Wings of Desire
Berlin is filled with historical backdrops well-adapted to political choreography. If the German press is correct, on Thursday evening Berlin’s Siegessaeule (Victory Column) will be the backdrop for a public 
speech by Barack Obama. Cameras will be rolling and thousands of enthusiastic and curious Germans will come to the large public space along June 17th Street between the Column and the Brandenburg Gate that has come be known as the Fan Meile. This is where thousands of soccer enthusiasts gathered during Germany’s World Cup in 2006 and watched games on huge outdoor screens. The largest screens were at the Eastern, Brandenburg Gate side of the Meile. This time, however, the crowds will be pointed westward, toward the golden Column — reportedly because Chancellor Angela Merkel did not like the idea of candidate Obama using the Brandenburg Gate as backdrop.
Just as well. The Brandenburger Tor is by now so identified with Reagan’s “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” speech that the next-day commentary would have been more about comparing Obama to Reagan than to John McCain. Obama will need to come with his own memorable line without the backdrop of a Berlin Wall to help the make the point about freedom or Communist repression. After all, the Siegessaeule is all about 19th Century Prussian empire-building, although topped by a rather benevolent-looking angel.
The angels of political fortune seem to be looking down on Obama so far this trip — and the U.S.’ media angels seem to be following suit. Maliki’s open support for Obama’s withdrawal timetable was followed by the NYT declaring that Obama had thereby gained “a measure of credibility as a prospective world leader…” Not even Katie Couric seems to have gotten Obama off his game.
Back in the U.S., it’s still very early in the campaign — the candidates are not even nominees yet. And the polls are still quite close. But for McCain to be successful, he has to start having better weeks. One senses among 
Republicans a certain frustration that leads to exhortations to the party faithful such as the one seen here. $11 is less than even the average donation to Obama. What happened to the party of power?