But Obama came out of nowhere and on charisma and a transcendent political message gripped the world. The hurdles that he has cleared should show the country everything they need to know in this election. Even if they each got about the same number of delegates on Super Tuesday, Obama's achievement far outstrips Hillary's.
A triumph for Obama would be revolutionary. But to see the mighty Hillary fall would be equally as spectacular.
Here, on Japanese television, as the primary votes were being counted in California, they showed the same short clip of speeches from each of the candidates over and over. Clinton: "You're ready
for a president who brings your voice, your values and your dreams to your White House." Obama: "There is one thing on this February night that we do not need the final results to know: our time has come. Our time has come, our movement is real, and change is coming..." The nuances of these are certainly lost in the Japanese subtitles as well as the ocean of difference separating the experience of Americans and Japanese. I wonder if it comes across to the Japanese viewer that Clinton sounds like a commercial for White House brand laundry detergent. I wonder if you have to be American to appreciate the timeliness and power of Obama's oratory. Of course the Japanese shouldn't be expected to get worked up about it in the same way.
4 comments:
There's a video somewhere on YouTube of Obama talking about his intentions regarding US disability legislation, a determination founded on his own experiences of having an in-law with MS. For a politician, he sounded incredibly sincere, but then many thought that of Blair.
Julaybib: Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment :) Much of Obama's image (as well as, one supposes, his policies) are based on his personal story. He seems to be in touch with the issues that most need to be addressed and bridge the divides that are most damaging to the world now. In terms of sincerity, that is a very subjective judgement call that each person has to make. But it seems that he has convinced a lot of people. He passes the test for me because what he says is so often so close to what I never thought I would hear from a politician but always wanted to. He's also really good at saying it. His message of hope is, in this jaded time precisely what we are all parched for. I might be giving him the benifit of the doubt that he will be capable of delivering, but his will to do so earns him my respect, support and vote. What can I say? I'm a fan.
As a foreigner, I find Obama very appealing. I don't take domestic policy into account really, since it won't affect me and I have no say in the way Americans run their country. But considering the times, the image he has built for himself, as well as the connections he can make with people who have lived abroad from their 'home' country, people with a more international character, makes him rather easy to relate to. If anything, I think he'll change the expectations of the electorate as to what they feel a presidential candidate should look like. I'm not convinced that he has a better grasp on foreign policy than any of the other candidates, and so I remain rather skeptical. However it's hard to deny that his candidacy alone is changing the way some foreigners view American politics.
Karim: Thanks for commenting :) It's hard to imagine that anyone who has had the benefit of living abroad as part of their world perspective can be immune to Obama's message. For me, as an American abroad, the image of the US in the world affects me personally. I have often felt as if Bush's face has been superimposed on my own - let me tell you, that is not a pleasant thought. But there are many Americans who are isolated and have never been abroad or often even far from where they were born and raised.
I was skeptical about his policies at one point also. But upon investigation of the specific issues, he represented the best thinking on them by far - reafirming my instinctual respect and trust and again generally impressing me with his overall quality of character. The type of thinking that he represents would change not only how the world sees America, but I think would also help how Americans understand the world.
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