Obamican bridging
I have been playing hooky from this forum for a few weeks, because I have been overseas, where a)internet cafes are fewer and fewer as more people discover the joys of home internet service and b)news of American politics was mostly buried beneath the torrent of reports from China and Burma. Nonetheless, I did see convincing evidence that Barack Obama is not just a candidate for US President, he is now a worldwide cultural megastar.
In virtually every major city in Europe and Asia, Americans and locals have been gathering near the big river in solidarity behind the slogan, "Yes We...SPAN!" They refer both to the bridge they are standing near or on and Barack Obama, who first coined the term "yes we CAN." Both groups see Obama playing the same role as the bridge does, i.e. linking peoples, providing a means of transition, just bridging the gap generally. In Hungary, they gathered on the famous Chain Bridge, built in the l830s to link Buda and Pest and launch Hungary into a new, dynamic era; in London, it was the bridge between St. Paul's Cathedral and the Tate modern art gallery, the symbolism unmistakable. There were similar gatherings in Paris, Tokyo, Berlin, Strasbourg, basically anywhere there is a river and bridges. I have never seen anything quite like it in a Presidential campaign.
It got me to wondering whether Obama is even bigger abroad than he has ever been here, where he is a candidate...in any case, a bona fide extravaganza, an Event, a human Happening!
In virtually every major city in Europe and Asia, Americans and locals have been gathering near the big river in solidarity behind the slogan, "Yes We...SPAN!" They refer both to the bridge they are standing near or on and Barack Obama, who first coined the term "yes we CAN." Both groups see Obama playing the same role as the bridge does, i.e. linking peoples, providing a means of transition, just bridging the gap generally. In Hungary, they gathered on the famous Chain Bridge, built in the l830s to link Buda and Pest and launch Hungary into a new, dynamic era; in London, it was the bridge between St. Paul's Cathedral and the Tate modern art gallery, the symbolism unmistakable. There were similar gatherings in Paris, Tokyo, Berlin, Strasbourg, basically anywhere there is a river and bridges. I have never seen anything quite like it in a Presidential campaign.
It got me to wondering whether Obama is even bigger abroad than he has ever been here, where he is a candidate...in any case, a bona fide extravaganza, an Event, a human Happening!
posted by buckarooskidoo at 10:59 PM
2 Comments:
Given the nation's state of xenophobia, one wonders if Obama being cheered abroad is a good thing for his campaign here.
That's certainly a thought...i won't be surprised to see a "France is voting Obama" ad from the republicans. it's clear, though, whom the world would choose, if only the world could vote!
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