The Obama Blog

So the long-awaited Obama Blog (meaning me a-waiting a long time to write it)! I'm sure all the excitement of the day is probably now a long distant memory to you all, as the summer has ambled on. In some ways that was what it was like for me when I came to writing this blog. We have just had our friends Dee and Richie and their kids visit us so my mind is full of their visit (we had a grand ol' time). How and ever, it just took a look at our photos to bring me back to that day.

First to set the scene. Ever since I gave Obama's autobiography to Eric, he has been like a man possessed. Throughout the Democratic Nominee elections he would wake up about half an hour earlier than usual to read all the newspapers and then, over breakfast, I would get a low-down on all the poll-data. Seriously. And when he heard that Obama was coming to Berlin, well! Needless to say that he was very excited. I have to admit that I haven't been as emotionally invested in Obama as Eric has been. I'm sure that has a lot to do with the fact that I am not American, and as a European I have my own perspective. However, Eric's enthusiasm was completely contagious so that on the day I was very excited.

So myself and Eric went down to the Brandenburg Gate at about 5pm. We thought we were being smart arriving nearly two hours early but it seems that there were tens of thousands of people that had the same thought. We had been warned that there would be tight security and a heavy police presence, and not to bring any bags because they would be taken away from us. But when we got down there there were just a few vans of Polizei sunning themselves in the Platz. But that was it - no bag-checks, no men with guns, just a gaggle of Berliners coming out to see Obama speak. The atmosphere was more like a carnival than anything else. There were tourists getting their photos taken beside mock DDR soldiers (above pic).

There was a woman dressed up as Marilyn Monroe singing outside of the American embassy.

There was also an Afghani family protesting about Obama's pledge to increase war efforts in Afghanistan, which I thought 'Good for them' as I'm sure it can't have been easy to do with so many Obama supporters around.

A huge range of different people were there to hear Obama speak. From families with young babies (pic of baby above that spent nearly the entire time on his dad's shoulders waving at the tens of thousands of people behind).

There was also a lot of elderly people, many of whom, like the lady above, brought stools and books to keep themselves occupied in the two-three hour wait for Obama to appear. For a crowd of an estimated two hundred thousand people I have to say that I was impressed by how laid-back and easy-going the crowd were. There were vendors selling beer and hot-dogs but no-one was drunk or disorderly. People were just there to enjoy themselves.

We went as far as we could go and positioned ourselves in front of one of the many big screens. Here I am patiently waiting (I know it looks like I'm praying but I'm not). By the time that Obama finally did come out, with the setting sun behind him, the crowd went wild. To give you a feel of what it was like I filmed a short clip on my camera.

I was impressed by so many things on the day. I was incredibly impressed by the crowd, that 200,000 people in Berlin came out to hear what a visiting politician had to say (I mean he's just a senator from Illinois right?). I was delighted by how welcoming and how open they were to him. There was also a wonderful sense of history in the making that Eric talked about in his blog. It felt that we were witness to something special.

I was also impressed by the man himself (and not just because he is good lookin', which he is). He had a number of good things to say in his speech. I liked that he spoke about a greater humanity, about being citizens of the world, about tearing down walls and barriers. I liked that he talked about nuclear disarmament and about reducing carbon admissions. I also liked that he, as an American politican on foreign soil, talked about mistakes made by the American government in the recent past. I thought that kind of owning of responsibility that needed to be said.

However, I have to admit that I felt a bit disappointed too. He seemed a bit nervous and fluffed a number of his lines. Also much of his speech felt like it wasn't meant for the crowd that had waited there for several hours. It felt like it was meant for the electorate back in America, that it was meant for the many journalists there, that it was for the interested governments around the globe. It felt like a politician's speech and for some reason that irked me. Where was the infamous Obama wow factor I wondered? Where was the man of the people?

Talking to Eric afterwards I realised that for all my detachment up until now, that I had, and do have, a lot of expectations of Barack Obama. I realised that I, like the many people there that day, have projected a lot of my own hopes for the future. I realised that though I'm not an American, I am sick and tired of Bush and his cynical, stupid, greedy form of politics, and that I am as ready for a change for the better as everybody else.

I realised that in piling all these hopes onto Obama that I subconsciously had turned him into some kind of superman (he'll solve everything!). When in fact he is just one man, a good man certainly, a man that I think wants to change America for the better, but just a man all the same. I know that a lot of people are almost fearful of the hope that he represents, that he might not be able to deliver on his promises. But I reckon that hope is always a good thing. I think optimism and the belief that things can get better is always good for the world.

The fact is that people, not just in America but all around the world, want change now, and this would be the case whether Barack Obama existed or not. He just happens to be, I believe, the right person, in the right place, hopefully in the right job, at the right time, which I'm sure can be both a blessing and an enormous burden for one man to bear. Personally, I think we will all do much better if we give ol' Obama a bit of lee-way to be human. I don't think it is possible for him to fulfil all our expectations because there are just so many. And the truth is that if he does become President, he is going to make mistakes. And no matter what, he won't be able to please everyone. And I know I won't agree with everything he does (even Eric doesn't agree with him 100% of the time!).

If Obama does become President of the United States, he will inherit a terrible legacy left by Bush. He will need to change the health system, turn around the recession and boost the American economy. He will need to change American policy to climate change and reduce dependence on foreigh oil. He will need to improve foreign relations around the world. Now I'm not too sure if any one person can do all this. But even if Obama trys. As long as he can hold on to integrity, which I think he has. If he makes mistakes but owns up to them, which I know he has done. If Obama can do this, with his characteristic (good-lookin') optimism, then I think it will be good for the world as a whole. Which is why I for one am going to keep on hoping.