American Idol German Edition: Mr. Obama Goes to Berlin.

Barack Obama’s upcoming visit to Berlin seems to have generated a fervor that is akin only to the frenzy of delight that swept the United States when the Beatles came to play Shea Stadium.

Der Spiegel’s current cover displays a photo of the favoured Democrat and states “Deutschland trifft den SuperStar,” which basically translates as “Germany meets the superstar.”

The Main Event

This Thursday the Democratic nominee for the Presidency of the United States will speak in Berlin. Der Spiegel has speculated that the speech will draw between 10,000 to a million spectators eager to hear from the man often referred to in the local press as an “American Idol.” (And, in fact, I’m trying to decide whether or not to take my four-year-old on a five hour train trip to experience this rather historic moment- given her precocious nature I’m thinking likely not. Last thing I need is for her to bite a secret service agent in the ankle…)

A Little Background

Historically speaking, this is another opportunity for Obama to solidify the parallels between himself and JFK. This is his chance to present himself as the man who can bring hope for a new, shiny and improved America- a Camelot redux.

As noted on the Deutsche Welle website, Germans in particular but Europeans as a whole are eager for a change from the current American administration. German citizen Monika Staffel was quoted as stating:

We are waiting urgently for change because Bush has caused a loit of damage in the world…Now we want to know more about Obama’s positions….”

An Important Precursor: JFK’s Speech in Berlin

The speech in Berlin – perhaps expertly crafted by the ever-brilliant Theodore Sorensen- is a chance for Obama to recreate and perhaps surpass one of Kennedy’s greatest triumphs.

On June 26, 1963, John F. Kennedy gave what became known as the “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech shortly after the East Germans erected the Berlin Wall, dividing the city, already a bohemian island in the midst of the austere East, completely in two. In an inspiring oration, the young American President let it be known that the United States would not abandon Berlin to Communism. It was a message of defiance and a message of hope.

[Unfortunately these days it is also known primarily for the fact that by saying "ich bin ein Berliner," Kennedy accidentally labeled himself a jelly doughnut. "Ein Berliner" is a jam-filled pastry. He meant to say "Ich bin Berliner," which means "I am a citizen of Berlin."]

Obama and the Kennedy Connection.

Ever since the Kennedys and the Clintons began battling for the soul of the Democratic Party like the Jets and the Sharks, it seems that the Massachusetts clan has done whatever it can to draw parallels between Obama and JFK. As the blog Politico noted back in January, when Senator Kennedy and Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg endorsed Obama:

“Caroline Kennedy said there was ‘one candidate who offers the same sense of hope and inspiration’ as her father.”

And now the stage is set for an exciting, dynamic young candidate with a gift for oration to recreate a triumph belonging to another exciting, dynamic young politician with a gift for oration.

The Setting for the Speech

However, unlike JFK, Obama will not be allowed to speak at the Brandenburg Gate as Kennedy (and later Reagan and Clinton did) because he is not yet President. Instead he will speak at the Victory Column, the Shining, golden angel that watches over Berlin (the one on which the angels perch and watch over the city in the gloriously moving and beautiful film Wings of Desire- Wim Wenders’s love letter to Berlin.)

[Though historically the Victory Column is considered a representation of Prussian military might- perhaps not the ideal subtext for this speech.]

Why It is a Brilliant PR Move

With Obama’s recent repositioning on certain issues at home having led to serious criticism (from sources like The Huffington Post), the first tarnish on a golden reputation and repeated questions raised about his foreign policy experience, the candidate’s visit to Europe could not come at a better time.

He is being received with adulation. He will demonstrate how he can revive the United States’s declining world reputation. He may in fact prove to be the ultimate American idol.

Do you think a European success will silence critics at home? Do you think that it will matter? And do you think that, unlike JFK, Obama will craft solid policies and strategies as President, and not just prove to be a stylish, smart and well-spoken example of style over substance?

Myself- I am very much hoping that the answer is yes- that the man of the moment is the man of the future. Fingers crossed.