Well I've just gotten home from the Obama rally, followed by a stop at the movie theater at Sony Center. I want to diary my experience at the rally and share some eyewitness details for all of you who were not able to attend. I do apologize that I don't have photos, but by the time I got there it was too dark to use my iPhone camera...
We got the Tiergarten at 6pm, an hour before the speech was scheduled. The crowd already was wall to wall, and the wait to squeeze into the entrance for easily 20 minutes. Once in, we made our way through the crowd towards the front. There was a security area with metal detectors that we had to pass through to get to the area where you could see him with your own eyes.
The wait to get through the security screening was over 30 minutes. Everyone was sweating and bumping up against each other to push through the line and get into the secure area. Once we got through, we found a place where we could see the podium about 50 yards from where Obama would speak.
Much was made about the flags in another diary. About 15 minutes before Obama would take the stage, a group of about 3 people -- it looked to me like one family -- set down a large box, broke it open, and the had a handful of children help pass them out through the crowd. I don't know who these people were, but they did not seem like staffers. But certainly the flags were passed out all at once by this family. This is not to undercut the importance of this symbolism, but it was definitely a manufactured symbol.
Also, a lot was made in another recommended diary about shouting USA USA... this really was not a very big chant, it was said a few times, but not by most people. The more impressive chants were of "yes we can... yes we can," and in fact people seem disappointed that Obama did not use this line.
I want to point out these two things because I don't want anyone to get the impression that this was anything like a pep-rally for America. The speech was brilliant and the day exciting in other ways, but nothing like a sports show. Trust me, just last month I saw how the Germans cheer for sports, and this is NOTHING like it : )
But don't let anyone tell you this was a small crowd, or that they were not gushing with enthusiasm. People were climbing on top of the portable toilets and dumpsters trying to get a better view. The security would come over and make them get down, and then they would get right back up. At the end people were on top of street lights -- it was a profound display of excitement.
There was LOTS of English being spoken in the crowd, much more than normal in Berlin. And much of it was not with a German accent. I think that every expat and American tourist withing a 1 day train ride was at this event. Myself I am American living in Berlin and I was psyched that the campaign trail made it so close to my home, which I never expected this year!
About the speech.... Obama took the stage to HUGE applause, walked out there grinning ear to ear with this amazing smile and began speaking in this way that projects calm and intelligence... he really is an amazing speaker.
This speech was very good, but it was not as rousing as I had thought Obama speech would be. This was my first time hearing him speak in public, and I expected to get a "shiver down my leg" like good old Tweety. This did not happen, and it lead me to thinking that maybe he was being restrained in his delivery. I have seen highlights of the speech, and yes, it is the same event, but the experience of it there compared with seeing just selections of the moments that get the most reaction is quite different.
The moments that got the most out of the crowd were when he spoke about a nuclear free world, and even more when he spoke that America would follow Germany in helping to reduce carbon emissions... that one really set the crowd off. After all, this is country (Germany) that does more than its share to reduce energy use.
The only interruption was a man who started shouting in German to end the death penalty, holding a sign, in English, that said "End the Death Penalty." He was escorted out by security with no further incident or violence. No signs were allowed into the event, so anything that was displayed was smuggled in people's clothes or bags.
About the subject of the speech itself, and you can read the whole text here) :
By bringing up the airlift in the beginning and then bringing it back several times throughout the speech, Obama was clearly emphasizing the history of what can be done when the US and Europe work together. While he did not explicitly call for European countries to commit troops to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, this was obviously the not-so-subtle subtext.
But my country and yours have a stake in seeing that NATO’s first mission beyond Europe’s borders is a success. For the people of Afghanistan, and for our shared security, the work must be done. America cannot do this alone. The Afghan people need our troops and your troops; our support and your support to defeat the Taliban and al Qaeda, to develop their economy, and to help them rebuild their nation. We have too much at stake to turn back now.
I thought this was brilliantly done, because, make no mistake about it, there is not much sentiment here in Germany (at least amongst those I talk to) wanting to commit troops to either of these wars. But Obama's speech, starting with the airlift and then moving to working together, was really like saying "we had your back before, and we need yours now." I don't know if this will really effect public opinion in Germany on this subject, but it was an effective argument.
Another brilliant piece of the speech was when Obama acknowledged that America had not "perfected" itself -- this was the only moment which drew laughter from the crowd. But he then spun this immediately into a defense of America, affirming that "I still love my country." Then, speaking directly against the ramant anti-American sentiment in Europe, he reminded us of the role that America can play when working for good:
But I also know how much I love America. I know that for more than two centuries, we have strived – at great cost and great sacrifice – to form a more perfect union; to seek, with other nations, a more hopeful world....Those aspirations are bigger than anything that drives us apart. It is because of those aspirations that the airlift began. It is because of those aspirations that all free people – everywhere – became citizens of Berlin.
Again, by bringing back the airlift Obama was stressing America's positive influence on history, and the fact that our country has made sacrifices that have served the good of the greater whole. Now I know many of you, myself included, that would pick 10's maybe 100's of instances of American foreign policy in recent history (particualrly in Latin America and the Middle East) that were not in service of the good of the greater whole. But Obama was speaking to the potential of America -- the Yes We Can -- reminding people both here in Europe and back in America what we all love about America, and how important it is to set us back in the right direction.
I could not help but think that this defense of America was definitely intended to be broadcast back home. Obama came off a defender of America's greatness, while still able to acknowledge our recent failings on Iraq, Guantanamo, etc.. Obama even took it upon himself to stress the importance of working with the majority of Muslims who oppose violence. My friend at this point turned to me and said, cynically, "I think he should have stuck with 'smoke them out.'" Time will tell.
All in all, the speech was very good, though I remain convinced that he is saving the "thrill going up my pants" rousing speech for the convention. I think this man will be the next President, but it was also clear today the way he spoke to an international crowd about global Citizenship; the way that he was able to connect with people from completely different countries and backgrounds; the way he is able to frame deeply troubling things like Iraq and torture in a way that stresses working together and optimisim -- if there is anyone who could be elected President of a world Government, this is the man.
UPDATE: I forgot to mention a fun little detail -- someone had come to the rally and littered the ground with pro-Hillary literature, demanding (in English) that they keep her on the ballot at the convention!!! Another reason I wish I had a good camera, I could have taken a photo of this piece of crap, totally dirtied with footprints! That would go over well here....