Barack and Michelles European Adventure.docx

Barack and Michelles European Adventure.docx

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BarackandMichellesEuropeanAdventure

WeekendOpinionator:

BarackandMichelle’sEuropeanAdventure

ByTobinHarshaw

ThelasttimeapresidenttraveledtoEuropeduringhisfirst100daysinoffice,perhapsthemostenlighteningmomentofthejourneyhadmoretodowithfashionthanforeignpolicy.SteppingofftheplaneinParisinFebruary1969,RichardNixonhadamomentofsartorialpanic,accordingtohisbiographerRichardReeves:

”‘Herewego—VivelaFrance!

’NixonsaidashewalkedtothedoortomeetPresidentdeGaulleatthebottomoftheplane’ssteps.Hesawthathishostwaswearingnocoatinthebittercoldandstrippedhisownovercoatoffbeforehesteppedoutthedoor.”

Thiswasimportant?

Itsurewas,saysRobertB.SempleJr.,nowaPulitzerPrize-winningmemberofTheTimes’seditorialboardbutthenayoungpupintheWhiteHousepresscorps.“JohnKennedywasalwayspoppinguphatlessandwithoutatopcoat,”Sempletoldme.“Nixonalways,likeLyndonJohnson,sufferedfromJ.F.K.envy.Onaforeigntripheknewtheissuesbetterthananybody,buthedidn’thavethepanacheorpersonalflairthataguylikeKennedywouldbringtoit.”

ForgettheG-20andNATO—alltheEuropeanpressandbloggerswantedtotalkaboutwasthepresenceofthefirstcouple.

There’snoneedtodwellonwhatNixon’spersonalityquirks,or“innerdemons”aspunditsaresofondofcallingthem,didtothenation.ButinthesensethattheNixonovercoatstoryfitsintothegreatertheoryofcharacterbeingdestiny,perhapsthemaniaforminutiaethattheBritishandEuropeanpressandbloggersshowedforeveryseeminglyminordetailofBarackandMichelleObama’striptotheOldWorldwillnotseemsotrivialwhenthehistoryofourageiswritten.

Infact,youcouldarguethatthescrutinyofeverybitofsymbolismanddecorumoverthelastfewdayswasfarmorejustifiedthanitwouldhavebeen40yearsago.BarackObamaisarockstarand—especiallyafterherlarger-than-lifeshowinginLondon—Michelle’sprofileisrivalinghis.HispresenceattheG-20andNATOmeetingsmeantfarlesstohimthanitdidtotheembattledheadsofstatewhoscurriedtogetintothepictureframebesidehim.Let’sfaceit,fewandfarbetweenweretheforeignleaderswhowantedtobaskintheglowofRichardNixon.

Bearingallthisinmind,then,let’stakealookathowthepresidentandfirstladywerereceivedbythechatteringclassesacrossthepond,oneverythingfromI.M.F.fundingandtrans-AtlanticdefensetohandshakingbobbiesandroyaliPods.

JonathanFreedlandofTheGuardianfeltthat,inhispressconferencewithPrimeMinisterGordonBrown,thepresidentgotabitshownupbyhishost:

Obamaremainstheglobalsuperstarwithafreshmandate,BrowntheailingprimeministerwithanemicpollnumberswhoselastvictoryinacompetitiveelectionwasforhisKirkcaldyseat.

Andyet,that’snotquitehowitplayedout.Brownwasrelaxedandfluentatthepodium,whileitwasObamawhogavethemorefaltering,sometimeslong-windedperformance.Obamaappearedtobestumpedtwice,firstbyaquestionfromtheBBC’sNickRobinson–whichinvitedthepresidenttowonderwhyFranceandGermanyblametheUSfortherecession–andnextbyadeceptivelysimpleinquiryfromamemberofthetravellingpresscorps:

doesthepresidentadviseordinaryAmericanstospendorsave?

Onebroughtaudiblehesitation;theotherabitofarambleasObamavisiblytriedtoworkoutwhattosay.

Brown,bycontrast,wasallconfidence.Onthespendorsavequestion,hedeliveredashort,clearanswer:

itwasgovernments’jobtotaketherightstepssothatpeoplecouldconfidentlymakewhateverdecisionwasbestforthem.True,Brownhadhadtimetothinkaboutit,butitwastheanswerObamahadbeengropingfor.

Whatexplainsthedifference?

Onesuperficialsuggestion:

Obamasoundedasthoughhehadacold,hisvoicefoggierandlessclearthanusual.Hehasreportedlybeenfeelingthephysicalstrainofthejob.Oritmightsimplyhavebeenatouchofjetlag.But–acoupleofcharmingasidesaboutBrown’schildren’sinterestindinosaursandabouttheQueenapart–hewasnotathisbest.

AsforBrown,theexplanationisprobablyfairlysimple.Thiswasthemomenthehadbeenwaitingfor,atleastsinceObama’selectionlastNovember.Hehadcravedthischance,tostandalongsidetheworld’smostpopularleader;indeed,hisstrategyforre-electionappearstobeallbutbuiltonit.So,whenObamapraisedBrown’s“extraordinaryinitiativeandleadership”andthensaidtheworldowedhim“anextraordinarydebtofgratitude”,thePMwasapictureofdelight.Later,justwatchingObamaspeak,apparentlyinnohurryforthepressconferenceevertoend,Brownleanedonhislecternwearinganexpressionthathemayneverbeforehaverevealedinpublic:

simplecontentment.

TheTimes’sPeterRiddell,however,thinksanyboostforBrownwillbeshortlived:

GordonBrownshouldenjoyhismomentontheglobalstage.HehasundoubtedlyhadadiplomaticsuccessinchairingtheG20summit;however,itisunlikelytolast.

Likemanypreviousprimeministers,hewillsoondiscovertheharshcontrastbetweentheglowofinternationalsummitryandthebrutalrealitiesofdomesticpolitics.Votersareanunforgivinglot.Theyliketoseetheirleadersbeingtakenseriously,butthereisnoevidencethatpastsummitshavemadeanyrealdifferencedomestically.

MrBrownmayseeanimmediateboosttohispollratingsafterallthepublicity,photoopportunitiesandevenpraisethisweek,butIdoubtifitwilllastbeyondEaster.

TheEveningStandard’sPaulWaughfeelsthatitwasObamawhosavedBrown’sbacon:

MuchinkwillbespilledtonightandtomorrowaboutGordonBrownpersonallysecuringvariousvictoriesintheG20Londonsummit.

Buthere’safascinatingcluetotherealpowerbroker.Conductinghimselfassuredlyasifhewereasummitveteranratherthanafirst-timer,BarackObamaappearstohavebeenthecrucialplayerinsecuringaformofwordsonthethornyissueoftaxhavens.

AmericansourceshavenowrevealedthatitwastheUSPresidentwhosteppedintoknockheadstogether（inthenicestpossibleway）togetSarkoandChina’sPresidentHutocometoanagreement.

Inthefinalplenarysessionwithjustminutestogobeforeadealhadtobesigned,SarkozyandHuwerehavingaheateddisagreementabouttaxhavens.Francewantsurgentaction,whileChinafearsacrackdownwouldhurtbankingcentersinMacao,ShanghaiandHongKong.

Astheywentthroughareviseddraft,theexchangebetweenSarkozyandHugotsoheatedthatitwasthreateningtheunityoftheG-20leaders’meeting.

SarkozyspecificallywaspushingforalistfromtheOECDtobeincludedintheG20Leaders’Statement.China,whichisnotapartytotheOECD,opposedanysuchlistbeingincludedinthefinalLeaders’Statement.

ButMr.Obamasteppedbetweenthetwomen,urgingthemtotrytofindconsensus,andgivingthema“peptalk”abouttheimportanceofworkingtogether.

TheGuardian’sAlexanderChancellorfeelsthatevenifObamahadn’tsaidmuchmorethan“Don’tworry,behappy,”he’dstillbeaforceforgood:

Despitetheeconomicgloom,BarackObamaisstickingtohismessageofhope,forecastingbettertimesahead,warningagainstfearanddespondency,andurgingpeoplenotto“short-changethefuture”bytakingdecisionsbasedonpessimism.HehaseventriedtocheerupGordonBrown,bytellinghimattheirjointpressconferenceonWednesdaythatifhewakesupeverymorningtryingtodotherightandnoblething,hemayevenfind,tohissurprise,thatheisn’tfinishedpolitically.

Whateverhappens,Obamaisrighttotrytokeepuppeople’sspirits,forconfidenceamongordinarypeopleisjustasimportantasconfidenceinthefinancialmarketsforpullingusoutofthisslump.Anditisevenmoreimportantforpeople’shealth,energyandwellbeing,asthepresidentappearstorealise.

AsforthesubstanceoftheG20meetings,whilemanyfeelthattheAnglo-AmericansideputonoverontheEuropeans,theSpectator’sFraserNelsongives10reasonsthathefeelsMessrs.ObamaandBrownachievedanemptyvictory.

BritainhasasitsPrimeMinisteramasterofpoliticalillusion.Hemaynotbemuchofanorator,butthereisnoonebetteratdressingupoldmoneyasnew.IftheG20nationswantedtofakeprogress,tospina$1.1trillionfigurewhilecommittingnonewmoneyatall,thenGordonBrownistheirman.“Thisisthedaythattheworldcametogethertofighttheglobalrecession,notwithwordsbutwithaplan,”saidourDearLeader.Well,let’shaveacloserlookatthissupposedplan…

1）“Makingavailableanextra$1trillion”.Ahh,thoseBrownverbaltricks.Whatdoes“makeavailable”mean?

Isitguarantees,promises,statementofintent?

Realspending?

Notapennyofcoldhardcashhasbeenpledgedbyanyone.ThesumisconcoctedbytakingtheIMF’spre-existing$500bntargetforitsbailoutfund（atargetitstillhasn’tmet）,addinganother$250bntothetarget.And,then,weadda$250bnfundwhichtheIMFwouldcreatebyprintingitsownspecialmoney…

CliveCrook,theFinancialTimes’smaninWashington,hadsimilarthoughtsexpressedattheNationalJournalblog:

ValuableasentrenchingtheG-20andrevivingtheIMFmaybe,though,themosturgentneedatthissummitwastodealwiththeimmediatedangerofaworseningglobalslump.Designingacoordinatedfiscalstimulustoexpandglobaldemand,keeppeopleatwork,andrelievethepressureforcompetitivedevaluationandnewtraderestrictions—themeansbywhichgovernmentstraditionallytrytoexporttheirunemployment—wastheprizethatmatteredmost.Whyhasreachingagreementonthisprovedsodifficult?

Thechallengeofrunnings