USA Today: In contrast to the low-key coverage of Republican John McCain's European and Middle East trip in March, Obama will be accompanied by a campaign plane of reporters and trailed by three network broadcast anchors. McCain got some headlines, but did not have a traveling press corps.
Hmmm.... I wonder why no one cared to follow McCain. Could it be that he's an uninspiring leader? Once again, the power of leadership is discounted. Only a leader can truly accomplish big goals.
Obama is "going to be a rock star," said James Thurber, an American University political scientist who recently taught a course in Brussels. "Expectations are high," agreed Christian Hacke, a retired professor of foreign policy at the University of Bonn. "I think too high."
The insinuation that we shouldn't expect too much from Obama.
Obama lived in Indonesia as a child but lacks the foreign policy experience of McCain, a Navy veteran and the top-ranking GOP member of the Senate's Armed Services Committee.
Here is the assumption that experience over brilliance, wisdom and judgement is most important. Might I add, McCain had a certain kind of military "experience."
Obama leads McCain in the latest USA TODAY/Gallup Poll. But when asked whether each candidate can handle the responsibilities of being commander in chief, eight in 10 said McCain could, compared with 55% for Obama.
Once again, USA Today points to Obama's perceived weakness.
This week, Obama delivered two foreign policy speeches and began airing a TV ad touting foreign policy plans. On Wednesday, he told an Indiana audience he would try to rid the world of nuclear weapons.
This sounds so bland, no context, no details. Obama just wants to rid the the world of nukes. How lofty of him.
Obama is discovering that travel abroad can be both a broadening experience and potentially hazardous. He has ruffled feathers in Jerusalem by telling U.S. Jewish leaders last month that he regards the ancient city as Israel's undivided capital — and then amending his statement after Palestinian protests.
Pointing again to the negatives.
In Germany, an Obama plan to speak before the Brandenburg Gate, a symbol of German reunification, "went over like a lead balloon," said Janet Day-Strehlow, an American voter who lives in Munich and supports the Democrat. Still, Day-Strehlow added, "I think there will be a good bit of forgiveness because he's new on the world scene."
Pointing out the negative and highlighting it with a condescending statement. Obama doesn't need forgiveness.
Overseas interest in Obama's visit is high. "Germany is Obama-land," Karsten Voight, a German official in charge of relations with the U.S., told a German newspaper earlier this year. A May poll of more than 6,000 Europeans for London's Daily Telegraph showed Obama favored over McCain by wide margins in Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Russia.
Can we have some context? Why do Europeans like Obama. Could it be that they're hopeful that America will become America again?
In the Arab world, Obama's candidacy has left many "pleasantly surprised with him and the United States," said Hussein Ibish, senior fellow at the American Task Force on Palestine. Ibish cited Obama's Arabic middle name, Hussein.
Now, understand USA Today is the people's paper because it's full of photos and not a whole lot of analysis so to mention that Ibish cited Obama's middle name without adding context incites all the hate mongers.
While foreign experience can enhance a candidate's stature, history shows it can also backfire.
Planting the seeds of doubt. I have no doubt that Obama will be quite comfortable overseas because he's culturally aware and respectful.
In 2004, stories about Democratic nominee John Kerry's family ties to France hurt him. In 1999, a hug between then-first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and Suha Arafat, wife of then-Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, nearly derailed Clinton's fledgling Senate campaign in New York.
Pointing to two "mistakes" by democrats. Where are the republican examples.
For Obama, a rapturous overseas reception may be exhilarating, but "whether blue-collar workers in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan think it's great is questionable," says American University's Thurber.
Note the use of the word "rapturous." And again, as if the election hinged on the racist vote. Blue collar voters support Obama too. Plenty of them. It's just the racists of the Appalachian region who have a problem and they will be drowned out this election.
Overall, a highly negative story about a promising trip.
