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American Politics Abroad: Obama’s Nobel Win

By Michelle Martínez, Gavel Media Senior Staff, on November 16, 2009 2:08 AM

By Michelle Martinez, For the Gavel -

A few weeks ago, all 30-something of us Boston College students in Madrid were assembled on a bus en route to one of our art classes in Toledo, when all of the sudden our professor grabs the microphone to congratulate us: Obama had just won the Nobel Peace Prize. Everyone’s first reaction was to applaud and be pleasantly amazed at our President’s achievement. This only lasted about two minutes when everyone started to look at each other and ask, “Wait, what?”

We probably all had the same experience with this event. When we logged onto Facebook, odds are that everyone had at least a dozen friends’ statuses read cynical comments like: “I’ve done the same for world peace as Obama has, so where’s my prize?” Once I read the news for myself, I also saw that many columnists, not just fellow Facebookers, shared similar reactions: What has Obama done that truly merits this recognition?

Whereas the vast majority of us were a bit confused, I wondered if Europeans were equally as befuddled or downright shocked. So I ventured off in yet another expedition to annoy people with political questions. The first victim this time around was my 22-year old roommate from the Canary Islands. I was surprised to hear that she had no qualms about Obama having won the Nobel Peace Prize. According to her, Obama inspires such confidence and hope, that he definitely deserved his award. This made me think, are we by nature or maybe even because of our perception of how others regard us, overly critical and skeptical of our own people and political system? And is this a positive thing?

As I had said before, Obama-mania is almost as present here in Europe as it is in the United States. During a recent weekend trip to Lisbon, a street vendor approached us, leather bracelets in hand, exclaiming: “Oh, Americans! Obama! I love Obama! I give you four for free, just because of Obama.” Obviously his offer was quickly modified into “Four for 10 Euro,” but his original statement certainly exemplifies what most of us have encountered in these months abroad. Whenever we introduce ourselves to someone by saying, “I’m from the US,” 95 percent of the time the response will have something to do with Obama.

The connection of Obama to Americans is probably better than our introductions met with “Bush?!” and a scoff. It is certainly doubtful that three years ago any American abroad would’ve heard “Americans?! I love Bush! I give you four for free!” Just the other day I was drowsily walking to get my morning coffee at my university campus when I was met with the image of Obama in a Superman outfit, advertising a lecture on “myths and truths.”

In a way, Obama is in fact a symbol to and for Americans nowadays, both in and out of America. But at the same time, there are moments when I feel that we’re either overly cynical of him or ignorant about him. A few days ago in my human rights class, I was surprised when a Spanish student quoted Obama’s speech at the NAACP Anniversary dinner in which he urged African American children to not strive to be Lil Wayne’s, but rather professionals. What shocked me isn’t so much that she knew, but rather that we don’t know.

In spite of our occasional cynicism towards Obama and his achievements, we cannot deny that with his electoral win, our policy and even our image from within and abroad have gone in a new direction. When it comes to Spain-U.S. relations, around a month ago, Zapatero and Obama finally sat down to discuss political matters, finally ending the cease in communication that had existed for more than five years between these two states. The local press focused on the subject, particularly quoting President Zapatero’s view that his “friendship with Obama is vital for millions of people worldwide” and that the United States has “always been the source of lessons to be learned about democracy.”

When it comes to the United States, Obama indeed was and still represents that hope and that change which we desperately needed in order to break away from the image of the US and our politics that Bush had left behind. At times it’s easy for us to forget just how ecstatic, and hopeful, most of us felt the moment Obama was declared winner and the moment he took office almost a year ago. But for the first time in a while, we have a leader that not only we applauded and whose victory we saw as a sign of hope, change and even historical importance, but one whose success and achievements resonate and continue to be appreciated all over the world.