Obama/Biden vs. McCain/Palin

[Popeye_Card]

Yeah, just to clarify, I'm saying it doesn't have the significance to Americans it once did - to the Germans sure. Germans care about the Brandenburg but not Obama, Americans care about Obama but not the Brandenburg - is what I meant to say.

I gotcha now.

I agree. To the younger voters--whom Obama already pretty much has in his corner--they're not going to have a very good memory of the Berlin wall anyway (for example, Snayke not knowing what the Gate is). For the older folks, it's not going to change their minds any. None of the Reagan conservatives are going to make the connection between Reagan's speech and Obama's and suddenly like Obama--more likely they're going to be p.o.'ed that Obama tried to imitate him.

Moreso, if it's going to upset the conservative German leader(s), I wouldn't do it. Germany is perhaps the strongest member of the EU, and it behooves the US to be as friendly with the EU as possible in the next 10 years.

[clevername]

back to the Jackson things, I hate how these things get handled in the press by both sides.

The press catches something by accident, then sensationalizes it like these mythical politicians never talk like normal people talk to each other.

At the same time, Jackson's going to come out and say "I said that in private and I support Obama" and expect us to believe that the fact that he didn't think it would be caught on tape means he doesn't really think that way about Obama? It's silly. Own up to it and move on.

[doe_boy]

I really wish Obama would cut out this dramatic crap: link

He's thinking about making a speech at the Brandenburg Gate while he's in Germany. These grand gestures towards presidentiality are silly, premature, and arrogant.

Think he will mention jelly donuts like JFK did?

[G. Keenan]

It may warrant its own thread, but i'm really curious what jesse jackson's accidental "crude and hurtful remarks" about obama are.

We'll have to watch it TONIGHT! on "Hannity & Colmes."

What's the Bradenburg Gate?

I was going to reply to GKs post about Obama speaking there not being that big of a deal because the Bradenburg Gate doesn't have the significance it once had. And for Germans, I doubt it's a big issue either as Obama's own "significance" is still relatively small. Americans don't really care about their important guys speaking at an unimportant location, and Germans don't really care an unimportant guy speaking at their important location.

That said, I'd advise him against speaking there myself.

I'd say the Germans aren't exactly cool with it, at least their Chancellor isn't.

Thomas Steg, a spokesman for the chancellor, said Mrs. Merkel had “only limited understanding for using the Brandenburg Gate as an election campaign backdrop,” and that she had “great skepticism as to whether it is appropriate to bring an election campaign being fought not in Germany but in the United States to the Brandenburg Gate.”

As Mr. Steg put it, “No German candidate would think of using the National Mall or Red Square in Moscow for rallies, because it would be considered inappropriate.”

I think enough voting Americans know the symbolic significance of the gate. Obama making a speech in front of it just seems premature and presumptuous. Mainly though it just seems weird to hold a campaign rally abroad.

[Leroy]

Jesse Jackson wants to cut Barak's nuts off.

[clevername]

apparently. Of all the strange things I might have expected him to have said, it wasn't that.

It still doesn't matter and no one should care.

[sighyoung]

Jesse Jackson wants to cut Barak's nuts off.

That goes beyond a terrorist fist-jab d*** punch.

[Leroy]

I don't know if there is context to the cutting off of nuts.

Really, I just like typing 'cut his nuts off'.

[Leroy]

I don't know if there is context to the cutting off of nuts.

Really, I just like typing 'cut his nuts off'.

That's ok, I just like typing 'context'.

Different strokes.

[Leroy]

I don't know if there is context to the cutting off of nuts.

Really, I just like typing 'cut his nuts off'.

That's ok, I just like typing 'context'.

Different strokes.

Oh, so we're back to nut cutting, are we?!?

Nice jab.