I finally watched Obama's entire Berlin speech and I will have to agree with Daniel Larison:
If voters think that electing Obama President will mean doing a lot of heavy-lifting with foreign aid, sheltering refugees in Africa and protecting Burmese dissidents and the Zimbabwean opposition party, they will not be terribly interested in putting him in that office. I would have thought that he would have understood the publics weariness with the Iraq adventure better than this. Does he not understand that one important source of discontent with the war is its costliness and the diversion of resources to Iraq rather than having them used and invested here at home?
Larison also points out the Obama campaign's explanation for why the couldn't go to Landstuhl and visit an American military base is inexplicable. Good speech but I'm already a supporter and don't need to be swayed. The "citizen of the world" drivel was meaningless at best.
Sure McCain is doing his very best Buddhist monk imitation with the self-immolation over the past couple of weeks but I don't see this part of Obama's trip as all win either. It probably won't hurt him but I rather doubt it is going to help his election prospects.
The speech may be a short term PR win. (Maybe) But Americans are worried about paying their mortgage and putting food on the table, and worried they may get sick and won't be able to afford the medical care required. They are worried about their sons and daughters serving in War Zones.
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