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Obama in Berlin: Another Great Communicator?

Elections, the consultants tell us, are about the future, not the past. And all politics is not only local but aspiration-driven. It's about not only what's gone wrong or what people fear but what voters want and, yes, hope, for. And Barack Obama is quite good at speaking about aspirations, whether at home or abroad.

From his much-anticipated speech in Berlin on Thursday:

People of Berlin – people of the world – this is our moment. This is our time. I know my country has not perfected itself. At times, we’ve struggled to keep the promise of liberty and equality for all of our people. We’ve made our share of mistakes, and there are times when our actions around the world have not lived up to our best intentions.

But I also know how much I love America. I know that for more than two centuries, we have strived – at great cost and great sacrifice – to form a more perfect union; to seek, with other nations, a more hopeful world. Our allegiance has never been to any particular tribe or kingdom – indeed, every language is spoken in our country; every culture has left its imprint on ours; every point of view is expressed in our public squares. What has always united us – what has always driven our people; what drew my father to America’s shores – is a set of ideals that speak to aspirations shared by all people: that we can live free from fear and free from want; that we can speak our minds and assemble with whomever we choose and worship as we please.

These are the aspirations that joined the fates of all nations in this city. These aspirations are bigger than anything that drives us apart. It is because of these aspirations that the airlift began. It is because of these aspirations that all free people – everywhere – became citizens of Berlin. It is in pursuit of these aspirations that a new generation – our generation – must make our mark on the world.

The speech was predictably grand; the photo op, superb, with Obama bathed in golden light. There's not much policy in these eloquent words--though elsewhere in the speech he did speak about the pressing need to globally confront climate change, poverty, and AIDS. But in politics--and in government--inspiration does matter. And being a great communicator of lofty ideals is not a bad credential for a candidate--or a president.

Comments

It's about time we had someone like this representing America.

Posted by: J on 07/24/08 at 11:38 AM Respond

We have to win the election first and we are up against the worst group of sleazeballs that have ever stolen elections.

We have to do all we can - for the sake of the planet.

Posted by: capt on 07/24/08 at 12:07 PM Respond

OBAMA UNITING AND PARADIGM SHIFTING IN THE AMERICAN CULTURAL WAR
Obama is politically uniting Blacks and Whites, Christians and Muslims, Kennedy Liberals and Reagan Conservatives; the Podhoretz Neo-Cons and the Leiberman Neo-Libs are screaming, “Crucify him!”; and the World is singing, “God Bless America”.

Posted by: Jeugenen on 07/24/08 at 1:50 PM Respond

thanks.

Posted by: hekimboard on 07/25/08 at 9:08 AM Respond

Europeans are made fun of by self centered and/or ignorant flag waving centrists and Right wingers in our heartlands because they've never had Nazis stealing their beer and sitting on their lawn chairs.

Great communication skills are the key tools to becoming not only a great leader -but effective leader.
The new Presidential test for '08 , in these times, should be focused on who can get those foreigners, be they foe or ally, to scream for joy at the sight of an American and wave those American flags again. I haven't seen that in decades.

But that's likely not going to happen. Not with DLC/centrist hack types like Harold Ford Jr., who continue to publicly discount the importance of our foreign allies in all things, by repeatedly spewing warnings that "Obama better hope those [voters]in West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio don't see the Germans liking him too much."

Now you know why the Democratic party, pre-Howard Dean, sunk beyond levels of common sense and never won any elections.

And why Obama's shift to the center may take us back to those pathetic days.
And I sincerely don't know
which is worse: a centrist President Obama with a Reid/ Hoyer stalemated Congress (because Mr. Centrist lost his base of "new voters" and didn't bring enough new voters and Progressive members of Congress to overthrow Hoyer and Reid's passivity, or a Mc
cain Presidency with Reid and Hoyer's whining their asses off for the next 4 years.

Even the greatest of things have been consumed by the newly discovered black hole called Congress.

Posted by: HAZmaq on 07/25/08 at 9:11 AM Respond

Now you know why the Democratic party, pre-Howard Dean, sunk beyond levels of common sense and never won any elections.

Even the greatest of things have been consumed by the newly discovered black hole called Congress.

Posted by: hazmaq on 07/25/08 at 9:12 AM Respond

It is about time we had few one like this representation America. We have to won the election first and we are versus the worst group of sleaze balls that taken elections.
__________________
jeff
Addiction Recovery Washington

Posted by: Jeff Hardy on 07/25/08 at 11:22 PM Respond