It seems that not all Europeans favor Barack Obama. João Marques de Almeida of Portugal’s leading business daily Diario Economico writes, ‘For a liberal, center-right European, John McCain is the preferred North American candidate … There are few things better than to see a free politician.’ He goes on to argue against what was in the end Mitt Romney’s greatest appeal: ‘In times of crisis, it’s more important to have a politician with experience than one with an understanding of economics.’
By João Marques de Almeida*
Translated By Brandi Miller
February 7, 2008
For a liberal, center-right European, John McCain is the preferred North American candidate. For his liberal views of society and the economy, he’s preferable to any other Republican candidate. I have the greatest respect for the Christian religion and its unique place in Western history (of which, incidentally, I am very proud), but I think that years of sermons in churches of the southern United States, where one rapidly loses rationality, is not the best preparation for taking power.
Neither does this position expose any particular dislike for the Democratic candidates, despite the fact that Bill Clinton’s hyper-active promotion of his wife causes me some discomfort. As a matter of principle, it’s not good for an unelected person to have such enormous influence over a future president, as would happen if Hillary Clinton were elected.
As for Obama, he undoubtedly has political talent and charisma. However I’m not convinced that he’s prepared to be the American president. I identify much more with McCain’s vision of the world and its dangers and threats than with the positions of Clinton or Obama. There are four questions that from Europe’s perspective are fundamental: keeping troops in Iraq; preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons; engaging in World Trade Organization talks to reinforce the global free trade system; reforming the trans-Atlantic alliance and reforming NATO in 2009. I’m not sure a Democratic president will endeavor to accomplish these four objectives like McCain would.
In addition to these reasons, there are three other reasons that lead me to look even enthusiastically to McCain’s candidacy. The first has to do with McCain’s character and personality. There are few things better than to see a free politician. …
READ THE REST ON WORLDMEETS.US, along with our continuing foreign press news coverage of the United States. Tune in during the next 24 hours for translated U.S. election coverage from China, Portugal, France and Brazil.
Founder and Managing Editor of Worldmeets.US