This article talks about President Obama and his trip to England for the G-20. It speaks about how the President is very different from the "old" leadership in Europe who is stuck in the old class structure and how even saying hello to a servant is considered classless. When Obama landed in England he shook hands with one of the guards who stand outside of of 10 Downing Street. Prime Minister Brown ignored the handshake from the guard because out of English habit the guard is nothing more than a fixture. The article also talks about how the leaders of Europe wish to obtain some of the popularity that Obama possess and so desperately want to emulate him in some way. The article even goes into how Ms. Obama went to a school and was genuinely interested in the activities of the students and was very conscious of the role that she plays as the First Lady.
This article is an interesting piece and not only is very pro-Obama but also very harsh on the leaders of Europe and how they are dealing with their decreasing popularity. It seems like the author is taking the events that he saw at the protests in England and the manners of the politicians as skin deep and a Europe that is not what they seem to be. He even talks about how French President Sarkozy was a man of Napoleon syndrome and how the French do not understand how the United States and England have become such Allies even though the French have done so much for the Americans. Similar was said about the Germans and how they are not a closer ally with the U.S with their large economy and strong ancestral ties in America.
I feel that this author is playing very much into the fact that the European people have a fascination with President Obama and his charisma has not only captivated Americans but also our Western counterparts. He makes it seem as if the image and rhetoric of change that Obama has used for his American political career has also caught the attention of the people of Europe who are also looking for change in their nations. From this article it seem like America is finding a new popularity with European countries and it will be interesting how this attitude will shape the coming years as we are well into the 21st century.
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