Makes no difference where she goes
The whole world over just the same
Just listen to them call her name
And who would underestimate the actress now?
Evita - Rainbow Tour
Barack Obama begins his much hyped overseas trip today. There hasn't been a trip this widely anticipated and hyped since Eva Peron wowed, if not the people of Europe then certainly the people of Argentina.
US Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama has arrived in Afghanistan, at the start of a high-profile international tour. BBC News
I'm sure that the Obama camp is hoping for great results here at home, and he shouldn't have too hard a time achieving that goal with the fawning press coverage he is almost certain to garner.
However he has to be extremely cautious as there are many who will question why a presidential candidate is campaigning in Europe. The fact finding in Iraq and Afghanistan are a different story.
There is a very real danger that the sight of huge crowds of Europeans fawning and fainting over the candidate could backfire. There will be little campaign control over the coverage of the events and Obama and the very supportive media could easily become too exuberant and play to the crowd to the detriment of his national standing. Most Americans still believe in nationalism versus internationalism despite the outdated and exageraged press coverage of how damaged our image has become overseas.
I fully expect his prepared remarks to reinforce a kinder brand of nationalism that seems to encompass the world, but his off the cuff remarks and those crowd shots could give ammunition to McCain if used to emphasize American interests versus the interests of Europe.
DKK
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