International Love For Senator Obama, Pt. 1

In the past few days, the international press has released a number of stories and columns that, implicitly or explicitly, are pro-Obama. That's understandable, as their readerships are enormously supportive of the Illinois Senator:

US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama may be struggling to nudge ahead of his Republican rival in polls at home, but people across the world want him in the White House, a BBC poll said.

All 22 countries covered in the poll would prefer to see Senator Obama elected US president ahead of Republican John McCain.

In 17 of the 22 nations, people expect relations between the US and the rest of the world to improve if Senator Obama wins...

...The margin in favour of Senator Obama ranged from 9 per cent in India to 82 per cent in Kenya, while an average of 49 per cent across the 22 countries preferred Senator Obama compared with 12 per cent preferring Senator McCain. Some four in 10 did not take a view.

Again, these positions are understandable: President Bush is not a popular figure, and Senator Obama is the nominee of the opposition. This is not complex political calculus. I think the passion for Senator Obama, however, outstrips the usual international support for Democrats.

Why? He embodies many of the European Left values and, more importantly, resembles most closely the their ideal US president. Examples? Examples:

- None of the major countries of Europe have ever had a leading politician from the ethnic minority. (possibly all the countries of Europe, but I'm not sure on this one) Contrary to popular European and American opinion, Europe has a greater problem with race and how it treats its minorities. I'm aware that is a generalization, but I stand by it. Even in the most backward and racist areas of America, the Deep South and blue-collar Midwestern uniontowns, the US doesn't have fans making monkey noises at black athletes.

- Senator Obama, by way of his childhood, represents a more "global perspective". I personally find this line of reasoning to be pure hokum, but it's undeniably a forceful idea. Growing up in Indonesia, an African father, a non-white ethnicity, these attributes say to the Euro-Left "this man doesn't subscribe to the same naive American exceptionalism we've seen for the past 8 years". Go figure.

- He speaks in lofty terms about ambitious dreams in a sonorous "black" cadence, reminiscent of past civil-rights heroes. This point is similar in root cause to the previous point: both are born from the anti-Bush seed. To the Euro-Left, their impression of President Bush is an inarticulate hick that has an outdated and barbaric worldview which he imposes upon the rest of the world. Senator Obama is an intelligent and eloquent rhetorician who appears to have a humble and internationalist belief system. That's all they need. To quote an Obama supporter, they're signed, sealed, and delivered to his camp.