Yes, You Can!
Published in Wprost
(Poland ) on 6/29/2011
by Dominika Stylińska (link to original)
(Poland ) on 6/29/2011
by Dominika Stylińska (link to original)
Translated from
by Matthew Matyjek .
Edited by Mark DeLucas.
It’s a rainy Monday morning. A tall, slender, dark skinned man is heading towards the gates of the Presidential Palace. He is dressed in an Ermenegildo Zegna suit and is impeccably clean-shaven. Accompanying him on the way from the limousine to the gate are two agents of the Government Protection Bureau. Soon the man will be seated in a large leather chair and begin his work, ambiguous but so important to the lives of 40 million citizens. Who is this person? It is Barack Obama, the president of the Republic of Poland.
This fantasy can spark laughter and derision. Some might think that it would be impossible in a country “full” of conservatives and xenophobes. As unreal as it sounds, Barack Obama would have a real chance at the position of the president of Poland.
Barack Obama and the American Situation
It’s a rainy Monday morning, and a tall dark skinned man is heading towards the Oval Office. He sits down behind a large desk made of the best quality wood and reads correspondence sent to him from all corners of the Earth. Barack Obama is not a good president for the United States. He is a typical diplomat. It is hard not to imagine Obama as a pilgrim, albeit in expensive shoes. Circling the world in Air Force One, he exports his charm abroad, entrancing, among others, the Nobel Prize Commission with his lofty visions of world peace. What has the United States gained from this? Not much. Unemployment hovering near the very high 10 percent mark, the unsolved illegal immigration problem; these are not just Uncle Sam’s problems. The American president is not only incapable of handling the problems of the sluggishly recovering American economy, but he runs away from domestic politics. America needs an experienced and bold president. They need a politician who is unafraid of bold reforms.
That same Monday evening, the dark skinned man leaves the Oval Office.
Barack Obama and the Polish Situation
Surely, no one has to be convinced of Obama’s oratory skills. The president of the United States is a great speaker, uses a phraseology fit for kings, and often refers to great events in the history of other nations. Nothing connects the Poles and Americans more than nostalgia and historical megalomania. Obama knows that fact well. He tugs at the heartstrings with his patriotic raptures like an expert. He is a propagator of ideology, and knows how to sell patriotic ideology, the main American product. Poland needs such a president, especially with the parliamentary system we have in Poland. As the president of Poland, Barack Obama would fulfill his favorite role, a purely representative one, without having to search for ways to fix the economy.
Barack Obama’s Campaign in Poland
Barack Obama’s campaign is an example of a perfect campaign, both in terms of preparation and economic and ideological motivation. Using the Internet as the primary means of communication in a country of 10 million square kilometers was a very good idea. It is true that social media is a lot less popular in the country of the Vistula, and President Bronislaw Komorowski only had 16 thousand fans on Facebook. It is probable, however, that Barack Obama would be able to win the hearts of Polish Internet surfers. Poles are hungry for a fresh and innovative approach to politics. A year ago we were able to see that candidates had nothing more to offer than an official website and a disco-polo concert, otherwise known as more of the same. Polish political campaigns resemble an amateur MMA bout. The way by which Barack Obama cleared the hurdles in the race for the White House set a new standard for campaign excellence, both in the United States and in Poland as well.
Barack Obama and Polish Expectations
For the past couple of years, there apparently have been only two ways to vote: for the Law and Justice Party (PiS) or against it. Our country needs a solid alternative, any alternative, and the left-wing has not delivered. This is why Barack Obama’s views really wouldn’t matter in the race for Polish president. His political platform in the United States was designed to appeal as broadly as possible. Amnesty International liked his pledge to close Guantanamo, the greens liked his commitment to green energy, and the middle class, shocked by the economic crisis, supported a turn towards socialism. In Poland, any views not bordering on nationalism and xenophobia (especially towards Russians and Germans) would find mass appeal. Barack Obama could win the election without even presenting a specific platform.
The scene described in the first paragraph seems impossible and downright comical. A politician with such aspirations, such as Barack Obama, would not want to become the President of Poland and live in the Presidential Palace. However, if his re-election campaign in the United States fails, the Polish people would gladly open their doors. Barack Obama for Polish president! Yes, you can!
This fantasy can spark laughter and derision. Some might think that it would be impossible in a country “full” of conservatives and xenophobes. As unreal as it sounds, Barack Obama would have a real chance at the position of the president of Poland.
Barack Obama and the American Situation
It’s a rainy Monday morning, and a tall dark skinned man is heading towards the Oval Office. He sits down behind a large desk made of the best quality wood and reads correspondence sent to him from all corners of the Earth. Barack Obama is not a good president for the United States. He is a typical diplomat. It is hard not to imagine Obama as a pilgrim, albeit in expensive shoes. Circling the world in Air Force One, he exports his charm abroad, entrancing, among others, the Nobel Prize Commission with his lofty visions of world peace. What has the United States gained from this? Not much. Unemployment hovering near the very high 10 percent mark, the unsolved illegal immigration problem; these are not just Uncle Sam’s problems. The American president is not only incapable of handling the problems of the sluggishly recovering American economy, but he runs away from domestic politics. America needs an experienced and bold president. They need a politician who is unafraid of bold reforms.
That same Monday evening, the dark skinned man leaves the Oval Office.
Barack Obama and the Polish Situation
Surely, no one has to be convinced of Obama’s oratory skills. The president of the United States is a great speaker, uses a phraseology fit for kings, and often refers to great events in the history of other nations. Nothing connects the Poles and Americans more than nostalgia and historical megalomania. Obama knows that fact well. He tugs at the heartstrings with his patriotic raptures like an expert. He is a propagator of ideology, and knows how to sell patriotic ideology, the main American product. Poland needs such a president, especially with the parliamentary system we have in Poland. As the president of Poland, Barack Obama would fulfill his favorite role, a purely representative one, without having to search for ways to fix the economy.
Barack Obama’s Campaign in Poland
Barack Obama’s campaign is an example of a perfect campaign, both in terms of preparation and economic and ideological motivation. Using the Internet as the primary means of communication in a country of 10 million square kilometers was a very good idea. It is true that social media is a lot less popular in the country of the Vistula, and President Bronislaw Komorowski only had 16 thousand fans on Facebook. It is probable, however, that Barack Obama would be able to win the hearts of Polish Internet surfers. Poles are hungry for a fresh and innovative approach to politics. A year ago we were able to see that candidates had nothing more to offer than an official website and a disco-polo concert, otherwise known as more of the same. Polish political campaigns resemble an amateur MMA bout. The way by which Barack Obama cleared the hurdles in the race for the White House set a new standard for campaign excellence, both in the United States and in Poland as well.
Barack Obama and Polish Expectations
For the past couple of years, there apparently have been only two ways to vote: for the Law and Justice Party (PiS) or against it. Our country needs a solid alternative, any alternative, and the left-wing has not delivered. This is why Barack Obama’s views really wouldn’t matter in the race for Polish president. His political platform in the United States was designed to appeal as broadly as possible. Amnesty International liked his pledge to close Guantanamo, the greens liked his commitment to green energy, and the middle class, shocked by the economic crisis, supported a turn towards socialism. In Poland, any views not bordering on nationalism and xenophobia (especially towards Russians and Germans) would find mass appeal. Barack Obama could win the election without even presenting a specific platform.
The scene described in the first paragraph seems impossible and downright comical. A politician with such aspirations, such as Barack Obama, would not want to become the President of Poland and live in the Presidential Palace. However, if his re-election campaign in the United States fails, the Polish people would gladly open their doors. Barack Obama for Polish president! Yes, you can!