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http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008 ... ses-obama/

Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont gave his endorsement to Barack Obama today, saying that Obama could best restore America's reputation internationally:"Many around the world have lost respect for America and the hope that America once gave them. That's a tragedy. We need a president who can reintroduce America to the world and reintroduce America to ourselves."

Any thoughts? From what you know of Obama, do you think he really is the candidate best suited to the task of restoring America's reputation abroad? And should that be a priority?

Mad wrote:And should that be a priority?

That's a question I've been giving serious consideration lately. When/If I find an answer, I'll let you know.

What's compelling about Obama is that, so far, if he is elected it will likely be because of his character more than his politics. That's an interesting turn for U.S. national elections. I'm not saying that we've never had people who were garnering votes just because they were well-liked. But, at least as far as my awareness goes, not to this extent. That, in itself, has made his campaign interesting to watch.

Of the candidates on offer, I figure Obama is the most likely to undo some of the damage that Bush has done, if only because the alternatives aren't up to much. The Republican candidates tend to have pretty fruity ideas when it comes to foreign policy and the Clintons haven't got a great foreign policy record.

I remember when Clinton visited Ireland hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to greet him and he interacted freely with the crowds. When Bush came here, hundreds of thousands took the streets to protest his presence and millions had to be spent on protecting the man and constructing massive barriers to separate him from the crowd. That's a pretty dramatic turnaround over what was a five year period.

Obama mania seems to have reached Europe.

As far as image on the international scene is concerned, he is undoubtedly the best candidate.
As Niall writes, he would be best suited to undo the damage done by George W Bush on the international scene, but that can only work if you have a foreign affairs policy.
Apart from leaving Irak, which Hilary would do too, does Obama have such a policy?

All I see on TV is women and teenage girls screaming their support, and he certainly is a charismatic candidate, but does he actually say anything?