because Gore was "mean" and "overbearing"? Yeah, I'm worried.
I had Jesse's confidence in 2000. Now I just can't seem to muster it.
Beth-
No doubt. As much as Obama seems to have 2008 all but wrapped up in any sort of sane world, the traditional media seems to have it's thumb on the scale in favor of McCain as much as they possibly dare. So if the Swiftboat attacks start expect them to be echoed by the media as legitimate "questions" no matter how out of line the attacks are. Similarly if the GOP engages in widespread and blatant voter suppression and ballot box stuffing expect the media to ignore the story or report it as Obama's "stunning" defeat.
Make no mistake the Village wants McCain and they are going to do everything they can to make sure they get McCain.
I think it just means that Obama is advocating something a bit different from realpolitique. He still believes in American exceptionalism and that the Us can do no wrong so we will see him keep things like trade practices like dumping and other neoliberal economic agendas such as discouraging universal single payer healthcare & education in 2nd or 3rd world nations, a US centric GATT & WTO.
I'm fine as Obama as president of the United States. He's better than McCain every day of the year - every day of a leap-year. But for the reasons pointed out by Tenacitus - no way in hell would I want Obama as President of the Earth. Other countries have their own way of dealing with things, and I don't want his phony brand of "centrism" taking root in Australia. To be honest, I seriously doubt that I know what he believes any more. Does he support universal health-care? How does he stand on climate change? And does he have any policies on what to do with middle-class poverty in the United States? (Which may be affecting my wife's family in the States at this very moment.) This skeptical cat is very skeptical.
What Obama might be able to do is "smooth" the transition from the supposedly unipolar world of George Bush, to a multipolar world of the US, Canada, Mexico, and the EU.
Bush and his corporate cronies have looted the US...the treasury is bare, the military fractured, the environment incresaingly poisoned, and the infrastructure utterly rotted.
THe hard times of today are going to ooze into many tomorrows. As a nation, we need to figure out what is repairable, what can't be fixed, and what needs to be replaced or abandoned. We're in for complex and confusing times, but I hope the horror of 2001-2008 will ease.
Yes, Obama is a great orator and will be aa huge improvement over McSame, but somehow his "centrism" smells a bit too much like "The Third Way" of Tony Blair circa 1997.
I can't say that I was overwhelmed by his speech - it was okay, but nothing extraordinary in my eyes. Quite emotional but a bit thin as far as anything really tangible is concerned. On the other hand he is still in the election campaign stage.
So I will wait until he is actually in office and I can see whether deeds will follow his words... (and Americans: please try to not fuck up another election 
)
As for that President of the World thing: No way will I accept him as that - unless I get to vote.
Then again, when former British PM MacMillan was asked what was the most important factor that shaped his premiership, he said "events" which suggests that in an unpredictable world, Obama may end up doing things he never anticipated. Another reason to support him over McSame.
I really don't think that Obama wants to be president of the world. I also don't think that he is an evil man, he wants to do what he thinks is bets for America. I was born in Nigeria and lived there for 13 years of my life. That colours my view of international instruments such as the World Bank, IMF, Bretton Woods, or the UN. I also am very much aware of great power interference in the affairs of smaller nations. The smaller nations are seen as being crazy for wanting the same type of self determination as the great powers in the international system. If even australia gets fucked over by Japan when it comes to things like sending its tree to Japan and getting back paper at exorbitant markups or selling its' long lived & short breeding orange roughy to western markets what chance does Chad, Mozambique Cameroon have especially when America's allies still try and pull coups in places like Equatorial Guinea.
I think wether he wants it or not American foreign policy is not going to change, and if China, the EU, or Russia takes the US' place we will still have the same global system of fuck over some to enrich others. I sincerely hope that Obama and everyone else will prove me wrong I fear that climate change and environmental collapse will just make those who are hurting hurt more and those who are doing okay will become more militaristic as well as fascistic. Please if you can prove me wrong.
What Obama said was not "President of the World" and should not (please and thank you) be interpreted as such.
He said "CITIZEN of the world," just as JFK used that same phrase in the 1960s.
He called that crowd of 200K people all "citizens of the world," too. Putting himself on equal footing with them, and us there too, in implication.
Any intelligent human operates as a citizen of the world in the 21st century. It is a deep insult for the GOP and the MSM to suggest that "real Americans" hate and fear the rest of the world beyond our borders. Ask Holland America or any Overseas Study program if that is a workable idea.
some german oped pice writen by a guy who clearly dosn't like obama stated president of the world. Don't put words in eth mans mouth espicaly when those words origniated from an obviously biased group.
Thomas in Berlin: it was a speach...waht do you want soem sort of fuckign 12 point power poitn presentation...thsoe are meanignless, have allways been meanigless tghe ygive you the impresion of substance without any actual substance...you want policy g olook at the policy papers on obamas website...No speach that any politition has ever given has had any substance...hell no speach has meat, you would put your audiance to sleep if you tried that....hell most college lectures are frea of substance for the same reason, talkings for overviews, reading is for substance.
Okay, looks like I failed to make myself clear: my President of the World remark was re the SPIEGEL author, I know that Obama didn't say anything like it, I watched it live on TV.
And yes, as a lawyer I know that reading is for substance. That's why I usually skip campaign speeches altogether. But since everybody is so on about Obamas rhetoric skills I was curious and made an exception.
(And no, I am not particularly fond of Powerpoint presentations).
It was incredible. This was his world stage debut, and I thought it was everything Jesse said. It had impact. for me, the crowd, their bright faces, was stunning. Those looks are the looks of "Oh crap, he's saying exactly what I think! Finally!"
President of the World.... this is silly. He didn't say that. The President of the United States has always been seen as "leader of the free world". Obama was demonstrating how he would fill that role. Someone has to do it. That's what Kennedy and reagan were doing AS Presidents. But, cherish is right:
Any intelligent human operates as a citizen of the world in the 21st century.
Takin' it to the streets like this is how "grassroots" organizing looks .... only bigger. Making the call upon the people, giving the power back to the people, that's what he's doing. He's leading.
Shorter Obama: We're better people than we've been lead to believe recently. Let's get about BEing that.
Was he a little "utopian"? ..... yes, but that's what inspires people to act, to remember what we're about on this rock. The only threat to anything is, as always, deep cynicism.
He's got the big mic right now, and for him to use it like this shows profound wisdom...... and true leadership.
the thing that i am waiting, patiently so far, but waiting to hear from obama is a repudiation of the unitary executive theory. it is based on spurious interpretations of the law and has led us to widespread corruption and law breaking.
that all needs to be addressed.
the policies of george w. bush have made our nation the moral equal of serbia.
i agree with you jesse. i have loved the way he took what mcCain felt was a "gotcha" double dog dare and turned it into a triumphant week.
i have gone from clinicly depressed to cautiously optomistic.
Minstrel Hussain Boy: i think obamas pledge to review every one of bushes executive orders adn signing statments for constitutionality is a clear reputation of unitary executive. He is very clearly placeignthe constitution over the powers of the president.
what obama has that mccain sorely lacks (then again mccain saore lacks a lot) is the ability to inspire and make people feel good -- something that has not existed for a long long time. i dont believe obama has all the answers, i also am not totally enamored with him -- but he is light years ahead of mccain in almost every respect -- except one
the media
the media for all there professed love of obama really cannot give mccain a big enough bj -- they so want him not only to make it close but to win ---
this shouldnt even be close --- but the media will do everything it can to make it so
Obama is obviously much better than McCain in every regard, and he does have to get in both for the sake of the US and the world.
But having said that, I still have trepidations that his actions may fall well short of his words. I'd convinced myself that appearing with Donnie McClurkin was an isolated incident, but then the FISA vote disillusioned me again.
At this point, I hope that he will make good on his words, and I feel that on the balance he will.
NOW who is drinking the Flavor Aid?
They are running a top rate campaign with a great candidate.
He knows what he has to do to placate the big money but it's going to be much more difficult to swallow than he thinks. Beyond that it gets gonna get sticky. They won't be able to marginalize him like Carter.
distributorcap,
Of course the media give McCain a bj every chance they get. It's keeps up the illusion of a horse race -- a conventional, recognizable "contest" they don't have to work too hard to report on. If they didn't have that illusion of a contest, they wouldn't have jobs.
If they were dealing in reality, they'd notice that Obama & McCain are operating on different planets. Most people are realizing that, hey, they've actually been secretly, privately, living on Planet Obama for, like, ever. That's why being ordered to live on Planet McBush is such an epic fail.
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