The Obama illusion
Barack Obama faces a heavy burden of expectations from the rest of the world, just as Shrum has said.
Many Europeans hope that Obama will somehow lead America to being less obnoxiously American: less religious, less nationalist, less self-certain, less ready to use force, a country of fewer guns and more tramcars.
In the Middle East, many hope he will undo—or at least de-emphasize—the U.S.-Israel alliance.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In Russia, China, and Iran, leaders may well assess that a President Obama will be less assertive and more accommodating.
And in Africa, those dancing Kenyan villagers we saw on Election night plainly expect that a mighty torrent of American money will soon be heading their way.
Probably, almost all those expectations will be disappointed. (OK, maybe not China’s and Russia’s.) What then?
Ah, then my crystal ball goes blurry. Here, however, are two alternative hypotheses, both of which I suspect will be largely realized.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Hypothesis one:
The world is heading for massive Obama disillusionment as its Obama expectations are deflated one by one.
America is too big and its policy consensus too deep for Obama to transform the U.S. in the way in which his most ardent international supporters would wish—even supposing he wanted to himself.
He may end the increase in military spending; he won't dare cut it very much. America in 2012 will still spend more on its military than the rest of the world combined.
He may devote more energy to the Israeli-Palestinian issue. But there are tight political limits to how much pressure he can deploy against Israel.
The Senate will not ratify the Kyoto treaty on global warming or the Rome treaty that would subject the U.S. to the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court.
And while Democratic presidents have more enthusiastically pretended to care about the United Nations than Republicans have, from Truman to Clinton they have never hesitated to ignore it when it got in their way.
As for those Kenyan villagers, they will soon discover that Democrats find it tougher than Republicans to increase spending on foreign aid. An enterprising reporter who visits Kenya six months from now will be able to collect hundreds of disappointed quotes from Obama relatives: “My cousin was elected president and all I got was this lousy tee shirt.”
Hypothesis two:
All of the above may be true, but none of it will matter. For much of the world, Obama is not a man but an icon. And icons never disappoint, because they exist in the realm of myth, not the realm of politics.
To millions of people, Obama represents a certain set of attitudes, a certain style of aesthetics, an inarticulate compilation of yearnings. Those feelings are not political, and politics will not affect them. Does it matter that John F. Kennedy was not a very good president? Does it matter that Marilyn Monroe dyed her hair or that Che Guevera was a mass murderer? Not to those who blazon their images on their sweatshirts!
Will it be that way for Obama too? If so, Shrum can rest assured that the menu at his favorite trattoria in Florence will continue to feature the owner’s grandchild in an Obama tee shirt. That will say a great deal about the trattoria owner. It will say nothing about the Obama administration.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
8 touring theater productions to mark on your calendar this fall
The Week Recommends A pop icon, Shakespeare reconsidered and a sublime musical about mortality are all on the boards
By Scott Hocker, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - September 8, 2024
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - circuitous thoughts, overheating circuits, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Chicken with Steph's spice
The Week Recommends This Caribbean-inspired recipe is mouthwateringly delicious
By The Week UK Published
-
A brief history of third parties in the US
In Depth Though none of America's third parties have won a presidential election, they have nonetheless had a large impact on the country's politics
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
How could J.D. Vance impact the special relationship?
Today's Big Question Trump's hawkish pick for VP said UK is the first 'truly Islamist country' with a nuclear weapon
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Biden, Trump urge calm after assassination attempt
Speed Reads A 20-year-old gunman grazed Trump's ear and fatally shot a rally attendee on Saturday
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Supreme Court rejects challenge to CFPB
Speed Read The court rejected a conservative-backed challenge to the way the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is funded
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Arizona court reinstates 1864 abortion ban
Speed Read The law makes all abortions illegal in the state except to save the mother's life
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump, billions richer, is selling Bibles
Speed Read The former president is hawking a $60 "God Bless the USA Bible"
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The debate about Biden's age and mental fitness
In Depth Some critics argue Biden is too old to run again. Does the argument have merit?
By Grayson Quay Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published