Ich bin ein Dummkopf

Can someone explain to me what the hell Barack Obama is doing addressing a crowd in Berlin?

Was there an election that I didn't hear about - I swear I was paying attention to US politics, I thought I would've heard he won.

And I was also sure the Cold War finished back in 1989 - I remember writing a first year politics essay about it.

I have to say, this smacks as possibly the dumbest thing I've seen in a long while.

I understand he wants the whole JFK connection. But there are two important differences: when JFK went to Berlin and said "Ich bin ein Beliner" he was President of the United States, and he said it in West Berlin just after the Berlin Wall had been built.

In other words, the event meant something. His speech meant something.

This is just shite wrapped up in hubris, disguised as a "moment".

Sure his speech was good- nice words - but why in hell is he saying them in Berlin? If he wants to recreate JFK, here's a tip - first get fricken elected as President, then go where the US is involved in a war and make a speech to the people there that says the US will stick with them. That's right go to Bahgdad. Go to Kabul.

Giving a speech like this in Berlin when he's not even President is a crap, postmodern attempt at making history that just gives swinging voters in the US another reason not to vote for him.

It recalls how Gorbechev was wildly popular in Germany, and despised in the USSR.

Barack should get back to the US and look like he gives a damn about people, and actually thinks he needs their vote - this makes it seems like he thinks the whole democratic election process is just a dot the i and cross the t thing.

I remain to be persuaded that he is "the guy".