Obama's Berlin speech: History raises the stakes

Associated Press ^ | June 19, 2013 | JIM KUHNHENN

[presidio9]

Five years and 50 years. As President Barack Obama revisits Berlin, he can't escape those anniversaries and the inevitable comparisons to history and personal achievement.

His 26-hour whirlwind visit to the German capital caps three days of international summitry for the president and marks his return to a place where he once summoned a throng of 200,000 to share his ambitious vision for American leadership.

That was 2008, when Obama was running for president and those who supported him at home and abroad saw the young mixed-race American as a unifying and transformational figure who signified hope and change.

Five years later, Obama comes to deliver a highly anticipated speech to a country that's a bit more sober about his aspirations and the extent of his successes, yet still eager to receive his attention at a time that many here feel that Europe, and Germany in particular, are no longer U.S. priorities. A Pew Research Center poll of Germans found that while their views of the U.S. have slipped since Obama's first year in office, he has managed to retain his popularity, with 88 percent of those surveyed approving of his foreign policies.

Obama also has an arc of history to fulfill.

Fifty years ago next week, President John F. Kennedy addressed a crowd of 450,000 in that then-divided city to denounce the Soviet bloc and famously declare "Ich bin ein Berliner," German for "I am a Berliner." Since then, presidents from Ronald Reagan to Bill Clinton have used Berlin speeches to articulate broad themes about freedom and international alliances.

Obama -SNIP- will speak at the Brandenburg Gate, a symbol of Germany's division and later reunification. It is a venue that German Chancellor Angela Merkel denied him in 2008, saying only sitting presidents were granted such an honor.

-SNIP-

[zeestephen]

Wow - one thing sure jumped out at me.

The Associated Press called Obama a “mixed race” American.

Is the Mainstream Media finally retreating from its comical fantasy that Obama is the first “Black” president?

[Rocky]

Ich bin ein communist?

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

JFK Berlin speech error debunked;

http://urbanlegends.about.com/cs/historical/a/jfk_berliner.htm

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Something like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JduR-9sHk8w

[ex91B10]

That caught my eye also.

Maybe AP's pissed off about this administration grabbing it's phone records.

When the band plays "Hail to the Cheif", they're pointing the cannon at you.

[ronnie raygun]

He’s coming with a C30 transport full of obama phones. Some could actually be used as phones or traded in for cash to buy a luis viton bag or some heroin. Lucas and Spielberg will be on hand to computer generate the crowd he deserves.

[Diogenesis]

How appropriate. The world’s closet antiSemite,
and absolute Impostor, and violator of private conversations,
going to GERMANY ... to plan the destruction of freedom.

[norwaypinesavage]

"Some wag came up with the jelly donut jibe well after the speech."

Not true at all. If you say: "I am Danish", everyone knows you are a person from Denmark. If you say "I am a Danish", everyone knows that you are calling yourself a sugar coated breakfast roll.

In German, it's even more important to avoid the "ein" in "Ich bin ein Berliner". "Berliner" is indeed, one who was born in Berlin. "Ein Berliner" is just as certainly a Jelly Doughnut. "Ich bin Hamburger" tells us that you were born in Hamburg. "I am a hamburger" says......... Well, you figure it out.

[beef]

Actually, it is more like “Danish”, as in “I am a Danish” vs “I am Danish”. The correct way to say “I am a Berliner” is “Ich bin Berliner”.

[winodog]

They were there for a rock concert, not to see the magical mixed race negro

[freeangel]

“saw the young mixed-race American as a unifying and transformational figure who signified hope and change”

He was a black American four years ago, according to the writer now—he was mixed race and I’m sure he’ll be called white by the time he leaves office in disgrace. “Can’t have a black failure, can we?

[1010RD]

mixed-race

Which is it? Is he our first black President or just the darkest skinned to date? Liberals are so racist it isn't even funny.

[Elsie]

His 26-hour whirlwind visit to the German capital caps three days of international summitry for the president and marks his return to a place

where he once summoned a throng of 200,000 to share his ambitious vision for American leadership.

 

What a piker!!!

 

 

[a fool in paradise]

Who's playing the free concert necessary to attract a crowd of young people?

;

[Jeff Chandler]

If he wishes to emulate Kennedy’s speech he would more appropriately deliver it in Hamburg.

"Ich bin ein Hamburger."

[NFHale]

“...transformational figure...”

Ha!! I remember that phrase being thrown about everywhere, from all the good little totally interchangeable, completely replaceable liberal talking head sock puppets.

[NFHale]

Substitute “Arschloch” or even “Scheiße Kopf” for hamburger and he’d be right on the money.

[Luke21]

How did we know the Asspress would write such worshipful steaming drivel?

[hinckley buzzard]

No. West Berliners in 1963 absolutely got what Kennedy meant. They didn't care about the jelly donut pun. Those were times when they could see Soviet tanks across the street, with main guns aimed at them, and border guards with submachine guns glaring at them from the barricade. It was a different time and a different world.

[dfwgator]

Those were times when they could see Soviet tanks across the street, with main guns aimed at them, and border guards with submachine guns glaring at them from the barricade. It was a different time and a different world.

Yep....at least then we had a purpose and we stood for something. These days, I have no idea what we stand for.