That was a fantastic speech. He didn't falter at all and the number of people who showed up to hear him was inspiring. Watching the coverage afterwords, however, I've noticed that both CNN and MSNBC have suggested that the tone of Obama's speech and the general demeanor of his trip in general could be "used" by the Republicans to show that Obama is arrogant and already acting like the Commander in Chief.
I don't get this, at all. How is that going to be a valid criticism. How else could a contender for the presidency act? You go overseas to show the world and folks watching back home how you will differ from your opponent and how you will differ from your predecessor. Can you imagine McCain drawing the kind of numbers Obama drew in Berlin, were he to give a similar speech? I doubt it. This trip is proving to be disastrous for Republicans who tried to "force" Obama into going overseas in the first place. We get that the Iraqi government agrees with Obama's Iraq policy and now we have this Berlin speech, which will further motivate Obama's base and perhaps lead some people on the fence to view Obama has having confidence not arrogance. Hopefully, anyway. I doubt it'll convert anybody who resolutely thinks McCain has more foreign policy knowledge and expertise than Obama. But those people are fucking nuts, anyway.
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