July 23, 2008
BerlinObama
The Obama campaign's worldwide campaign--er, fact-finding--tour continues. (h/t)
For days, campaign advisers have attempted to present the trip as a listening tour with key leaders who Obama said he expects to forge relationships with for years to come. But the extent of the stagecraft and planning makes it hard to ignore that the campaign, long intent on positioning Obama as commander-in-chief material, has its eye on a much broader audience.Yup, that poster certainly doesn't seem campaign-ish. It's not like there is any overt campaign iconography included in the poster, or anything.Yet, a campaign aide at the briefing said the Berlin speech “is not for campaign purposes.”
“I don’t think the fact that large numbers of people gather to hear a speech makes it a campaign speech,” the aide said. “The substance of what he addresses is what’s important. And what he is addressing has nothing to do with campaigns. It has to do with his view of where we are today in the world.”
Aides suggested the speech would not target Republican John McCain, but might draw contrasts with President Bush’s policies.
When pressed by reporters, aides could not rule out that the campaign might use a film crew to shoot footage for an ad.
“It is not going to be a political speech,” said a senior foreign policy adviser, who spoke to reporters on background. “When the president of the United States goes and gives a speech, it is not a political speech or a political rally.Minor technicality. Just ask the German press.“But he is not president of the United States,” a reporter reminded the adviser.
“The German press, looking from Berlin, behaves as if the election of Obama is a foregone conclusion,” said Josef Joffe, publisher-editor of Die Zeit, a weekly German newspaper. “He’s being celebrated like a victorious Roman general who comes back from the conquest of Gaul or something.”
A lot of sour grapes this election season. Do you think it's because the Republicans have decided to run a wet fart against a rock star and they are both being treated appropriately by the press?
Posted by: Greg at July 23, 2008 12:14 PMGreg, No sour grapes. First, I'd say that Obama is a "rock star" because the press made him one, starting with the 2004 DNC convention. As for McCain, as I've said, he elicits a "meh" from me. But at least I know where he stands. In fact, we all do, so it's not real interesting to me to parrot a pro-McCain line.
Basically, I'm simply intellectually intrigued and fascinated with the way the MSM portrays The One as well as other facets of his campaign. Do I have a negative reaction to him? By and large, yes. That's primarily because I disagree with just about everything he supports, his rhetoric-of-the-moment aside. And I've never witnessed the sort of airbrushed campaign coverage as we are seeing now. Add in all of the "faith" that is required to buy into his message of hope and change (because his record is slight, and even that is filled with sponsorships in-name-only) and I think we're witnessing a sort of secular, internationalist Great Awakening here in the states. It's a historical moment, to be sure.
Finally, I know you're of the mind that anything is better than the current GOP and that's understandable and I'm not going to try to change your mind. But I'm also not going to stop making observations. That's about it.
I think I'm taking your post in the broader context of McCain whining about the 'lopsided' coverage and his plans to announce his veep choice this week just so he can get SOME press coverage this week and the article from New Hampshire where ONE reporter and ONE photographer showed up at his arrival.
Maybe if McCain was out there saying something we hadn't heard a thousand times. Maybe if he didn't have that creepy mouth-breather nasally voice. Maybe if he didn't need to see a paleontologist to get a physical. Maybe if he were REMOTELY conservative.
MAYBE then people would be interested in his campaign. Right now all he inspires is childhood memories of being forced to listen to grandpa's 'When I was YOUR age...' stories.
If he wins the election I hope we get a UN investigation into the voting.
Posted by: Greg at July 23, 2008 12:44 PM The McCain campaign's obsession with this trip is bordering on comical. Well, John, if you hadn't dared him to make that trip...you've been pwned.
If you want to announce your VP, John, just do it and quit griping about Obama calling your bluff.
It should have been clear that Obama was running for President of the Earth when he sponsored the treasonous Global Poverty Act.
What was McCain running for when he sponsored the treasonous Illegal Alien Amnesty Act?
Posted by: Greg at July 23, 2008 3:10 PMPresident of North America.
Posted by: JP at July 23, 2008 3:18 PMFoxNews.com
Omama cheered by US troops in Baghdad
Posted by: Richard at July 23, 2008 3:42 PMIt's good to see that our men and women in uniform show respect to fellow Americans, whether they agree or disagree with their policies.
You should try that some time.
Posted by: Andrew at July 23, 2008 4:13 PMGreg-The idea of the UN investigating anything is sickening.The UN shouldn't be in the US to begin with-it's a conduit for potential terrorist infiltration.
The UN would love to totally wipe out our immigration laws,initiate disarmament of American civilians and impose the law of international tribunals on our homeland.
No-I do not listen to Alex Jones :),but even a stopped clock is right twice a day.
The Gov. needs to get on the phone to the Obama-nation. Since when he is elected he will heal the planet and make the sea level drop, he should be able to stop the horrible weather we are having in RI today....
Posted by: tcc3 at July 23, 2008 8:37 PMThe State Department barred its employees from attending Barack Obama’s speech in Germany. Unfortunately for the State Department, it could not bar 100,000 Germans from attending the Berlin speech.
OldTimeLefty
OTL...Most of those probably came out for the free concert that was held afterwards...Obama-nation was merely the opening act, not the headliner.
Posted by: tcc3 at July 25, 2008 6:58 AM