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Is Obama's honeymoon with Europe over already? ...

 

 

Der Tagesspiegel, Germany

Barack Obama Must 'Take a Stand'

 

"In the end, a disappointment is a deceit … The facade of the wise, eloquent and charming golden boy has begun to crumble. There is a second - other Obama. And he's about to be discovered: unscrupulous, selfish, and overambitious."

 

By Malte Lehming

 

Translated By Ulf Behncke

 

June 28, 2008

 

Germany - Der Tagesspiegel - Original Article (German)

In the end, a disappointment is a deceit. So it's best that we cast a serous German glance in the direction of the American Democratic presidential candidate, Barack Obama. He has called for the death penalty for child rapists, defends the right to possess firearms and is the first candidate since the Watergate scandal to reject public financing of his election campaign in favor of private, unlimited contributions. "Hey," some on this side of the Atlantic now ask, "we thought he was one of us?" Far from it. Obama isn’t running to be president in Europe, but in the United States.

 

Since it's clear that he - and not Hillary Clinton - is the one in the running, a new phase in the U.S. election campaign has begun. Obama is the candidate of the left, but the people are in the center. So he must move as swiftly and as unnoticeably as possible, to avoid being stung by the accusation of being short on principles. This is a process that began long ago. Where once he said that he would completely renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, he now calls his toughest remarks on the subject "overheated." Where once he said that he would meet with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad without preconditions, his team now stresses that arranging such a meeting would of course require some preparation. Where once he said that he would debate his Republican opponent McCain "anytime and anywhere," his spokesperson has now strictly limited the number meetings to two. The facade of the wise, eloquent and charming golden boy has begun to crumble. There is a second - other Obama. And he's about to be discovered: unscrupulous, selfish, and overambitious.

 

WORLDMEETS.US ELECTION FUN: OBAMA LA BAMBA

 

 

For the way he is perceived in Europe will not be without consequences. Euphoria can easily become frustration which in turn can become rage. And since enthusiasm for him was in part fuelled by reverse-racism - after all, as the first Black candidate he must be noble, helpful and good - disillusionment could be expressed with arguments of similar vehemence. He has been revered as a symbol - not as a politician with substance. And the mood the he so often generates is beginning to wear thin. "You are the change you've been waiting for," Obama calls out to his supporters. They respond with "Yes, we can." What first sounded like stirring pathos, today sounds simply pathetic. 

Posted by WORLDMEETS.US

 

 

But the onset of disappointment with Obama also betrays the long-held European illusion of the last eight years - which is this: "We aren't against America, but against George W. Bush. Now that left-leaning Senator Obama has removed his mask to become a president-in-waiting, many in Europe are beginning to realize that the negative aspects they eagerly attributed to Bush are in fact deeply embedded in the country itself: the death penalty, possession of firearms, religious rhetoric, multi-million dollar donations, moral conservatism, security before freedom, and a justice system more bound to dogma than to a sense of justice.

 

Who is the real Obama? Nobody knows for sure. For now because of his vagueness, it's still possible to project various expectations onto him, in USA as well as in Europe. But here and there the impatience is growing: Obama, perhaps the first Black President, must not only be flexible, he has to take a stand.

 

CLICK HERE FOR GERMAN VERSION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Posted by WORLDMEETS.US July 1, 8:05pm]