Postcard from the Summit

Dear Nationistas,

I can't honestly say that covering the G20 from the inside was fun or that I wish you'd all been there, cooped up (if not exactly "kettled") inside the bleak cavernous expanse of the ExCel Centre. The main problem was not the venue, though the unfailingly amusing Tory columnist Andrew Gimson spoke for most of the press corps when he said that the ExCel, a conference hall about as close to the center of London as The Meadowlands is to Times Square, "felt like a cross between a high-security prison and one of the less charming provincial airports." And that was before the hour-long queue to be allowed to leave the building. No, the real difficulty is that the media at a summit are like eunuchs in a harem--however luxurious the perks, we never get anywhere near the action.

This morning's papers will be full of big numbers: $1.1 Trillion according to the FT, President Obama's "$2 Trillion in global fiscal expansion", $5 Trillion according to the rather more optimistic accounting of host Gordon Brown. But the devil is in the details, and so far no one knows (a) whether any of these save-the-world stimulus dollars are new money (b) where most of these funds are coming from. What we were told--$100 billion for the IMF from Europe, another $100 billion from Japan--suggested that a lot of this money had been already been committed weeks, even months before the G20. China's $ 40 billion contribution was new, but the amount, less than some had predicted, was seen more as an expression of Chinese annoyance with still being excluded from the top table at the IMF and the OECD than as an endorsement of any global pump priming. Nor (c) can I report the details of whatever deal--or diplomatic magic--persuaded French President Nicholas Sarkozy not to take his bat and ball and go home as he reportedly threatened to do if Obama and Brown didn't agree to a more dirigiste approach to international banking. (Though Obama might well have been sympathetic, that was always going to be a tough sell for the British. It was hardly the balmy climate--or even the much-improved local cuisine--that lured the world's bankers to London in the wake of Thatcher's de-regulatory Big Bang)

What I can tell you is that while we waited for the communique to come down from the mountaintop reporters feasted on fresh soup and sandwiches and stale rumors. Did the late arrival of Sarkozy's personal make-up artist, reportedly held up by security aboard a press bus, really so delay the leaders' group photo that the Canadian Prime Minister, unable to wait any longer, ended up in the toilets (and out of the picture)? Would the French and Germans issue a minority report? Had Alistair Darling, Chancellor of the Exchequer, really smuggled a live duck into the proceedings? (That one at least turned out to be a joke.)

Maybe it was enough that, unlike the London Economic Conference in 1933, when irreconcilable differences between Europe and the US pushed the world further into depression, this summit ended with smiles all around. "Today begins New Labour's next great leap forward," said Peter Mandelson, Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory reform who, before he returned to government was famed--and feared--for his mastery of spin. Indeed the sight of Lord Mandelson darting from one group of bored hacks to the next during the endless afternoon, bestowing an apercu here, a witty remark there, was for some the highlight of the day's entertainments. "Are you an important American," he asked me, and being assured I was not swiftly moved on to greener pastures, leaving only the faintest whiff of sulfur in his wake.

My own sense is that the real interest at the G20 lay at the margins--or outside the hall altogether. Police thuggishness against the obviously peaceful climate campers will doubtless radicalize some. And though the Western press seemed not to notice, Obama's colloquy with a reporter from the Times of India was more than just a display of Presidential charm. Calling Manmohan Singh, who is in the midst of a tough election battle at home, "a very wise and decent man, [who] has done a wonderful job in guiding India, even prior to being Prime Minister, along a path of extraordinary economic growth that is a marvel, I think, for all the world" was an extraordinary endorsement from one leader to another--and one that Gordon Brown probably envies.

Being in the room while Obama fielded questions with the grace of Willie Mays roaming the outfield was, I must admit, very satisfying--and I suspect that even American expats who don't share the Nation's politics share my relief at no longer having to be ashamed of our president. But the most interesting part of the whole experience for me had nothing to do with Obama, or Gordon Brown, or even the financial crisis. Rather it was the conversation I had with Cheryl Contee, a young blogger at Jack & Jill Politics, a website which offers "a black bourgeoisie perspective." Listening to her explain not only her own, and her readers', stake in the new president's success, but also watching as she and her friend Sam Graham-Felsen (a former Nation intern!) managed to cover the entire proceedings, live and in real time, from their laptops, was both fascinating and humbling. Here, I felt, was the antidote to all the big-foot media posturing that events like the G20 seem designed to feed. Of course the problem of how to get beyond the shiny synthetic surface of the day's events remains. Nor, even after their patient tuition, am I sure I really get the point of Twitter. But if a way can be found to harness the technological brio of these web 2.0 journalists with the sustained attention and skeptical analytical rigor of old-school--I might even say I.F.Stone-style--investigative reporting, then our fourth estate might yet have a new lease on life.

Comments (20)

1. Interesting to watch the cult event this morning, otherwise known as the "Obama Townhall meeting".

   What is evident is:

   1. Obama thoroughly enjoys his cult like following and is the one perpetuating it.

   2. The hypocrisy of the European and American students. They wildly cheered statements from Obama that when he repeated some of the same things Bush said about issues like the war on terror.

   3. While some in the media marvel at the "way Obama looks presidential", I see just the opposite. He acts more like a popular professor as in the way he conducted himself in the townhall event. He did not act like a president and with any sign of respect for the dignity of his office.

   4. He appears more and more to be someone that craves not only acceptance, but adoration. That is dangerous for America

   Posted by antisocialist at 04/03/2009 @ 09:11am

2. The "cult" of Obama, as you call it, "antisocialist," can be easily explained. Obama is articulate, speaks in complete sentences, and makes sense. For people who can distinguish these things from G. W. Bush's mangled grammar and malapropisms (and this group does include quite a few journalists, as it happens), it is still a tremendous relief to hear that our president now knows how to talk. But for people who really haven't mastered the fine art of verbal articulation themselves, the popularity of Obama with respect to Bush remains mystifying.

   Not whether a president "respects" his office, but whether he handles it well is what matters. If you look cool while you're handling things well, it enhances your image. If you look cool while you're screwing up, it doesn't. For a while, G. W. Bush was cool -- he was the man the US-American electorate wanted to have a beer with (although he is a teetotaler), and he seemed to be handling things well, provided that we didn't look too closely. Bush's behavior didn't change after it became obvious that he was screwing up, but people's interpretation of this behavior did. It was at this moment that his coolness changed to callousness and became that cardinal sin for a politician, being "out of touch."

   I have no doubt that some of Obama's "coolness" will soon come to be regarded as callousness, particularly in regard to the bank-industry bailout. But even this damage to Obama's image can be repaired. Obama's plutocrat-friendly Geithnerism is still more strongly associated in the public mind with the more consistently plutocratic party, that is with the Republicans, than it is with Democrats. It may soon be regarded as one of Obama's concessions to the old guard. Let us hope it will be one of his last.

   Posted by JakobFabian at 04/03/2009 @ 09:46am

3. Another thing that gives me confidence about Obama is that he is capable of projecting many different emotions. G. W. Bush could do only pride, confidence, and swagger, and when he got into trouble, he could not adapt. Obama can project all the emotions that Bush can, but he can also project humility, pensiveness, and even contrition. "I think I screwed up," he has already said, on one occasion, deftly striking the keys of humility and contrition both at the same time, neither of which can be found on Bush's keyboard. With this broader range of emotional expression, Obama is capable of weathering storms of criticism that simply sank Bush's boat.

   Posted by JakobFabian at 04/03/2009 @ 09:54am

4. Well, antisocialist, regarding your cult conspiracy I suppose it's only a matter of perspective. Some see a massive evil cult and others are not so alarmist.

   You actually do make one hell of a point regarding point number 2. He does tend to make statements similar to Bush in regards to foreign policy sometimes, and when he does most "liberals" in the media tend to ignore it as these ideas are considered 'acceptable' to them. Substantive difference between the two is that the right wants to dismantle the middle class immediately, and the democrats want let it happen on it's own.

   As for your problem regarding point number 3, well that sounds more like some bizarre personal issue you seem to have. By any chance has a professor hurt or upset you in your past? Or are you one of those many people who like Nixon, take being passed over in life personally and nurse long term grudges against anyone who you think appears to coast by on charm?

   The MSM's 'honeymoon' of Obama has nothing to do with liberal politics or policies, it's more or less out of a stupid desire on their part to create a new sort of 'cult of consensus' which would fit the narrative they had been working to craft for quite a while.

   Your anger is justified in parts, I just feel it's misguided.

   Posted by reverbunny at 04/03/2009 @ 10:16am

5. Yes, COMRADE Obamanation was a big hit with Russian and Europeon Socialist governments and that was oratorially confirmed by the Russian President! Marx, Lenin, and Stalin would swell with pride at their convert!

   Posted by comancheamerican at 04/03/2009 @ 11:00am

6. 'Most of the facets of President Obama's personality that have made him intensely popular were on display last night during his second prime-time news conference, and so he emerged from it still every inch "President Wonderful," as it were, untouched and intact.' -- Tom Shales -- Washington Post

   Posted by HonestLiberal at 04/03/2009 @ 11:14am

7. The cult of Obama... OOOO... scarey...

   Just a capable caring mortal doing his best to restore the American dream... to a badly neglected democracy... by popular decree.

   The odd thing is... what a novelty it has become... to see a US president who invites and welcomes the intelligence of others, as well as their perspectives.

   A welcome new discipline indeed!

   Posted by ttr at 04/03/2009 @ 12:37pm

8. The cult of Obama... OOOO... scary... indeed!

   Posted by ttr at 04/03/2009 @ 12:40pm

9. Posted by snowball666 at 04/03/2009 @ 12:02pm | ignore this person | warn this person

   Hurl the Shoe at the Russian Pres. He admitted Obamanation was his new "Comrade"!

   Posted by comancheamerican at 04/03/2009 @ 12:52pm

10. The cult of Obama... OOOO... scary... indeed!

    Posted by ttr at 04/03/2009 @ 12:40pm

    well. we know it never scares those in the cult...

    Posted by antisocialist at 04/03/2009 @ 12:53pm

11. Overseas, Obama invited questions from his French and German audience heavily made up of students. Even though Obama talked about the event as a way to interact with young foreigners, he did most of the talking and took only a handful of questions.

    He held the campaign-like event in the midst of his first European trip as president as he sought to strengthen the United States' standing in the world while working with foreign counterparts to right the troubled global economy.

    He acknowledged "my French and German are terrible" but noted that translators were on hand. Much like during his presidential campaign, Obama paced the stage with a microphone, like a talk show host.

    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30025192

    And this is what excites some of you leftists?

    Posted by antisocialist at 04/03/2009 @ 1:12pm

12. Posted by comancheamerican at 04/03/2009 @ 12:52pm | ignore this person | warn this person

    And President Bush looked into Putin's soul...so what's your point?

    Posted by BizarroRio at 04/03/2009 @ 1:12pm

13. What is most remarkable to me - and I'm sure all of you - is the unfailing objectivity so clearly apparent in any comparison of our MSM's past coverage of Bush and current coverage of Obama..

    In fact, they could not be any more objective, unbiased or fair.

    (Instructions: Repeat this lie ~5,000,000 times.)

    Posted by freiheit1 at 04/03/2009 @ 1:26pm

14. Hip-ocracy: n., Rule by the most cool.

    Posted by Mistral at 04/03/2009 @ 1:32pm

15. The bottom line is this: Democrats love and adore Narcississtic-Sociopaths! Barack Obama is nothing more than an extremely articulate, cradle-to-grave empty suit. He's another in a long line of Narcississtic-sociopath's that the Dem's have elected. Bill Clinton, Gavin Newsome, John Edwards, Teddy " I got away with murder" Kennedy etc. These people crave power and adoration and nothing they do, criminally or immorally, seems to bother their liberal enablers! Scum!

    Posted by barry25 at 04/03/2009 @ 3:12pm

16. All that really matters is that we (the people) have a spokesperson for our funky country that represents better than the last eight presidents.

    Posted by truthandjustice at 04/03/2009 @ 3:51pm

17. 4. He appears more and more to be someone that craves not only acceptance, but adoration. That is dangerous for America

    Posted by antisocialist at 04/03/2009 @ 09:11am | ignore this person | warn this person

    Nah. The hoopla is more likely due to the fact Europeans haven't seen nor heard a Prez WHO SPEAKS THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE in a while.

    Posted by schnellerheinz at 04/03/2009 @ 6:47pm

18. Scum!

    Posted by barry25 at 04/03/2009 @ 3:12pm | ignore this person | warn this person

    This from the Party who put a dry drunk with father issues into office last time around.

    Posted by schnellerheinz at 04/03/2009 @ 6:53pm

19. The bottom line is this: Democrats love and adore Narcississtic-Sociopaths! Barack Obama is nothing more than an extremely articulate, cradle-to-grave empty suit. He's another in a long line of Narcississtic-sociopath's that the Dem's have elected. Bill Clinton, Gavin Newsome, John Edwards, Teddy " I got away with murder" Kennedy etc. These people crave power and adoration and nothing they do, criminally or immorally, seems to bother their liberal enablers! Scum!

    Posted by barry25 at 04/03/2009 @ 3:12pm

    All sound and fury...signifying nothing. Except maybe a coronary.

    Posted by erazma at 04/04/2009 @ 08:54am

20. Thank you, D.D.! It's worth hearing how far the reporters were from the action. Helps you know how to read the "news" reports that follow. Forty billion from China doesn't sound like a lot; they must make that much from an average shopping week at WalMart. It doesn't sound like it was worth a continuous live blog, so no point envying the Tweeters. Yes, no more cringing when the U.S. President goes abroad; that alone is worth the price of admission.

    Posted by RLawrence at 04/04/2009 @ 12:38pm