Obama bores in Berlin

I must say It underwhelmed me too. Besides providing stuff for tv ad

I am not sure what it will accomplish.

Speaking of the Corner , thought Mrs Lopez is on my bad side , she was right to point out that his "People of Berlin. People of the World." sounded like the Pope's Urbi et Orbi( to the City [of Rome] and to the World,)message.

There is a tad creepy factor to all this. Catholics and Evangelicals feel it and have it for different reasons. Expect a flurry of blog postings and emails about the imagery he involves look like a Fundamentalist view of the Book of Revelations. However Catholics tire of this Messiah stuff too I feel and I don't think this helps.We already have a worldwide leader and we do not want another one.

So what does Obama gain by these to meet these negatives. THere was nothing bold and breathtaking in his speech. No new bold concrete proposal.

What Kathleen Parker says of the Berlin speech is equally as true of Obama's whole career -- and maybe his whole life, so far as I can tell.

Rod,

Good luck with the column. Don't know if this will help with your deadline today, but you might check Francis Beckwith's commentary at 3:12 PM that provided an explanation of the "totalitarian" tendencies behind the Obama worldview. Beckwith posted it on an earlier thread entitled: "Obama: He's Big in Germany." Beckwith concluded with this comment: " 'Totalitarianism' takes root, not because it appears ugly, but because it appears hopeful and necessary."

I agree that Obama's speech was shallow ... but that wouldn't make the triumph of his ideas any less dangerous.

But could Obama really have gotten away with giving a speech that *wasn't* shallow and full of platitudes? I think it's a mistake for an American presidential candidate to be giving public speeches in foreign countries at all. But I don't see how he could have given anything really substantive without running afoul of some important constituency in this country. And of course, the country has one president at a time, and for good or ill the president right now is Bush. Obama wouldn't have done anyone any favors, least of all himself, by delivering a substantive speech on foreign soil that appeared to undermine the policies of the current administration. There is a tradition in this country -- often honored more in the breach than in the observance, granted -- that politics should stop at the water's edge.

I wonder whether his handlers really understand that there is a significant chunk of the American electorate for whom his evident popularity with Europeans will be considered a serious reason to vote against him.

Irenaus,

Professor Beckwith's comment was posted at 3:12 PM or 3:13 PM ... but it was NOT on THIS thread, but posted on a previous THREAD entitled: "Obama: He's Big in Germany!"

Hope this helps :-)

Reaganite, "wendigo" is "Kim Margosein/EleazerWilliams/aipacespionage/" etc. -- the same Jew-obsessed loon who keeps posting here under different names. If somebody sounds like a troll and has a name you haven't seen here before, it's probably that guy. It will be unpublished.

I think the Obama World Tour was aiming more for The Scorpion's "Wind of Change." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2Eyao-2KWo. But it missed.

L.T., it would have been great if Obama had the Scorpions come out and sing that song after the end of his speech. And it would have been even better if he also had them come out and fire up the crowd with "Rock You Like a Hurricane" before the speech.

Obama delivered a silly and shallow speech on Thursday. He cancelled a previously scheduled visit with wounded US troops at a military hospital in southwest German. Obama would have been better off to cancel the speech and spend the time with these brave men and women. Actions speak louder than words.

Mark in Houston, "provincial and jingoistic" is just too generous.

"Mark in Houston" and "Jillian":

Go ahead and characterize voters skeptical of Obama's blarney as being "provincial" and "jingoistic." It does nothing to advance your argument.

Several of the broadcast journalists on the ground were struck by the relatively mild reaction to Obama's speech. They shouldn't have been surprised.

For starters, the man insulted the intelligence of the audience by suggesting that he was NOT coming to them as an American politician seeking a photo op but rather as a simple citizen -- an "innocent abroad" addressing a group of the curious assembled in Berlin. What a farce!

The blatant attempt to model JFK's and RR's Berlin appearances in 1963 and 1987, respectively, overlooked critical differences. JFK and RR were speaking as heads of states locked (in the words of JFK) in a "twilight struggle, day in and day out" against (in the words of RR) an "Evil Empire." BO is merely a pretender to the throne.

The "wall" which JFK and RR spoke of was a very real thing that enslaved hundreds of millions and denied them their most basic freedoms: faith, speech, livelihood.

BO minimized the gravity of all this with a banal and senseless statement: "Look at Berlin, where the bullet holes in the buildings and the somber stones and pillars near the Brandenburg Gate insist that we never forget our common humanity." Never forget our common humanity? What did BO mean by this kind of rhetorical cotton candy? What an incurable windbag!

Yes, BO, should have visited that military hospital in Germany to honor the wounded soldiers. He might have had to give up Thursday morning's workout in the gymn, but that triumph of agape over narcissism would have spoken volumes about his character. Besides, Germany is contributing only one-twentieth the troops to Afghanistan that we are sending (so much for NATO's contribution). Visiting those wounded soldiers and honoring their service would have said something REALLY important to the German people about the sacrifices required to achieve the goals BO described in his schoolboy oration.

Reaganite-

Along those budgetary lines, It would be great if EITHER candidate suggested the flush EU, with the Euro outpacing the dollar for some time, might provide for it's own defense. Mccain seems to think there's some good reason we still have thousands of troops throughout Wesetern Europe and most in Germany.Damn if anyone can tell us what that might be. We're worried about Russia? C'mon. If Russia and Russians are some grave threat, why so many Russians in the NYC Metro area? We should also ask what the point of NATO is any more-allowing teeny Euro military personnel to pretend to do the heavy lifting? Brussels letterhead?

There are opportunities galore to question how our government is structured, but Mccain coulnd't care less.

"Obama bores in Berlin"
Rod,
I'm glad you put in that it was your opinion that it was ho-hum. But I have to say the reaction was too good for it to be ho-hum. I don't think the reaction was great, but the speach wasn't boring.

Reaganite,
I must say that Ronald Reagan said similar things in his speaches. Reagan even said Addressing the United Nations in 1982, Ronald Reagan introduced himself as "both a citizen of the United States and of the world."

I think most of the GOP has abandoned the prinicples of Reagan, and that is why you are seening Obama's popularity. And that is why this will be a re-aligning election like 1980 was.

He makes one not so exciting speech and suddenly he has no 'core' or personality?

Sheesh..

I mean, really, I'm just glad right now when a politician makes a speech that doesn't involve a hugely humiliating verbal screw up, or doesn't attempt to fondle female diplomats.

But even setting the bar higher, expecting some kind of deep meaning and world class oratory out of every single campaign speech (and yes, during a campaign, with cameras running, by the candidate, this IS a campaign speech) would suggest you have more messianic expectations than his supporters do.

Me, I don't know if I'll be more depressed to wake up the day after the election and find out that McCain has won, or Obama has won.

We already know you'll be depressed. That goes without saying.

As far as the troop visit goes... the spokesperson said the main reason for the change was that it would be "inappropriate" given the trip is paid for by the campaign... total bunkum... But, my question is, isn't this a "congressional delegation" on a fact-finding mission? That was all we heard about for days... not it is a campaign trip?

Daniel, Daniel, Daniel ....

So, you want to talk about priorities and Obama's trip?

We're only learning today that the junior Senator from Illinois gave up an opportunity yesterday to visit wounded US soldiers in Germany because ... get this ... he wouldn't be allowed to breach DoD policies and bring a camera crew and political aides to intrude on the privacy of these suffering heroes.

So what did "Fast Eddie" Obama decide to do? If there was be no cameras, no reporters and no PR value to the visit ... then forget about making the time for a private visit to thank these soldiers for their service. I suppose he spent the time instead in the gymn at the Berlin Ritz Carlton toning up those abs and pecs of his.

Daniel and all other the Obamaniacs: Please, for the sake of your dignity and reputations, don't hero-worship this guy. Vote for him as a kind of therapeutic protest against Bush if you absolutely must ... but nothing more.