The "Obama show," as one newspaper calls it, is set to take Berlin by storm on Thursday, July 24. But a small minority is questioning whether the Democratic candidate can live up to the hype -- or justify the costs. In the build-up to what is probably the most anticipated American campaign speech ever held on foreign soil, one of Berlin's main city magazines offered its readership cut-out American flags to wave at Barack Obama's planned address. The presumed Democratic nominee plans to arrive in the German capital on Thursday morning. Not much of his agenda for the day has been made public, but he is set to speak at Berlin's Victory Column -- formally the main site of the Love Parade -- at 7PM local time. Those who want to hear Obama live have been told to start arriving three hours earlier. Berlin authorities say that as many as a million people could attend. Four TV stations are broadcasting the entire speech, and the rest are scrambling to secure prime locations at the site.
In the build-up to what is probably the most anticipated American campaign speech ever held on foreign soil, one of Berlin's main city magazines offered its readership cut-out American flags to wave at Barack Obama's planned address.
The presumed Democratic nominee plans to arrive in the German capital on Thursday morning. Not much of his agenda for the day has been made public, but he is set to speak at Berlin's Victory Column -- formally the main site of the Love Parade -- at 7PM local time.
Those who want to hear Obama live have been told to start arriving three hours earlier. Berlin authorities say that as many as a million people could attend. Four TV stations are broadcasting the entire speech, and the rest are scrambling to secure prime locations at the site.
Cheering is guaranteed at Barack Obama's speech in Berlin on Thursday, but his campaign is still frustrated and nervous. His appearance in the German capital will be a major test for Obama -- and 40 American journalists will be there to report any faux pas he makes back to the US. Candidate Barack Obama's team has been driven to the point of madness by the debate about his upcoming speech in Berlin. Barack Obama's campaign is frustrated over all the vehement discussions about his speech in Berlin on Thursday. SPIEGEL ONLINE has learned that the recent criticism (more...) took the campaign by surprise and frustrated Obama's advisors. At first many Europeans complained about Obama not coming to Europe, but then the criticism shifted to his keynote address on the trans-Atlantic relationship -- and fears it might lack substance. The reaction has left members of his team frustrated. Although the discussions over where Obama will appear in Berlin are finally over -- he will speak at the Siegessäule, or Victory Column, at around 7 p.m. on Thursday -- another debate is already heating up. Is Obama using Berlin merely as another prop for his election campaign (more...)? In an editorial, theInternational Herald Tribune is demanding greater "sobriety" from Obama. The Economist is complaining of "disquieting signs of a tendency on Mr. Obama's part to tailor his message to whichever audience he is talking to." The magazine asks if one will be able to find any real clues from his talk about the future course of US policies in the speech. Others bemoan the fact that the senator isn't even bothering to make a symbolic visit to Brussels, the capital of the European Union. How can he truly be interested in positively transforming the trans-Atlantic relationship if he doesn't make a stopover in the city, they are asking? Paris and London are already frustrated: The two countries feel neglected because Obama is paying them only brief visits.
Cheering is guaranteed at Barack Obama's speech in Berlin on Thursday, but his campaign is still frustrated and nervous. His appearance in the German capital will be a major test for Obama -- and 40 American journalists will be there to report any faux pas he makes back to the US.
Candidate Barack Obama's team has been driven to the point of madness by the debate about his upcoming speech in Berlin.
Barack Obama's campaign is frustrated over all the vehement discussions about his speech in Berlin on Thursday. SPIEGEL ONLINE has learned that the recent criticism (more...) took the campaign by surprise and frustrated Obama's advisors. At first many Europeans complained about Obama not coming to Europe, but then the criticism shifted to his keynote address on the trans-Atlantic relationship -- and fears it might lack substance. The reaction has left members of his team frustrated.
Although the discussions over where Obama will appear in Berlin are finally over -- he will speak at the Siegessäule, or Victory Column, at around 7 p.m. on Thursday -- another debate is already heating up. Is Obama using Berlin merely as another prop for his election campaign (more...)? In an editorial, theInternational Herald Tribune is demanding greater "sobriety" from Obama. The Economist is complaining of "disquieting signs of a tendency on Mr. Obama's part to tailor his message to whichever audience he is talking to." The magazine asks if one will be able to find any real clues from his talk about the future course of US policies in the speech. Others bemoan the fact that the senator isn't even bothering to make a symbolic visit to Brussels, the capital of the European Union. How can he truly be interested in positively transforming the trans-Atlantic relationship if he doesn't make a stopover in the city, they are asking? Paris and London are already frustrated: The two countries feel neglected because Obama is paying them only brief visits.
Downing Street is dismayed that Barack Obama has agreed to meet Tony Blair ahead of Gordon Brown on his whistle stop tour of Britain. Mr Obama will fly into Britain on Friday for a meeting at his London hotel with Mr Blair to discuss the Middle East and climate change. He will meet Mr Brown the following day at Downing Street but has declined to take part in a televised press conference with the Prime Minister. He will appear instead on the steps of Downing Street with Mr Brown to answer a few questions. He will then meet David Cameron the Tory leader. The Democratic presidential candidate has given priority to Mr Blair, who he is expected to have breakfast or dinner with, because he is still enormously popular in the United States. Mr Brown, by contrast, is barely known across the Atlantic. The six-nation tour by Mr Obama has enjoyed saturation coverage in the American media. Mr Obama's advisers calculated that photographs and television footage breaking bread with Mr Blair would play much better back home than with the Prime Minister.
Mr Obama will fly into Britain on Friday for a meeting at his London hotel with Mr Blair to discuss the Middle East and climate change.
He will meet Mr Brown the following day at Downing Street but has declined to take part in a televised press conference with the Prime Minister.
He will appear instead on the steps of Downing Street with Mr Brown to answer a few questions. He will then meet David Cameron the Tory leader.
The Democratic presidential candidate has given priority to Mr Blair, who he is expected to have breakfast or dinner with, because he is still enormously popular in the United States. Mr Brown, by contrast, is barely known across the Atlantic.
The six-nation tour by Mr Obama has enjoyed saturation coverage in the American media.
Mr Obama's advisers calculated that photographs and television footage breaking bread with Mr Blair would play much better back home than with the Prime Minister.
Or just a sign that poodlehood is the main quality sought in European leaders? In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
