Why is Obama in Germany?

[D2Kvirus]

Today's new headlines heavily featured Barack Obama's trip to Germany to meet with Andrea Merkel, and compared him to "great Presidents" (i.e. Kennedy and reagan - that's a laugh already, BTW).

So...what's he actually won to merit being headline news, let alone done to justify a state visit to Germany?

[TrueDemocrat]

At 7/24/08 03:55 PM, D2Kvirus wrote: Today's new headlines heavily featured Barack Obama's trip to Germany to meet with Andrea Merkel, and compared him to "great Presidents" (i.e. Kennedy and reagan - that's a laugh already, BTW).

So...what's he actually won to merit being headline news, let alone done to justify a state visit to Germany?

The German people have moved past their conservative policies of 1939. Unfortunately I can't say the same for you, as you are clearly a repugnant rebublican, or as I say, rethuglican. Nazi Germany called, they want their political ideology back.

To answer your question, to germany, Obama is already president. They have embraced Obama's policies and embraced Obama himself as one of their own. My foreign policy teacher told me of Kennedy's famous qoute, "Ich bin ein Berliner" meaning "I am a Berliner." Today, Obama is a Berliner. A Kennedeyesque resident of Berlin.

[SolInvictus]

At 7/24/08 04:04 PM, TrueDemocrat wrote: The German people have moved past their conservative policies of 1939. Unfortunately I can't say the same for you, as you are clearly a repugnant rebublican, or as I say, rethuglican. Nazi Germany called, they want their political ideology back.

wow, its a fail on so many levels.

[CogSpin]

Because he's a Nazi hahahhahhahh loollololol

No, look. Germany is one of the richest places in the world, so he's trying to build a stronghold in Europe. As we all know, the US President is basically President of the world.

[Gunter45]

To be fair, foreign policy is a huge part of the presidency. It's basically him showing the world and the American people that he's globally minded.

[stafffighter]

A presedential canadate trying to establish world relations? This is madness.

[Bolo]

Europe, being a major constituent of the western world, is an important ally, and is essential to the structure of the balance of power.

Obama is meeting with these European world leaders in order to gain a better scope on how World Politics are played, and how the US is going to function with Obama as president.

[Grenjen]

At 7/24/08 03:55 PM, D2Kvirus wrote:

So...what's he actually won to merit being headline news, let alone done to justify a state visit to Germany?

Besides the fact that it was no state visit, the question is good and qualified. I see two possible explanations. The first one is the one assumed by the press at least in Germany: Compared to McCain he is said to have few experience with foreign politics and the purpose of his world trip is to show the American voter that he will cut a good figure on the international stage. The second one is what most Europeans probably would have liked to see: Obama wants to set a sign that with him as president the transatlantic relation will be renewed and shifted away from the be-with-us-or-against-us policy towards real partnership and friendship - or to say it in simply words: to label U.S.A. as something cool again, as it was once a time.

I was very curious so I went there and listened to him. However, his speech was quite standard and noncommittal, in my eyes as well in those of the people surrounding me. McCain would probably have said basically the same, so I suppose the first of the reasons mentioned above is the true one.

As the interest in his speech was amazing and the place really crowded, I suppose he will return with some good pictures and similar good press.

BTW, the lady is called _Angela_ Merkel. ;)

At 7/24/08 04:04 PM, TrueDemocrat wrote:

To answer your question, to germany, Obama is already president.

Oh, most of us are actually aware that he has still a long way to go before he enters the oval office.

They have embraced Obama's policies and embraced Obama himself as one of their own.

No, I wouldn't go so far. He seems to be quite popular here, and I think most of us hope that he will perform less scary and ignorant politics than G. W. Bush. But he would have to prove that. However, his popularity here is probably partly - or to a major part - the result of the biased press here. You can read and hear a lot about Obama, but almost nothing about McCain. The duell Clinton vs. Obama was a big thing here while McCain just remains unmentioned.

To be honest, McCain doesn't look as such a bad candidate either, but to most of us he is only one thing: a republican. And thanks to GWB, this taints him as evil per se. ;) But that has nothing to do with his personality. There is probably only one republican who were popular in Germany: Arnold Schwarzenegger, but unfortunately he does not qualify as a presidential candidate. ^^

[animehater]

At 7/24/08 04:04 PM, TrueDemocrat wrote: The German people have moved past their conservative policies of 1939. Unfortunately I can't say the same for you, as you are clearly a repugnant rebublican,

Did you literally just pull a Reductio ad Hitlerum? How old are you?

[Ship]

I would think Obama wouldn't want to turn his attention to foreign countries until/if he gets elected as President. Because he's not very far ahead in the polls, and it's not like the Germans can vote in the election.

[Proteas]

At 7/24/08 04:04 PM, TrueDemocrat wrote: To answer your question, to germany, Obama is already president. They have embraced Obama's policies and embraced Obama himself as one of their own.

... but they don't get to vote for him, so why is he spending his campaign time trying to gain their favor by kissing their collective ass? I mean, shouldn't campaign speeches be done in the country where the people actually get to vote for the candidate?

[Ravariel]

At 7/24/08 06:44 PM, Proteas wrote: ... but they don't get to vote for him, so why is he spending his campaign time trying to gain their favor by kissing their collective ass? I mean, shouldn't campaign speeches be done in the country where the people actually get to vote for the candidate?

Hi, my name is absentee ballot.

Also: priming the pump of international relations is an excellent idea... lowers the amount of adjustment time in office.

[Earfetish]

At 7/24/08 04:04 PM, TrueDemocrat wrote: or as I say, rethuglican. Nazi Germany called, they want their political ideology back.

hahaha brilliant, I hope this is an alt and I hope it carries on posting

there's not enough spoofing of democrats. Personally it was the Bush administration (and Blair) that got me hating politicians so I'm inclined to side with the youthful black guy but I'd hate to have to vote for him

[Proteas]

At 7/24/08 06:53 PM, Ravariel wrote: Hi, my name is absentee ballot.

So he went over there to get votes for people who are participating in the election via absentee ballots?

You know, we have this wonderful thing called the internet now, where people can communicate with each other across vast distances without the need of having to spend obscene amounts of money on gas to go and see them in person.

</sarcasm>

[Earfetish]

At 7/24/08 07:23 PM, MickTheChampion wrote: Shut up, he said "America" a lot, it was a good speech.

yeah it's good anyway, McCain should do it too, because if Europe and the US were really close with similar goals then world affairs would be a piece of piss.

[Ravariel]

At 7/24/08 07:09 PM, Proteas wrote: So he went over there to get votes for people who are participating in the election via absentee ballots?

That's one reason, yes. Overseas votes have been traditionally republican and number in the millions of votes. This is a damn good resource for the Dems to finally tap.

You know, we have this wonderful thing called the internet now, where people can communicate with each other across vast distances without the need of having to spend obscene amounts of money on gas to go and see them in person.

Well, shit, why do politicians make campaign stops at all if everyone is so in tune with political stuff online!?

[CIX]

At 7/24/08 04:04 PM, TrueDemocrat wrote:

BWAHAH you can't even vote. You're the kettle calling the pot black with those Nazi comparisons.

[SolInvictus]

At 7/24/08 06:55 PM, Earfetish wrote:

At 7/24/08 04:04 PM, TrueDemocrat wrote: or as I say, rethuglican. Nazi Germany called, they want their political ideology back.

hahaha brilliant, I hope this is an alt and I hope it carries on posting

ya he is, if only i had looked at his posting record before responding. entertaining posts.

[Der-Lowe]

At 7/24/08 03:55 PM, D2Kvirus wrote: Today's new headlines heavily featured Barack Obama's trip to Germany to meet with Andrea Merkel, and compared him to "great Presidents" (i.e. Kennedy and reagan - that's a laugh already, BTW).

Well, she's not gonna call him a ... you know.

a not-very-nice man!!! There, I said it! :O *is banned*

So...what's he actually won to merit being headline news,

He's the presidential candidate for the biggest economy of the world, and one the most likable one (for the rest of the world).

let alone done to justify a state visit to Germany?

He just wanted votes and see how kewl he looks with his euro-buddies.

[animehater]

Some people might say that he was there in order to impress our future colonial masters in Europe.

Some people

[Tony-DarkGrave]

he is talking to his fellow socialist scurge

[cellardoor6]

It's a political ploy. Pure and simple. He knows that Germans mindlessly support him, and that he would get a big crowd to put some more oomph into the media coverage that is already completely biased in his favor.

The content of the speech was retarded in and of itself. He used some gigantic, epic climactic speech about shared "destiny", and "quests" for freedom, making the Germans feel like they actually care about bringing about freedom in the world, as if they actually do anything but the most minimal token gestures. Let's never mind the fact that the Germany is one of the most complacent and selfish countries in the world. They don't share the values that Americans have like Obama suggested they share. All he did was stroke their ego and try to talk-up America without making it either seem arrogant and overly pro-US, and simultaneously without making it seem to Americans at home that he was trashing his own country in front of sympatheic Europeans. It was a delicate balance, a calculated political move and nothing else.

And, something for us to all consider above everything else: despite what Democrats and Germans alike wish were true, Germans don't get to vote for our fucking president. I frankly don't give a shit about what Germans think about Obama. And actually, the fact that left-wing, hypocritical, scapegoating, anti-US, ungrateful Europeans like Obama so much should make many Americans reanalyze their support for him.

But I have ot say, it's a good example of the kind of person Obama is. He'd rather be flying around the world, getting some photo ops and appeasing Eurotrash, than stay in the COUNTRY THAT HE IS RUNNING TO BE THE LEADER OF.

anger

[SmilezRoyale]

At 7/24/08 06:44 PM, Proteas wrote:

At 7/24/08 04:04 PM, TrueDemocrat wrote: To answer your question, to germany, Obama is already president. They have embraced Obama's policies and embraced Obama himself as one of their own.

... but they don't get to vote for him, so why is he spending his campaign time trying to gain their favor by kissing their collective ass? I mean, shouldn't campaign speeches be done in the country where the people actually get to vote for the candidate?

my guess is that it's a campaign movement... Obama is already the [unanimously decided] president of the united states in every country, save one. [Need i even say?] This is his way of showing people [with a little help of our enlightened and revolution hungry press] that he's beloved internationally, giving credit to his desire to be friends with everyone kind of foreign policy.

One of the things that john Kerry really got stuck on was the fact that during the 2004 election, kerry chose not to run on the 'Pull out of iraq now' side, instead he said that 'with his leadership' the US army would be able to do what under george bush it could not and win the war [after all, he won 3 purple hearts] ; France made it clear that even if john kerry was elected, they would support the united states no more than they had now [not at all]

[EKublai]

I don't why people just won't give anyone the credit they deserve for pulling good campaign moves. It doesn't matter what you think of him, but it's pretty obvious that receiving an incredibly positive reception along the lines of 200 thousand members from a foreign nation should be a very persuasive device two use whenever the question is asked "but will other countries be diplomatic with you?"

[Mr-Pope]

McCain went on a tour of the Middle East and Europe too.

It's not Obama's fault that people don't want to turn out in their thousands to listen to some monotone old cunt spout bullshit right wing rhetoric as opposed to a charismatic brother spouting bullshit liberal rhetoric.

[x-Exodus-X]

At 7/24/08 09:01 PM, cellardoor6 wrote:

But I have ot say, it's a good example of the kind of person Obama is. He'd rather be flying around the world, getting some photo ops and appeasing Eurotrash, than stay in the COUNTRY THAT HE IS RUNNING TO BE THE LEADER OF.

Wait, weren't you the guys praising Mccain for flying over to Iraq?
Sure it's different, but foreign policy/diplomacy is sort of one of the president's chief roles.

[animehater]

At 7/24/08 09:59 PM, x-Exodus-X wrote: Wait, weren't you the guys praising Mccain for flying over to Iraq?

I personally would consider a trip to Iraq Business, but going to Germany sounded unnecessary to me from the beginning. I felt like Obama was kissing too much Euro ass. I say we should form closer friendships with Third world countries that have a better view of the west rather than having anything to do with those Arrogant Europeans.

[Proteas]

At 7/24/08 07:40 PM, Ravariel wrote: That's one reason, yes. Overseas votes have been traditionally republican and number in the millions of votes. This is a damn good resource for the Dems to finally tap.

Isn't that what was said about college age voters in the last two elections as well? And turnout still didn't improve, inspite of VOTE OR DIE and all those other corny ad campaigns?

Well, shit, why do politicians make campaign stops at all if everyone is so in tune with political stuff online!?

You got me. But there again, spending money on an airplane flight to campaign in a country that doesn't have the ability to vote for you doesn't seem very fiscally responsible OR showing concern for the environment either. Sorta like how Live 8 was panned by one performer as "Jet planes for healthier atmosphere."

At 7/24/08 09:08 PM, SmilezRoyale wrote: One of the things that john Kerry really got stuck on was the fact that during the 2004 election, kerry chose not to run on the 'Pull out of iraq now' side, instead he said that 'with his leadership' the US army would be able to do what under george bush it could not and win the war [after all, he won 3 purple hearts] ;

Kerry's sticking point was that he wasn't able to take a firm stand on ANY issue because was constantly changing his stance every week to suit whomever he was speaking to or in front of, and when he was called out on his bullshit STILL couldn't provide a reasonable response as to why.

The purple heart is awarded to soldiers injured in combat and is in no way an indication of one's ability to lead. Also, if you check your facts, you'll find that Kerry suffered minor injuries that did not subtract ANY significant amount of on-time duty.

[kingvinny]

As an American citizen or senator for that matter you have the RIGHT to travel... LULZ

[slipknotfan591]

A liberal Senator visiting a liberal country who shares the same liberal views as he does.

He doesn't belong in Germany. His speech was an incoherent pile of crap with no basis and substance which he stole from Kennedy, Regan, and Clinton.

All I heard was wall.