He wasn't physically there last night, but Barack Obama was very ably "introduced" to the members of Democrats Abroad Belgium (DAB) by one of our number, John-Paul Bernbach, who joined the Obama bandwagon as soon as the Illinois Senator announced his bid for the White House. The room was filled by those of us who took a bit more time to rally to the cause, and JP's presentation, I hope, will also have provided lingering Clinton supporters in the room ample reason to justify their jumping on board.
Though people availed themselves of the good Belgian beer at the hotel bar, it wasn't a "victory party," and there was no gloating or untoward triumphalism evident over the events of last week. DAB Chairwoman Faustina Mercado-Sandoval set the tone with a very appropriate Hillary Clinton quote from last Saturday's concession speech:
So I want to say to my supporters: When you hear people saying or think to yourself, If only, or, What if, I say, please, don't go there. Every moment wasted looking back keeps us from moving forward. Life is too short, time is too precious, and the stakes are too high to dwell on what might have been. We have to work together for what still can be. And that is why I will work my heart out to make sure that Senator Obama is our next president.
With that conciliatory admonition from Senator Clinton, we Democrats in Belgium set to learning more about our candidate. And JP Bernbach did not disappoint.
It reminded me of the Boy Scout motto: "Barack Obama is: Pragmatic, Non-Ideological, an Organizer, a Real-Politic politician, etc." JP did well to remind us of these aspects of our candidate, since there's a danger in his being (rightfully) renowned solely for his oratory. There's a lot of senatorial substance behind the way with words, as we heard last night. And years of experience in politics, at local, state, and now Federal levels.
Naturally for a group of expatriated Americans, the audience was best informed on foreign policy issues (interestingly, at the very time we were discussing international issues in Brussels, back in the US both Democratic and Republican candidates were concentrating on economic themes, which may have more resonance with voters). There was concern over the Bush Administration's apparent desire to use "Status of Forces Agreement" negotiations in Iraq to form a secret "strategic alliance" that would complicate withdrawal plans for an Obama Administration. It was no surprise that Americans in Brussels, home to NATO and the EU, would be more aware than many Americans of national security issues and relations with our European allies. Several work with US military personnel, and pointed out that the military vote is not a shoo-in for McCain. As Mark Benjamin noted in Salon a couple of months ago, at the height of the "3:00 AM" excitement:
Clinton has now turned the debate about commander-in-chief readiness into a contest of résumés. And the conventional wisdom is that John McCain -- ex-fighter pilot, former POW and war hero -- wins. But that's not necessarily the case, say senior military officials and political analysts. In interviews with Salon this week, several experienced military officers said McCain draws mixed reviews among military leaders, and they expressed serious doubts about whether McCain has the right temperament to be the next president and commander in chief. Some expressed more confidence in Obama, citing his temperament as an asset.
As long as Obama's calm temperament does not come across as aloofness, this may be an important ace up his sleeve in matters military and beyond.
Given the rampant speculation last week about Vice Presidential possibilities, we might have expected more Obama-Clinton ticket promoters in yesterday's crowd. Not really. The consensus seemed to be that a Clinton VP slot would load down the Obama campaign with problematic baggage, especially on the "Whither Bill?" question. There was more interest in a potential Clinton Supreme Court future (for life...) especially since, as JP pointed out, she has a long way to go in the Senate before amassing sufficient seniority for leadership positions.
I think we were very well served to have been treated to a "Getting To Know" evening, scheduled weeks before Barack Obama in fact became the uncontested Democratic candidate. JP's encyclopedic knowledge of Obama mirrors that of longtime Obama friend Cass R. Sunstein, whose article in the London Independent a few months back is the best one-page summary of the man who could be President:
The Obama we know is no rhetorician; he shines because of his problem-solving abilities, his creativity and his attention to detail. In recent weeks, his speaking talents, and the increasingly cult-like atmosphere that surrounds him, have led people to wonder whether there is substance behind the eloquent plea for "change" – whether the soaring phrases might disguise a kind of emptiness and vagueness. But nothing could be further from the truth. He is most comfortable in the domain of policy and detail. From knowing Obama for many years, I have no doubts about his ability to lead. He knows a great deal, and he is a quick learner. Even better, he knows what he does not know, and there is no question that he would assemble an accomplished, experienced team of advisers. His brilliant administration of his own campaign provides helpful evidence here.
JP Bernbach has not had the benefit of Sunstein's years of proximity to Obama, but I think that his reading of the man is as accurate. In all, it was a very nice follow up to last week's cessation-of-hostilities in the Democratic camp, and a great kickoff for the general election campaign to come.