Obama's Victory in Never-Never Land: Der Spiegel

[Eurobabe]

A rather harsh article from the European press. Guess they are hoping for a Clinton victory? :shrug:

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,526606,00.html

By Gabor Steingart in Des Moines, Iowa

Once upon a time there was a young African-American candidate who wanted to become president. Obama's story sounds like a fairy tale, and one would like to believe it. But despite his impressive victory in Iowa, he has scant hope of reaching the White House.

Children love fairy tales because they mix fantasy with reality. Little souls are warmed by age-old events recounted and embellished down the generations.

Adults, though, have the same lingering yearning for fairy tales. One of the modern fairy tales is called "Iowa."

[madrchsod]

1. i really can`t describe how i feel about gabor steingart

other than to say--gabor go fuck yourself.

[Eurobabe]

2. I was truly shocked at the tone and negativity of this article

Honestly, I've always thought Der Spiegel was pretty neutral. :shrug:

[cali]

3. He's an idiot.

the sub-text is the same tired old Americans won't elect a blak man shit.

[knowledgeispwr]

11. In a way, it's funny...

I frequent some Spanish (as in, from Spain) news forums and you will see a lot of that same belief in the articles and comments from readers: that America is extremely racist (among other bad things). Ironically, there is quite a bit of prejudice/racism there towards the gypsies and the increasing amount of immigrants in Spain.

In my experience, it's a lot of "the pot calling the kettle black."

[Usrename]

16. I don't think it would have anything to do with the American people.

If you have been paying attention, then you should be a whole lot more skeptical about the next election.

This could be the perfect KKKarl Rove cover story to use, like those mythical evangelicals that magically appeared in 2004.

I can hear it now after Huckabee supposedly beats Obama in the GE:

"Once they got into the privacy of the voting booth where no one was watching, the public turned racist."

[Cha]

21. Don't forget, "no experience" which

shows this guy didn't investigate beneath the surface.

[iamjoy]

4. An Accurate Appraisal IMO

But, it did leave a lot of stuff out.

I like Obama, but what tilted me towards Edwards is Obama's lack of specifics.

Obama's vagueness, his preference for high ideals rather than tangible, detailed plans may mean Obama is all gong and no dinner. Or, it could mean Obama is a far more skilled politician than any give him credit for. As soon as a candidate unveils a detailed plan, everyone rips it to shreds. If the candidate has to clarify or modify a statement later, if they have to make a compromise - they are accused of flop flopping or backtracking - or breaking promises.

I like Edwards, but I look at the primary campaign he is running and know that if he gets the nomination or even the White House he's going to have some trouble when those checks he's writing now come due. He's in debt up to his chest and keeps digging (and I'm not talking about his financials). Obama will have no such trouble.

OTOH - If Obama really believes all this stuff he is saying about hope and a new way doing things, he's a fool and he's going to be sorely disapointed later. But again, since he isn't specific, you can't really nail him as a waffler.

The fairy tale is not that Obama would win, but that if he does it would usher in a new political climate in this country where everyone lived "happily ever after"

[Egnever]

9. sigh WTF he has plenty of specifics

Do you allways repeat the talking points or are you just unwilling to see the specifics he has offered.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=3957420&mesg_id=3957420

plenty of specifics there do a little reading and get back to me on what specifics he is lacking.

[elaineb]

5. A lot of Europeans are still under the spell of the Clinton mystique

I have a very left "pen friend" in Germany, and much as I try to convince him that Hillary Clinton is the farthest to the center of any Democratic candidate, I often don't feel like I'm getting through, because he still remembers fondly the "rock star" visits of Bill Clinton to an adoring Europe. I'm only pointing this out because the OP suggested that the author of the article might be hoping for a Clinton victory. I don't know if that's true or not, but I do think that, even if you don't think fairy tales can come true, Iowa demonstrated that Barack Obama's candidacy isn't a fairy tale. He may or may not win the race, but it's obvious he has the ability to inspire people and the charisma that could allow him to do so (even the writer seems to concede this important quality at the end of the article).

[Eurobabe]

6. Alot of people (from all over Europe) ask me about Hillary...

yes, many Europeans are still under the Clinton spell. They don't understand why people were so upset over Clinton's personal flings, and for the most part they look back on the 90s as a good decade, relationship-wise with the US. Rightly so compared to what we have now.

[Evergreen Emerald]

7. He is right:

Last night the Iowans didn't vote for a president -- they voted for a symbol to represent their unhappiness with the current state of America. Obama, like Republican winner Mike Huckabee, is like a blank sheet of paper on which they could project their disaffection.

[CyberPieHole]

8. I agree with Gabor...great article and thanks for posting the link. n/t

[Zynx]

10. Europeans really are out of touch with America.

I'm not saying that as a slam against them, but they really don't understand us. That's good and bad. However, I know when I talked to a French student who was at Madison when the gay-marriage ban passed in Wisconsin didn't understand how Madison could be so solidly against the ban and it still passed state-wide. They don't understand our politics at all.

[knowledgeispwr]

12. I have to agree...

I spent some time in Spain and still frequent Spanish media and message boards online. There is a lot of disinformation and lack of understanding of the United States.

[Zynx]

13. They really see the U.S. as two things:

1. New York and California
2. The rest of the country is Texas and horribly racist and stupid

They don't see the places like the Chicago and Milwaukee suburbs, or the more progressive areas of the South, or the Southwest.

[knowledgeispwr]

14. Bingo!

I remember trying to describe to some Spaniards where North Carolina is, and they asked me if it was close to New York first, and then next if it was near Texas.

Many also seem to think that all of New York state is New York City.

[Cha]

22. They need to get out the

USofA map and study it's fascinating contents from the continent, Alaska and on to Hawaii.

[ForeignSpectator]

18. 1. The Atlantic coast from Boston to Washington, Pacific coast, Chicago

2. Backwater states

to be more accurate ;)

[BluegrassDem]

15. The Europeans only know of Hillary

I have many friends in Europe and I told them about Obama, and one of them said he hadn't heard much of anything about him. All the media talks about are Bill and Hillary Clinton. He said he thought Hillary would be the next prez cause that's all they talk about over there.

Also, you have to remember the Europeans supported old Pres. Bush against Bill Clinton in 1992. They pull for the candidate that they know and are familiar with, so it's not a shock that they write hit pieces on Obama.

[K Gardner]

19. This is not entirely true. I've posted this before, so those who have read it can

ignore, but during a month long stay in Italy, I was asked in every city - at every dinner table - at every stop even in the smaller regions, about Barack Obama. And this was last spring. And I was surprised at how much interest there was in him. The Italian news is covering him very favorably. They see him as a pacifist, a fresh face, against the war in Iraq, and a new hope for America. At the time, I was rooting for Hillary, so there is no bias in this particular first hand report. :-)

[ForeignSpectator]

17. I read the article and actually don't see where Steingart wants to go....

...he starts with the fairy tale example, then at the end talks about what's fascinating about Obama and closes with the fairy tale stuff again.

About this, I'd say that Spiegel readers ( many at least, imo ) and apparently some writers there are fascinated by their own intellect. Hence the fairy tale crap, I guess...

As for the Clinton sympathy in Europe, maybe it comes from the fact that the nineties weren't that bad and the new millenium has been one fucking disaster so far. Thanks to twice-elected master chimp ( who does loads of good for image of Americans btw, ie "man, are they dumb" ).

Personally, I am glad about Clinton not winning but I'd be worried about Obama and the southern states in the general election...

[Cha]

20. Yeah, I talked to someone

at work today who said.."it's nice Obama won Iowa but he'll never go any further." I said, "we'll see". She's like.."oh, don't make me feel bad".
"Not trying to..just that we'll see".

Der Spiegel calls Iowa a "fairy tale"..how sweet. I bet the Dems in Iowa will be interested to know that they are living in a fairy tale.

I don't know what they're hoping for but it could have been written by hillary. :)

[peoli]

23. thanks for this . I just wrote a letter to the editor.