Much is Unrealistic

The enthusiasm for Obama might turn out to be overdone, says Karsten Voigt, Federal Coordinator for German-American Cooperation. An interview.

Zeit online: Mr. Voigt, you are a Social Democrat. Which candidate for US President would you prefer. Certainly the Democrat Barack Obama?

Voigt: As a representative of the German government, I’m neutral. But naturally I’m closer personally to Barack Obama and his platform than I am to the Republicans. In spite of that, the issue isn’t so simple. I’ve always taken a critical stance to the current president, George W. Bush. That said, I feel German reaction to Bush was over the top. It has been full of prejudices. These days, I often see myself in a position where I feel it necessary to warn against overly high expectations when it comes to Obama. I fear some unrealistic expectations might lead to new frustration and disappointment if they aren’t fulfilled.

Zeit online: Would you have preferred Hillary Clinton as the candidate?

Voigt: I was undecided in the beginning. Their platforms don’t differ very much. But the way Clinton waged her campaign lessened my sympathy for her. The fact that she couldn’t come to grips with defeat until the very end disappointed me. I found the primaries themselves fascinating. On both sides, the candidates who were originally not the favorites and who had less money at the start emerged victorious. That, too, contradicts our popular cliché that American elections are decided by big money. Instead, small money from numerous individual donors and the efforts of hundreds of thousands of door-to-door workers proved decisive. What we witnessed was truly a pure democratic process.

Zeit online: Obama is often compared to John F. Kennedy. Is that justifiable?

Voigt: For me, he’s a combination of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King. His rhetoric is reminiscent of King, but when he speaks of renewal, it’s reminiscent of Kennedy. On the other hand, we shouldn’t forget that the Clintons engendered similar expectations during Bill Clinton’s campaign. Mrs. Obama, by the way, could also be an interesting First Lady. She is a very independent personality and has her own point of view.

Zeit online: Which expectations for Obama do you find unrealistic?

Voigt: Well, for example, there might arise a situation where Obama also doesn’t seek UN Security Council approval before deploying troops somewhere. If Germans don’t see that, they’re unrealistic. In congress, few people would understand if Obama did something out of the ordinary. In the US Constitution, unlike the German constitutional Basic Law, there is no provision placing individual rights before national rights. On the contrary, there’s a close connection between national sovereignty and democracy. Congress therefore finds it difficult to delegate authority to international organizations. Because of that, it will always be difficult for the US congress to get a majority in favor of an international criminal court or international agreements on environmental protection or the like. Even in an Obama administration that can only change gradually at best.

By the way, many Americans – Republicans as well as Democrats – had similar unrealistic hopes for Angela Merkel’s administration, just as many Germans now have regarding Obama. Later they realized not much changed significantly. For example, Merkel criticized Russia while at the same time continuing close cooperative ties with Moscow. Also, in our case, in certain political questions there exists a consensus that crosses party lines, if one doesn’t include the Left Party. An American consensus exists, for example, that the US wants to be a world superpower. And there’s a certain missionary zeal that will never disappear from American foreign policy because Americans see their country as an idea, not just as a power.

ZEIT online: Will the new American president require more from Germany regarding the deployment of troops to foreign countries?

Voigt: John McCain and Obama both will pressure the Germans on Afghanistan, including German military engagement in the south of the country. That won’t unleash a lot of delight on the German political scene. Both say they will expect more from the Europeans. They haven’t done it yet, not because they think we’re so nice but because they’ve made it a campaign promise. When it comes, we will have to decide then how we want to react.