Charles Laffiteau's Bigger Picture
President Obama’s only public appearances on his weeklong European visit were the two he made in Ireland – his visit to his ancestral home in Moneygall, and his public speech later that day at College Green in Dublin. The primary purpose of his other stops in the UK, France and Poland was to reassure them that America’s longstanding alliance with Europe was still very important to him.
But in the case of Ireland, President Obama and other Americans’ obvious affection for the ‘old sod’ made such reassurances totally unnecessary. Rather, the real purpose of President Obama’s recent visit to the Emerald Isle was to remind the Irish people of how important they are not just to America, but to the rest of the world.
He duly noted the fact that he is one of the more than 40 million Americans with “blood links” to Ireland, thanks to over 150 years of Irish emigration to America. He joked to the audience in Dublin: “I’ve come home to find the apostrophe we lost somewhere along the way.”
But then President O’Bama went on to acknowledge Ireland’s broader contributions in the areas of food security, human rights and UN peacekeeping missions, by reminding everyone just how much Ireland also “punches above its weight” in the much larger global arena. I thought it was an excellent remark, as I think some Irish citizens may have forgotten this during the last three years of mind-numbing economic recession.
O’Bama’s speech on College Green included a message of hope for the future and solidarity with America. Just like you or I might tell an old friend going through tough times that we’re confident things will get better, President O’Bama told the Dublin crowd that “Ireland is a little country that inspires the biggest things. Your best days are still ahead.”
In an acknowledgement of America’s solidarity with Ireland and the Irish people, President O’Bama told the audience: “Our greatest triumphs, in America and Ireland alike, are still to come.”
He then closed his speech with a refrain that included the Irish translation of his Presidential campaign’s famous slogan: “Is féidir linn! Yes we can!”
Frankly, I was not at all surprised by President O’Bama’s rousing and inspiring speech. His oratorical and rhetorical talents are well known and well documented. I’ve also been fortunate enough to have been present for a few of his best speeches, some of which were very inspirational, while others – such as his 2009 inaugural address – were much more sobering.
But as an American who has also been a keen observer of President O’Bama’s demeanor and behavior in both triumphant and trying moments, I was struck by how relaxed and at home he seemed to be throughout the entire visit. I observed some of this in person at College Green, and witnessed other moments thanks to the wall-to-wall television coverage.
Maybe I’m totally wrong about this and I was only seeing a great acting performance in front of the ever-present TV cameras. Regardless, I still had a very palpable sense that O’Bama was in fact very relaxed and at ease while he was here in Ireland, more so in fact than at any other time I have seen him since he became President.
Even before he was elected President, I never him wade into a crowd of onlookers shaking hands and hoisting babies with the same kind of sheer joy and abandon that I saw him display on the streets of Moneygall. Furthermore, although I have seen him order and drink a beer before, I have never seen the O’Bama order another round and make a point of paying for it. Was that simply a reflection of the taste of a Guinness, or of a man who felt at home even though he was among strangers?
President O’Bama also appeared to be just as relaxed and among ‘old friends’ following his speech at College Green. He didn’t just spend the obligatory time shaking hands and posing for pictures with the guests on the stage behind him – he then went down to the crowd and shook hands with as many people as he could there as well.
Indeed, time seems to stand still when you are truly at home and with your friends.
Charles Laffiteau is a US Republican from Dallas, Texas who is pursuing a PhD in International Relations and lectures on Contemporary US Business & Society at DCU.
