Obama: "In no other country on earth, is my story even possible".

[denem]

Hyperbole perhaps, but in the case of Europe, he's right. France? Germany? Quite impossible. That IMO was one reason for reciting his full name to the Townhall meeting of young French and Germany students. They are all too aware of the challenges facing their own nations, and the EU as a whole, as anti-immigrant sentiment grows.

[guy]

1. Another way of saying...

"Only in America"

Which usually follows an absurd statement by uninformed person.

Case in point...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9o6LquMyLvU

[denem]

3. You tell me how Obama - mixed race, Muslim name would get elected in Europe.

In THIS case, it's right.

[guy]

5. He said "in no other country"

Not bashing Obama, in fact never will.

Just saying that "only in America" is almost always BS.

[Barack_America]

7. Certainly not in this instance, however.

At this point, a black man being elected leader of a European country is quite impossible.

I'm sorry, but it seems that you are either misinformed or uninformed regarding this topic.

[guy]

20. Wait a sec.

When Obama said "In no other country on earth, is my story even possible"

He wasn't specifically referring to Europe, he was referring to the earth, thats why he said earth. If we would like to narrow down his comment to a few nations on earth ...then it would make sense. But this isn't what he said.

And ...You won't get me to attack Obama, not one of those people. I am still floating on a cloud from the election, so much so that I joined a forum to talk about it.

[denem]

8. But I was specifically addressing Europe, and

his address to young French and German students. The first word in my OP was hyperbole.

[Kahuna]

16. Don't be so certain. Several nations have/had female leaders.

America is the only western nation to have an African American leader. So, in this instance, it isn't hyperbole.

[stray cat]

17. His story covers alot of territory as his story is that of a caucasian dominated country

[Aloha Spirit]

2. I definitely think that Obama is reaching out to the public just as much as he is to Eur. leaders.

Not sure what it means, but I get the feeling like public opinion has more impact on policy in Europe than it does here.
What do you think?

[denem]

4. He is reaching out to the young people in Europe,

aware of their sensibilities, and that GWB is the only real memory they have of an American President. And he started early, in Berlin.

[Zynx]

6. I also think he is correct. In very few other countries does a member of a small minority

become the leader of the country through a direct popular election.

[denem]

9. In the case of Europe it's white. Period.

[tocqueville]

14. pubic opinion ?

kinda vagina monologues I guess...

yes I know it's cheap but I couldn't resist

[Aloha Spirit]

18. harsh dude

pubic opinion favors more attention to diplomatic intercourse and immunites

[leftstreet]

10. Is there some context to this?

Did he mean because of his race? His working class background? Something else?

:shrug:

[Johnyawl]

11. Hyperbole?

Name a country anywhere in the world where this has happened.

Hell, I'm still in shock that it happened here.

[nevergiveup]

12. Me too!

I am still in shock. It is a good kind of shock but regardless it boggles my mind.

[Orangepeel]

23. when he said it during the campaign, it meant his whole story

ethnic minority, immigrant parent, parent who abandoned his family, raised by a single parent and his grandparents, family on public assistance for a while, scholarships to elite schools... the whole thing.

There were aspects of his life that made the odds stacked against him, and individual people, a government, and a voting population that gave him opportunities to succeed in spite of them.

That's how I interpreted the context of the statement during the campaign.

[AyanEva]

25. Exactly

And people keep missing this point somehow. :/

[tocqueville]

13. utterly wrong of course

and had been already widely discussed

1) France's black population is maybe 1% at most 1.5%. So the likelihood it produces a President is not impossible but very little. Besides most blacks here are of recent immigration, not been living there for 300 years or more.
2) France had a black president of senate already in the sixties (Gaston Monerville). He was the second in the power chain and would have replaced the sitting President in case of impeachment or death.
3) several top members of the current French government are coming from recent black or north-african immigration. Rama Yade,for example is young but is extremely popular and could run in the future (she even indicated that she would).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rama_Yade



4) Sarkozy is the first-generation son of an Hungarian immigrant that got his citizenship by joining the Foreign Legion and from is mother side from an old Greek sepharad Jewish family.

there is nothing "exceptional" with Obama's election to president, except that Americans made the right choice after years of errance. Remember that he had been elected by roughly half of the population which in theory could vote (which is one of the lowest rates of developed countries) and probably hadn't been elected if 80% voted as in other countries, this probably for racial prejudice.

so please bury American exceptionalism, it is getting rather annoying to be lectured by a system that has shown over and over its inherent failures. Rejoin the other kids on the block, as Obama does btw. It doesn't hurt and you'll be far more appreciated. And it doesn't mean that you cannot be proud of your own achievements.

[denem]

15. Thank you. I stand corrected.

[AyanEva]

19. I always thought...

that Obama was speaking of his specific situation, not the fact that there was a Black leader in general. The history of slavery in this country on top of the Civil Rights movement on top of the events of the last 8 years, among other things, creates a narrative whose specific details haven't been seen elsewhere. Nothing wrong with pointing it out if it's true. That's not to say that Black leaders haven't come to power in other places (as you've proven, they have) but not in a way that mirrors this specific set of circumstances in the US.

I'm not sure if I'm making sense...

[RoyGBiv]

22. You are making sense ...

And, I believe you are correct.

It's not about his being black, and those who focus on that specific aspect miss the point entirely.

[guy]

21. Thanks for post.

I was called misinformed, now I am waiting for an apology. Holding breath.

[denem]

24. Yep - I apologize.