The gap between McCain and Obama (though a little narrower this morning) is such that reporters feel they have to look for negatives in Obama's candidacy to make them look more "even-handed" in their treatment of the two candidates. We're getting use to the press's notion of "even-handed." This morning we're dealing with two Obamas: one who is immensely popular with people and the other who makes European leaders slightly uneasy. Oh well.
The New York Times' Stephen Erlanger (reliable in both the best and worst senses) notes that Obama is very popular with Germans and Europeans, but but more unsettling to German and European governments. For one thing, Obama respects European union, the political and cultural alliance, where Bush tended to be divisive, looking for support from individual European nations and setting them against each other. For another, governments of the individual nations of Europe know their people want everyone the hell out of Iraq and Afghanistan while they also know that Obama isn't asking for an immediate withdrawal. Of course Obama, who can charm crowds and change minds in a matter of minutes, needs only to be more specific with his 250,000 fans, explaining (as he has had to do for American voters) that he's talking about a "responsible" withdrawal.
Still, the tone of Erlanger's article leaves us with the feeling that Obama hasn't exactly succeeded in his German visit even as he lays out a report suggesting that Obama has done really well.
Europeans admire Mr. Obama’s political skills, and welcome his apparent readiness to respect opposing points of view. For many here, that raises the prospect of a sharp break with the policies of the Bush administration, especially in its first term, when the United States chose to ignore the Geneva Conventions at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, rejected the Kyoto accord on global warming and invaded Iraq, starting a war that some of America’s European allies opposed.
“Will we acknowledge that there is no more powerful example than the one each of our nations projects to the world?” Mr. Obama asked in his speech, then added pointedly, “Will we reject torture and stand for the rule of law?” The huge crowd applauded and waved American flags.
“On the positive side, we can expect somebody who reasons the way we do in Europe,” said Pierre Rousselin, the foreign editor of Le Figaro, a French newspaper, after the speech.
But Rousselin goes on to say that "on climate issues, the economy and world politics there are still questions. There will be a difference, but very quickly Obama will be faced with concrete questions, like Afghanistan."
CNN calls it "winning hearts but not minds." Europeans -- the people and their governments -- remain troubled by Obama's unwillingness to rule out military action against Iran, by his Bush-like references to the need for European to join in the common defense and, again, the need for their help in Afghanistan. But they concede that he is much closer in spirit to the European take on defense and the common good than Bush ever was.
Meanwhile, NPR reported early this morning that the substantial gap between Obama and McCain has narrowed a bit. The LA Times has some specifics.
UPDATE: Obama nonetheless is trouncing his opponent in McCain's home state. The Arizona Republic reports:
Barack Obama quietly raised more money in Arizona last month for his presidential campaign than John McCain did, and the Illinois Democrat dominates the overall fundraising map in 43 states and Washington, D.C., records show.
Obama reported $432,000 in donations from Arizonans in June, compared with McCain's $313,000, based on an Arizona Republic analysis of Federal Election Commission records. Neither campaign properly codes all contributions with a state, making it impossible to know exactly where all donations came from.
Since last year, McCain, the presumptive GOP nominee, has raised at least $4.7 million from his fellow Arizonans, double what Obama reports from the state. But donations this year are nearly even: McCain's Arizona donors have given him $2 million.
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