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Obama’s Speech In Germany

July 24th, 2008
By JOE GANDELMAN, Editor-In-Chief

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So now you’ve read blog posts about the controversy surrounding Democratic presumptive Presidential party nominee Sen. Barack Obama’s speech in Germany.

Was it cravenly political? A campaign document? Was it reminiscent of JFK’s or Ronald Reagan’s speeches from Berlin, or was it clearly anchored in a different time and generation? Did you hear or read about it on talk shows (left and right) with their predictable-before-you-tune-in spin on it? Or from news reports with journalistic cliche phrases? Or from some weblogs that may be out to hype or undermine one party’s candidate no matter what the event?

No matter…why not just watch it yourself…and make your own decision:

NOTE: While on this 8 week, massive car trip into America’s heartland I am struck by three things, which I’ll elaborate on later: (1) The clear, cancerous and steady death of the once great American newspaper, (2) the lack of bumper stickers for both Obama and McCain, but McCain in particular, (3) the number of people I meet who proudly say they don’t get their political news from biased newspapers anymore — but from talk-radio and from talking-head cable political shows`which they say keeps them well-informed.

Many talk radio and cable political shows and many blogs don’t give pure primary sources and have overt political identities. The complaint for many years was that newspapers and broadcast network news department were more information filters than gatekeepers. Talk radio and blogs on many issues are more impenetrable yet unabashed filters. The spin on issues such as this is predictable…you just know what each side will say….except they come up with increasingly clever ways to say it.

So here’s the speech — love it or hate it. But watch it and make up your own mind if it’s above average and worthwhile or just typical political posturing and one more media event.

Footnote: The latest Gallup Tracking poll indicates the highly-touted overseas trip hasn’t helped Obama. But that could partly be because in 21st century America many people won’t read things or watch people who they already disagree with. Many people are more interested in reaffirming beliefs rather than testing and perhaps re-evaluating them. Their minds are made up about someone and it’s hard to change it.

Which makes Campaign 2008 all the much harder for Obama and for Republican Senator John McCain.

You can read an excellent collection of blog opinions of all kinds on the speech HERE.

UPDATE: Rasmussen’s new poll underscores the overseas trip’s seemingly little domestic political benefit for Obama — and it confirms the observations written above:

While Barack Obama has touted his travel to Afghanistan and Iraq as a “fact-finding” trip, 63% of Americans do not believe it makes the Democratic candidate any more qualified to be president.

A new Rasmussen Reports national survey, taken Monday night, also finds that less than a third (32%) think Obama will learn from his trip to Iraq. Forty percent (40%) say his mind is already made up about policies to deal with the war there. The Democrat has been accused by liberals in his party of softening his long-standing opposition to the war in Iraq in an effort to appeal to more moderate voters.

And it confirms what we wrote in this post:

The partisan divide is clear throughout the new survey. The responses of self-designated Democrats and likely Obama voters generally mirror their candidate’s actions and positions, although at times very narrowly. Republicans and likely voters for John McCain support the GOP candidate much more emphatically.

For example, while 74% of Republicans say it is not right for a candidate to make political statements contrary to government policy while in a war zone, only 40% of Democrats disagree. Nearly as many Democrats (38%) agree with the overwhelming majority of Republicans, as do 50% of unaffiliated voters.



This entry was posted on Thursday, July 24th, 2008 at 7:02 pm and is filed under Germany, Barack Obama, MSM, Approval Ratings, Newsweek Blogitics, Democrats, Internet News Media, Europe, Polls, Talk Radio, Media Criticism, Politics. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Viewing 17 Comments

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    Sad commentary on the state of affairs, Joe. Might go a long way toward explaining why the polls have not shifted in either direction for so long, though. Nothing new under the sun for folks who only listen to the various echo chambers.

    :<
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    Most of the reports have been good but, not gushing. They pretty much all say he gave a good and powerful speech but, it was not JFK or Reagan. It was rated well however.
    I've seen some picking. Mostly the press worrying about whether the average folks will be turned off by cheering Berliners or was Obama being presumptious.
    I feel neither is a worry.
    It was a treat to watch and Obama was great. It was visually exciting to see. I thought it was a fabulous thing for Obama to try to do and he did very well.
    I've read papers from England, english version of a couple german papers, ect.
    My only worry is that the media will create a backlash for the overwhelmingly positive week Obama had in order to 'balance things' with McCain.
    Create controversy.
    sigh.
    why can't they just let things be and go as they will without making candidates go through payback for doing things well.
    Afterall, McCain goaded Obama, Obama trumped him with coming off very presidential (wasn't that the point) and dignified and up to the job.
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    Oh, Joe, don't worry about polls. If nothing gets through to you just let this. No bump is ever apparent for a couple weeks. The talking heads will be chatting about why Obama is not 20 points ahead and it is while he's still on the trip. Let it play out and see what happens in 2 or 3 weeks. YOu won't see anything until then.
    And, it's summer. Alot of people are not paying that close attention and blowing off pollsters.
    Then, take a look at Sabato's Crystal Ball and see what he says today.
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    It was a masterful speech, considering the tightrope he had to walk while making it
    He couldn't talk like an elected world leader, yet he needed to make an impression. He had to be humble, while delivering his inspirational message for the future. He was proposing that the US would listen as well as talk, while he was calling on Europe to do more in Afghnaistan.
    It was tricky, but Obama did well.

    A point of interest: the audience didn't need translaltion.
    Take note, America.
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    There's a poll out about the trip befoe the trip is over?
    How does that work?

    When they jump in so early, I think these polls drive opinion more than reflect it.
    I wish someone would analyze the effect of polling every 5 seconds. I think that was a factor in the primaries.
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    There's a poll out about the trip befoe the trip is over?
    How does that work?

    Gallup does a daily which has become increasingly worthless as it goes.. not because they aren't getting a real set of numbers every day, but the fact that they swing all over a fairly large margin of error, and then we all jump on those numbers as "proof" that "x event" of the day caused that reaction in the polls. Of course, in reality, a large number of Americans who don't spend their days dwelling in blog chat rooms and watching political TV, probably had no idea that "x event" even happened when they answered the poll.
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    "Many people are more interested in reaffirming beliefs rather than testing and perhaps re-evaluating them."

    Well said Joe. Re-evaluating our beliefs can be a genuine challenge at times, but is a necessary one if we want to be considered independent thinkers.
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    There was some gushing on lefty sites, not as much as I expected, though.

    I'd rate the speech as 3 to 4 stars on a scale of five. It didn't qualify as a "sermon."

    He covered all the typical talking points, and even sounded like the smarm queens of both sexes in the media here in the States by hardening the "D" and saying "worl-t" instead of "world," for example.

    Here's the transcript from one of the sites providing it.

    http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/07/24/raw-dat...
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    Poll numbers reflect American concerns over the economy more than anything else. For a month now, Obama has talked about culture, foreign affairs and national security. He had to do this, but it wasn't going to help in the SHORT TERM in polls.

    We'll see next week when he gets back to the economy and gas prices again if Obama jumps in polls.
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