Obama passes John Kerry’s Global Test
So, I watched and read the speech. Barack Obama surely passed John Kerry’s Global Test. My instinct is that he won over Berlin at the expense of Bloomington. I will highlight a few lowlights from the speech, as far as I’m concerned.
In the initial moments of the speech, Obama injected race in an attempt to show himself as being something special, unique.
I know that I don’t look like the Americans who’ve previously spoken in this great city.
Really Barack? For eight years, the face of United States foreign policy has been that of an African American, just like you.
Condi with current Geman leader Merkel
Colin Powell with former German leader Schroeder
If he’s referring to President’s who have spoken in Berlin (Kennedy, Reagan, Clinton), well, once again Barack, can we have the election first please?
Sixty years ago, the planes that flew over Berlin did not drop bombs; instead they delivered food, and coal, and candy to grateful children. And in that show of solidarity, those pilots won more than a military victory. They won hearts and minds; love and loyalty and trust - not just from the people in this city, but from all those who heard the story of what they did here.
Paul Mirengoff from Powerline explains the problem with this passage,
Here, Obama reduces our triumph in Berlin to a humanitarian mission. But it was our willingness to station large quantities of troops in German for decades and our willingness to develop nuclear weapons and aim them at the Soviet Union, along with the Soviet Union’s belief that we would use these weapons if push came to shove, that was decisive. Obama, very much a “soft power” man, ignores the role of “hard power.”
Here is where Barack takes his “citizen of the world” act a step too far,
The terrorists of September 11th plotted in Hamburg and trained in Kandahar and Karachi before killing thousands from all over the globe on American soil.
According to FactCheck.org,
1 percent (27 people) were foreign nationals from eight different countries.
The terrorists on 9-11 specifically targeted and killed Americans. This attack was very much against us, not Belguim, Brussels or Belarus. Were the people killed from all over the world? Of course, because they were AMERICANS. That’s who we are. They targeted and killed Americans Barack. 9-11 was a singularly American event, and trying to make it something else is offensive.
Those who love Barack will love the speech. Those who dislike this guy, well, they will find plenty to criticize.
My bottom line: What plays in Berlin doesn’t play well in Bloomington. Barack has the instincts of an elite, and they love it. I just dont think this kind of speech will resonate in middle America. We’ll see in the coming days.
July 25th, 2008 at 11:44 am
Nice post. I do think that Mirengoff is off on his assessment and is just looking to criticize Obama for the sake of criticizing.
Obama’s thoughts on the airlift are correct. Sure, the troops stations were a big part in the long run, but the pilots that flew the Berlin air drop accomplished a huge victory. It was dangerous, and the Berliners got hope back. And at the time, getting hope back was a huge deal.
Those pilots did exactly what Obama said. They won a huge victory.
It is perfectly acceptable for Obama to pick one victory and use it as an example and not have to go onto a dissertation regarding the buildup of armed forces in europe over 40 years. If Mirengoff wanted that, then Obama would have had to spend a long time discussing the efforts of France, Great Britain and all the other US allies, strategic plays in Asia, etc.
If McCain comes out and talks about the Marines in Fallujah as winning a major hearts and minds victory, he doesn’t have to surround it with the wider picture for his argument to be true.
These types of attacks on Obama just make people writing them look like they would disagree with Obama if he came out and said “Cancer is bad.”
July 26th, 2008 at 11:48 pm
I had to live many years, and, after many trials and tribulations, I have come to the conclusion that the best thing [in life] is … blonde 12-year-old girls. Two of them, whenever possible.WoodyAllenWoody Allen, Love and Death
August 15th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
[...] short list for his “foreign policy credentials:” like Kerry’s famous ”global test” debacle of 2004, or his Vietnam War service, complete with lying about our troop’s [...]
October 16th, 2008 at 7:25 am
[...] For anyone actually paying attention and actually holding Barack Obama to his spoken word … Obama’s Joe “the Plumber” Wurzelbacher comment of spread the wealth should be chilling and down right frightening. If you think Obama’s spread the wealth comment reeks of socialism, you would be correct. One should ask themselves how is Obama’s socialism comment regarding distribution of your wealth any different that the 2004 John Kerry gaffe when he said that matters of American foreign policy need to pass a global test? The answer … it isn’t. However, sadly America seems today to have no issue with higher taxes, questionable associations, socialist policies and a presidential candidate who wants America to be just like Europe ultimately passing Kerry’s Global test. [...]