Mandela: An Example and an Inspiration for Obama?

It is difficult to imagine that President Enrique Peña Nieto would invite his predecessor, Felipe Calderón, or any of his other rivals to join him on a trip to Johannesburg to attend Nelson Mandela’s funeral. However, providing a good example of a democracy that works or perhaps just a quiet tribute to the South African leader, Obama brought along the man who immediately preceded him in the job, as well as the woman who may succeed him in the Oval Office.

Former President George W. Bush and his wife and former first lady, Laura, as well as former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, considered to have the best chance of reaching the White House in 2016, accompanied the president and his wife, Michelle, on Air Force One to attend the mournful event.

Analysts believe that the 16-hour flight shared by these political figures gives strong testimony to Mandela’s influence on the lives of American public servants, who are trying to follow his example of reconciliation and unity in spite of their differences.

However, this is not the first time that an occupant of the White House has invited one of his predecessors to travel with him. In 1981, Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter flew to Egypt together for the funeral of assassinated President Anwar al-Sadat. In 2004, Bush and Bill Clinton went to Asia together to travel around the areas devastated by the tsunami. But given the current divisions in Washington and across the country, Obama’s gesture is highly significant.

Mandela’s funeral served as a rare opportunity for Obama to meet with most of the living former presidents, regardless of their party affiliations. Clinton traveled directly from Río de Janeiro, where he had been visiting; Carter, a close friend of Mandela’s, traveled on his own. According to his spokesperson, George H.W. Bush (the father), now 89, is no longer able to make long trips.

Obama is frequently compared to Mandela. They are both the first elected black presidents of their countries. Both received the Nobel Peace Prize and both governed and lived in countries marked by inequality and racism. For Obama, the deceased president of South Africa was his idol and someone who influenced him greatly. Having studied the speeches and writings of the South African leader as a university student, Obama noted that he couldn’t imagine his own life without Mandela’s example.

Obama said that on the day that Mandela was released after spending 27 years in prison, he understood what human beings could accomplish when guided by hope, not fear.

When Obama became president, Mandela had already retired from public life. However, during his last visit to Washington in 2005, Mandela wanted to meet the young senator who was making giant steps in his political life, so he invited Obama to his hotel. Today, a photo of that meeting is displayed in the private office of Obama, now president.

After that meeting, Obama and Mandela only had short telephone conversations, including in 2008 when the South African leader called to congratulate Obama on his electoral victory. Obama called Mandela in 2010 after a tragic car accident killed his granddaughter. In 2011, the first lady and her daughters, Malia and Sasha, visited Mandela in South Africa, but several months later when Obama traveled to the country, Mandela was already too weak and sickly to receive visitors.

The death of his idol comes at a time when President Obama needs inspiration to get his presidency back on track. It is a time of unprecedented political deadlock. Obama has a very low approval rating from the public and a very diminished possibility of achieving his campaign promise to end racial and class divisions.

According to The Washington Post, the public euphoria for the U.S. president displayed at the Soweto stadium (as well as during other international trips) shows that outside the U.S., Obama is still an inspiration. According to the Post, the way his speech was received may just give Obama the inspiration his administration needs to find new ways of dealing with political opponents.

The topic of Obama’s speech was political and personal reconciliation, the best example of which was his handshake with Cuban President Raul Castro, a moment which will certainly bring strong criticism from the Republicans. To be sure, there is no lack of attacks on the president — why Mandela’s funeral but not Thatcher’s? Did he go to South Africa to distract a frustrated American public from the failed health care law? And, if they only met once, how could Mandela have influenced Obama’s life so profoundly? Inspired or not, the president finds himself at a time when he just can’t win.