It is clear to me how President Barack Obama will be viewed by most around the world when he leaves office…he will be respected and even beloved.
Oh the die has been cast, and despite the torrent of vitriol that is doled out to him by many in his own country, after he has achieved such notable accomplishments as saving the U.S. economy from spiraling into a second Great Depression (and, as such, saving the economic health of many nations around the world) and allowing tens of millions of individuals access to healthcare, the truth must be getting out overseas because Barack Obama, to the chagrin of many, is still well respected and loved throughout the world.
After going through another week of seeing the media and assorted politicians and pundits lambaste the President, it gave me a chuckle to see a segment on The Rachel Maddow Show, which spoke of the President’s visit to Wales.
As Rachel described this segment.
Rachel Maddow: One more thing about President Obama’s trip to Wales for the NATO summit, I just want you to see this....
(scene at summit as Prince Charles prepares to greet world leaders)
Rachel Maddow: this is just tape. This is in Wales at the NATO summit, Prince Charles hosting a reception for all the world leaders…. Including the Prince himself, standing at the door, greeting all the leaders one by one. They all make small talk and have long awkward handshakes. That’s the President of Slovakia he did the awkward handshake with.
Eventually there is Angela Merkel, there on the right, waiting next in line to go meet the Prince. It’s her turn for that long awkward handshake followed by small talk.
(Rachel simulates the voice of Chancellor Merkel with slight German accent)
Rachel Maddow: ‘Yes, weather’s great. How do you say Wales in German?’
Then the British prime minister is next in line after Angela Merkel, I think, we’ve got David Cameron coming in, right? They obviously [Cameron and Charles] know each other; quick bow then says hello—But then look what happens; look what happens when President Obama gets there…. One of these kids is not like the others.
Up until this moment the scene on screen had been quiet, polite, and lacking of energy. Suddenly, President Obama enters the scene. We return to Rachel’s narration.
Rachel Maddow: President Obama arrives and look what happens….
(The scene literally comes to life as the crowd behind the Prince, while he greeted dignitaries, burst into applause.)
Rachel Maddow: They burst into applause! (Rachel simulates voices in crowd) ‘Look, it’s him, it’s him!’ I don’t know why President Obama got the round of applause for his handshake with Prince Charles (she said in amazement, and slight laughter) unlike all the rest of them today. But if Barack Obama does want to run for office again after he’s no longer President, it sounds like Wales will be happy to have him....
And we’ll be right back.
This was quite humorous, indeed, and made me think, after his many attempts to humiliate the President over these past weeks on the issue of ISIS, as he has done every week since losing to the skinny kid with the great smile and big years, this must be good news for John McCain. I guess the lesson here is one of, “You can’t keep Obama down.”
AS for what he did in Wales, Friday the President announced the formation of a coalition to address the issue of ISIS.
The United States says it has formed a coalition of 10 countries to help in the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq.
The group consists of the United States plus Britain, France, Germany, Canada, Australia, Turkey, Italy, Poland and Denmark.
Reuters reports that in a meeting on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Wales, Secretary of State John Kerry said the strategy for the coalition was to contain, not destroy, the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL.
"We need to attack them in ways that prevent them from taking over territory, to bolster the Iraqi security forces and others in the region who are prepared to take them on, without committing troops of our own," Kerry said, according to Reuters. "Obviously I think that's a red line for everybody here: no boots on the ground."
McCain is pretty irritated by this as well, I have no doubt.