Obamania in Berlin

[Tom62]

Yesterday I was amazed that the the citizens of Berlin came to celebrate Barack Obama like a rock star. There were at least  200,000 people there listening to his speech. That speech was also broadcasted live by several German TV-stations. This is the first time in history that a presidential candidate drawed so much attention here abroad. OK, Obama comes over as a charming person and he attracts a lot of young folks, but is that really enough to become the next president of the USA? The speech he made was interestingly clever, it added some Kennedy element (luckily he didn't say "Ich bin ein Berliner") and many references to Ronald Reagan ("Bring down to wall"). After listening to the speech, still don't know if Obama is he what he presents himself to be or just an inexperienced young senator who knows how to handle the media, but doesn't have the "balls" to run the largest democracy in the world.

[Jolly Sapper]

Given the alternatives that we Yanks have to choose from, I would have to say yes.  I get the feeling that he's a lot more centrist than he was made out to be by the US media and his die hard supporters.  But that seemed to work fairly well for Mr. Clinton back in the 90's.  If he's lucky the Republican party will continue to implode and McCain will keep trying to get himself some media attention (and then blow it by making some  huge factual gaffes, i.e. not knowing when the "Anbar Awakening" started, and claiming that the knows whats going on in Iraq) causing many disgruntled Repubs to stay home on election day.

Maybe with Obama this country won't get any worse.

[afreethinker30]

And he frightens alot of christians to...Apparently he's the anti-christ.But it's either him or McCain.And I do see how he could be very good for us Americans.Really after Bush anyone would be a huge improvement.I don't agree with the way he voted on safe nuclear levels.But given the other choice he's got my vote.

[Tom62]

Well I don't know if he would be the right guy for the job. What I heard from people living in Illinois is that as a senator he hasn't done a bloody remarkable thing and that he always played it safe. For me he is more interested in his own image and popularity than the well-being of the American people. Granted, anyone can do a better job than G.W. Bush, but neither Obama nor McCain have the credentials to get the US economy back on track.

[afreethinker30]

Well I don't know if he would be the right guy for the job. What I heard from people living in Illinois is that as a senator he hasn't done a bloody remarkable thing and that he always played it safe. For me he is more interested in his own image and popularity than the well-being of the American people. Granted, anyone can do a better job than G.W. Bush, but neither Obama nor McCain have the credentials to get the US economy back on track.

True he does seem to care for his own image,but that could be a good thing.I don't see him rushing into a conflict or trying to start another war with the people watching him.I don't think he would care to have the same said about him as Bush.I think Bill Gates should have run of course people hate his software but a man who could make a cool billion has to have good economic ideas.

[MommaSquid]

I'm sure as hell not voting for Obama.   All of our choices are lousy.  The Libertarian candidate is Bob Barr (who isn't my favorite politician) and Ron Paul dropped out.  Maybe I'll vote for Bill Gates as a write-in.

[Tom62]

Luckily we don't have to elect a president here in Germany. The political parties just decide among themselves who will be the next one and that's just it. Nice , clean and practical, no big media shows and millions of Euros wasted on campaigning. And it works, because our current president has an approval rating of 80%. Anyway should I be allowed to vote in the USA I would know either who to vote for. It seems somehow amazing that with all the millions of people living in the USA that they just can't find a single qualified person to run the country. Maybe Bill Gates should indeed run for president.

[Asmodean]

It seems somehow amazing that with all the millions of people living in the USA that they just can't find a single qualified person to run the country. Maybe Bill Gates should indeed run for president.

But who else have ever had a b-actor as president?  :raised:

Are those really the traits that should be dominant in a nation's supposed leader?

[MommaSquid]

Luckily we don't have to elect a president here in Germany. The political parties just decide among themselves who will be the next one and that's just it. Nice , clean and practical, no big media shows and millions of Euros wasted on campaigning...

I am embarrassed by how little I know about the political systems in Europe.