Sunday, July 20, 2008
Location, location, location
Having been rebuffed in its request to let Barack Obama speak in front of the Brandenburg Gate, the Obama campaign scheduled his speech for a site selected by Adolph Hitler for a memorial to German victories over our actual "traditional" allies.
Force yourselves, if you can, to imagine what the American press would say if a Republican chose such a site.
MORE: A reader reminds us of the obvious parallel -- the storm of controversy surrounding Ronald Reagan's visit to the cemetary at Bitburg, where various war criminals had been buried along with countless honored dead. We await the corresponding outrage with 'bated breath.
12 Comments:
By 
Unknown, at
Sun Jul 20, 09:43:00 PM:
You expect to much. After all, he is just the Paris Hilton of Politics (famous for being famous). And as far as his Excellent Adventure - he's just trying to get his Forrest Gump on (associate himself with someone else's history/ accomplishment).
By LGD, at
Sun Jul 20, 10:08:00 PM:
There's no need to imagine it-- remember the artificial flap over Reagan's speech at Bitburg?
Pick something from here-- http://tinyurl.com/5zp7c7
By 
, at
Sun Jul 20, 11:03:00 PM:
Too bad Leni Riefenstahl has gone onto another world. She could have helped Obama in choreographing the event.
By apex, at
Mon Jul 21, 12:55:00 AM:
It is only fitting. Obama's power stems from the same emotion-tapping politics that powered Hitler, the same charismatic and at the same time narcissitic populism, the dark side of politics, void of reason, but filled with emotion. And beyond that lie deeply held beliefs, an agenda of radical change, written down, but so far ignored by most people, "he's not going to govern like this".
Frankly, it scares me to think of this man in power, with a weak congress from the same party. It scares me big time.
By , at
Mon Jul 21, 02:09:00 AM:
If Obama is the Paris Hilton of politics, then Bush is Barney Fife.
-Brock
By , at
Mon Jul 21, 10:49:00 AM:
Brock: You think Bush is Barney Fife? That probably explains the timing of lifting the presidential ban on offshore oil drilling. Just keep thinking like that.
WRT Obamessiah, the Dems seem to have found an egomaniac even greater than Bubba.
By , at
Mon Jul 21, 11:05:00 AM:
One People, One Bus, One Messiah.
Everybody! Under the bus.
That Barack! What a kidder.
-David
By , at
Mon Jul 21, 04:07:00 PM:
Perhaps if the Germans let Barrack have his hosanna moment, the NYT will be equally generous and let John McCain publish his Op-Ed.
Remember: don't buy the NYT.
By Charlottesvillain, at
Mon Jul 21, 04:41:00 PM:
Ah yes, Bitburg! Maybe a punk band in this generation will do something with the new Obama material, as the Ramones did back in the day:
You've got to pick up the pieces c'mon, sort your trash
You better pull yourself back together maybe you've got too muchcash
Better call, call the law when you gonna turn yourself in? Yeah
You're a politician don't become one of Hitler's children
Bonzo goes to bitburg then goes out for a cup of tea
As I watched it on TV somehow it really bothered me
Drank in all the bars in town for an extended foreign policy
Pick up the pieces
No no-no-no, my brain is hanging upside down
No no-no-no, I need something to slow me down
No no-no-no, my brain is hanging upside down
No no-no-no, and I need something to slow me down
Shouldn't wish you happiness, wish her the very best
Fifty thousand dollar dress shaking hands with your highness
See through you like cellophane you watch the world complain, butyou do it
anyway who am I, am I to say
Bonzo goes to Bitburg and goes out for a cup of tea...
No no-no-no, my brain is hanging upside down...
If there's one thing that makes me sick
It's when someone tries to hide behind politics
I wish that time could go by fast
Somehow they manage to make it last
No no-no-no, my brain is hanging upside down
No no-no-no, I need something to slow me down
No no-no-no, my brain is hanging upside down
No no-no-no, and I need something to slow me down
By GreenmanTim, at
Mon Jul 21, 09:46:00 PM:
Ah, but will he call himself a jelly donut?
By , at
Tue Jul 22, 10:53:00 AM:
This is a silly criticism. The Siegessäule ("Victory Column") is a commemoration of victory in the Franco-Prussian and other wars and long ante-dates Hitler.
Does it have a Nazi association? Not much more than everything else in Germany, especially Berlin. It is a good location - in the center of town with room for large crowds to gather.
By Dawnfire82, at
Wed Jul 23, 10:35:00 AM:
"The Siegessäule ("Victory Column") is a commemoration of victory in the Franco-Prussian and other wars..."
So it's cool if it offends the French, Danes, and others...
Not that I care deeply about the French, but having a political rally in a foreign country at a war memorial that commemorates victories over modern friends is really stupid.
