"By electing a Black
president, good or bad, America could successfully complete a much-needed
exorcism of its body politic. … and the small eclipse of American influence
that the Obama presidency may result in, would be an unexpected opportunity for
Europe to finally assume its responsibilities as an adult."
On the eve of the
Democratic convention, which should allow Obama to resume control of the
election campaign - that has recently demonstrated some signs of weakness - it
is perhaps time to review Obama's difficulties in all of their magnitude.
The last twenty
years in the United States, have seen the ascension of quite a remarkable Black
elite, which has demonstrated that it no longer has an inferiority complex. In
turn and with little psychodrama, large corporations have picked Black CEOs to
achieve their objectives: Merrill Lynch, Citigroup and until recently,
Time-Warner AOL in the communications sector and American Express, have
suffered no dire consequences for having Afro-American CEOs. Two exceptional
personalities, General Colin Powell and today Condoleezza Rice, have
successfully led American diplomacy and have won undeniable successes.
If I was an American
voter, I would campaign enthusiastically for the election of Ms. Rice to enter
the White House. The nature of things means that unfortunately it won’t be her,
but Illinois Senator Barack Obama, who may become the first Black president of
the United States.
RED STATE
UPDATE ELECTION FUN: OBAMA PICKS JOE BIDEN AS VP
But here begins
the dilemma: despite the inevitable adjustments and compromises he has made to
the still-undecided centrists in the electorate, it's clear that Obama comes
from the very closed circle on the left which is the most ideological and even
the most dangerous part of the Democratic party. The anecdotes that have been
ginned up during his duel with Hillary Clinton have no purpose other than to
show that Obama shares, initially at least, in the preconceived notions and
blindness of the American left - without any genuine effort to distance himself
from it, much less carry out a healthy public debate.
Obama is in favor
of strengthening protectionism, which would disrupt relations with China and
blow up the common market with Canada and Mexico. Obama remains an advocate of
a non-negotiated unilateral withdrawal from Iraq, even as the situation on the
ground has begun to dramatically improve. He has also in favor of unconditional
negotiations with the Iranian regime such as it is, and most likely the
Palestinian Hamas. His lack of interest in Europe and Asia is patently clear,
as his positions never go beyond the usual comforting declarations in favor of
human rights and the rectification of American diplomacy.
Worse still, the
presence alongside him of former Secretary of State ZbigniewBrzegzinski, who made news recently by warmly
greeting the violently anti-Israel pamphlet by Walt and Mearsheimer
which, let's not forget, accuses the Jewish lobby of having a negative
influence over all of American policy in the Middle East . I would even
add that the excessively pro-Zionist statements of the candidate during his
visit to Israel and excessively bellicose comments with regard to Pakistan and
Afghanistan - which were too extreme to be honest - do not give the impression
of new thinking by the candidate, but rather the most unbridled opportunism.
But despite all
this, and moreover, despite the high esteem that John McCain inspires in me, I
wish for an Obama victory for three reasons. First and foremost, because in
electing a Black president, good or bad, America could successfully complete a
much needed exorcism of its body politic. For once finding myself in agreement
with the dreadful Michelle Obama. I think that indeed, Afro-Americans en masse will
finally be proud of their country and the long hoped-for integration will have
made a decisive and irreversible jump. Then, because alternation must come into
play: in a democracy, parties must succeed one another in power, and
particularly today when the economic model established by Reagan has lost most
of its core justifications. The return of the Democrats means the essential
pacification of American society, which is polarized between extreme wealth and
the somewhat-depleted middle classes. I hardly dare put forward the third
reason, which is somewhat perverse.
The small eclipse
of U.S. influence that the Obama presidency may result in (in the same way as
Clinton before him), would be an unexpected opportunity for Europe: finally, it
may assume its responsibilities as an adult, exactly as Nicolas Sarkozy has
done during the course of the crisis in Georgia when he took advantage of the
inaction of the Bush Administration - paralyzed as it is between two opposing
tendencies.
I don't think
Obama will bring a renaissance to America on all fronts, but I'm certain he
will provoke Europe to come together and drive a rapprochement with Russia. Of
all the reasons to hope for a Democratic victory, this one may be the least
acceptable to acknowledge - but it is not the least.
