If you play your cards right_其他_趣味英语-查字典英语网

If you play your cards right

For the Democratic candidate, who is still favored in the polls, this high-risk tour must convince voters that he has the stuff of a President - at least as much as former Vietnam hero John McCain, who presents himself as an expert in foreign policy.

In Berlin, Paris and London, “Obamania” has taken hold of the public. The young Black senator has seen his popularity ratings on this side of the Atlantic soar, because he embodies, better than his opponent, a break with George W. Bush. He will be greeted with great warmth.

This capacity to restore the image of an America that wants so badly to be loved is an electoral asset. Provided, however, that is doesn’t go too far: criticizing his country at home is one thing, doing so from abroad is another.

McCain is on the lookout and Obama is not immune to a faux pas, like the one he committed in June when he declared that Jerusalem should remain the undivided capital of Israel, before having to recognize that the issue could be settled only through negotiations with the Palestinians.

Before crossing the Atlantic, Obama prepared the ground. He knows that his views are often those of his European hosts. And this week, those views were clarified to appear more credible. The withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq he calls for was automatic and precipitated during the primaries. The same withdrawal is now mentioned with nuances and a degree of caution.

In Baghdad - if he is sincere - Obama should recognize that Bush's policy has finally achieved significant results. The troop surge of January 2007, when the Pentagon deployed 30,000 additional troops, has borne fruit. At the time, Barack Obama protested loudly while John McCain had reason to applaud.