Why Europeans Love Obama: One Man's Answer

Scott had lunch downtown today with a Brit introduced by a mutual friend. It was a wonderful opportunity to talk with someone about the differing perceptions of Americans and Britons about the world in which we live and to share insights about our particular cultures. My favorite discussion had to be the one we had about the new president. I observed that while Americans are very hopeful for good leadership from Barack Obama and of course we celebrate his election as a breakthrough in race relations, we all temper our hopes with reality that the political system imposes real restraints on any President's ability to make significant change. Europeans, I observed, don't see to understand this and, if anything, are greater Obama fans than their American counterparts. John's response was unhestitating: "Of course we like him. The alternative was that horrible woman from Alaska who kills things!" The depth of European revulsion for Sarah Palin caught me off-guard, but John explained it was a major factor here as the election unfolded. "You have to remember that America leads the world, and the President is more than the President is the de-facto leader of the world," he said. "A 73-year-old cancer survivor and a killer won't likely run the world in a direction most Europeans could support!" It was one of many topics we covered, including why Britons puts up with queues, trash bags that don't open and the future of the world economy, potential for reform of the American healthcare system, the culture of poverty and the future of the American political system. It was one of those thoughtful conversations that makes me love travel.