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Among Friends |
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| Obama stirs hopes of world beyond United States I return from abroad fewer than two weeks before the election believing that no presidential candidate since John F. Kennedy has attracted as much admiration among Europeans as Barack Obama. Mailing cards at the Vatican post office, I overheard a clerk tell an American wearing an Obama button, "Viva Obama! Viva America!" His co-workers chimed in, "Viva Obama!" That night in a restaurant, a formally dressed older couple obviously celebrating a special event asked politely in Italian if we were Americans. When we said yes, they raised their crystal flutes, delicately tinkled them together, and toasted "Viva Obama!" Everywhere we have traveled in the past few weeks, there have been similar spontaneous reactions, from people as diverse as Romanians, South Africans and Finns, to our Italian, British and French hosts. Viewed next to France's imperiously unpredictable President Nicolas Sarkozy, Germany's stolidly conservative Prime Minister Angela Merkel and Italy's revolving-door politicians who spin in and out of its prime ministership, Obama has emerged throughout the European Union as a sartorially elegant leader whose intellect promises genuine potential, and whose racial heritage mirrors the EU's evolving ethnic mix. My conclusions, neither scientific nor statistical, were reached after six weeks of careful listening during one-on-one conversations aboard trains and planes, in private homes, and across business counters in France and Italy. In discussion after discussion, whether the topic was the war in Iraq, economics, the environment or poverty, the same words were used to describe the Obama they believe they see: smart, assured, confident, global, the future. Just as Europeans embraced the dancing of Josephine Baker, the jazz of John Coltrane, the films of Clint Eastwood and the art of Andy Warhol, millions -- particularly among the young -- have taken the measure of a political phenomenon born of a Kenyan father and American mother, and pronounced his uniquely American persona "cool." While we asked questions in fractured French and Italian, new acquaintances usually answered us in fluent English. Their grasp of the U.S. election's political nuances are astounding; most could identify House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and many knew Nevada Sen. Harry Reid as the Senate majority leader. Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware was less familiar. Gov. Sarah Palin was dismissed as a "Saturday Night Live" joke. Nearly everyone I quizzed, from a titled Florentine aristocrat living in a villa owned by his family for 400 years, to a 20-something waitress in an Assisi espresso cafe, expressed support for an Obama victory. It wasn't, most agreed, because they had anything personal against Republican nominee John McCain; he seemed a decent man whose time had passed, some said. He was generally viewed not as the maverick he claims to be, but as an extension of President George W. Bush's administration, which Europeans I spoke with see as among the worst in American history. "McCain has nothing new to offer us," said a wine broker in the Chianti region who is worried about declining exports. "His programs represent the status quo, which means continuing disaster on many fronts." "Obama is a global thinker," said a Paris pastry chef. "He isn't just USA, USA, USA; he understands our climate, our environment, our security are interconnected. "Unlike Bush and McCain, who put America first and the hell with the rest of us, Obama knows that what America does affects all places and that we need to work together for the sake of our children." Conversations often were tinged with nostalgia for an idealized America of their immigrating ancestors who left "the old country" to make a better life through hard work in a young country of seemingly unlimited promise. Italian farmers shared snapshots of first cousins in New Jersey. A pair of sisters running their own travel business fondly recalled growing up with Italian grandfathers who went to the United States in search of financial success, found it, and brought back not only business acumen but American brides, as well. Now, with the euro stronger than the dollar, many insisted the Statue of Liberty's light has dimmed and, without fresh and innovative leadership, America's democratic promise is in danger of disappearing. One disgusted Frenchman said the country Lafayette helped birth was now being humbled for its "Big Foot mistakes." But, he added, he didn't take any pleasure in its comeuppance "because my pension is vanishing, too." Growing unease about Russian leader Vladimir Putin's expansionist intentions, urban unrest among Europe's growing Muslim population, global warming and this fall's economic meltdown are fueling anxiety. "We desperately hope Obama is real and not just an image," said an Italian hostess presiding over a Sunday lunch overflowing with children, grandchildren and guests from three countries. "We want to count on America for good intentions and long-range vision," said her husband. "This election, the stakes are too high for another failed presidency. We keep our hopes up for an Obama outcome, because we need him, too." |
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