As Paul Harvey would say,
"The Rest of the
Story."
This is something the American New Media seem
to have left out.
How do you attract 200,000 Germans
to an American presidential candidate's campaign
rally in Berlin?
A. With the
charisma and reputation of the candidate?
B. With a
compelling political message?
C. With lots of
advance advertising?
D. With the top two rock bands in Germany giving a
free concert with the American candidate coming out for a short speech between
the bands?
"D" of
course. What the American media following and fawning over Obama
failed to mention about his Berlin speech was why the crowds were really
there. 95% of them could care less about Obama or American
politics. They came to see a free concert with the German equivalents of
Willy Nelson and Madonna headlining. Obama was an unwelcome and
boring interruption giving a political speech in a foreign language between
the acts - which is why the crowd only gave lame applause a couple of times -
after all, how many of them spoke English or cared less? Obama
didn't care about the crowd either. His speech was really for the
American media and the crowd was a backdrop for the photo ops. And the
American media bit on it hook line and sinker and just sorta, kinda forgot to
mention the rock bands that really drew the crowds.
France saw the 200,000
Germans and surrendered
again.
On another note. Someone did
the math on Obama the Senator. He has only been a Senator for 18
months. But with all the recesses, four day weekends, campaigning and
absences, Obama has only spent about 6 weeks of workdays on the Senate floor
as one of the most junior Senators. Most of his votes, about 80% when he
was not absent, have been "present" or "abstain". He also chairs a
committee that has never met because the chairman has never called a
meeting. As a trial lawyer he only tried 14 cases in court -
and minor ones at that. As a "community organizer" his major cause
was getting the asbestos out of a housing project. After 2 years of
trying the asbestos was still there when he left and is still there even now
that he is a Senator and presumably has some pull to get things
done.
That's it. His entire real
world work resume. 6 weeks work in the Senate with nothing to show for
it. Two years as a lawyer and only 14 minor trials. And two years
as a "community organizer" with nothing accomplished.