Obama's Tour De Force (At McCain's Urging)

I understand that Senator Obama is having quite a grand time of things on his trip to Iraq. It has to be the ultimate demonstration of being politically bullet proof: John McCain essentially told Barack Obama, "You can't talk about Iraq until you've been there," and Obama not only took his oponent's advice (or seemed to, anyway), but managed to turn the whole thing into the biggest and most successful political publicity stunt and media circus of the 2008 campaign so far... and now all John McCain can do is to try and complain about how he's not getting his fair share of the media's attention. I do feel bad for the guy: He really is holding a candle up against the sun.

(Just to add to his providential flair and political apotheosis, Obama got instant juice with the troops over by going 1-for-1 from behind the 3-point line.)

From what I understand, Obama is next expected to draw a crowd of 1 million people in Germany. I'm not sure, but I imagine that 1 million people would be the largest crowd in history ever gathered simply (voluntarily) to hear a politician speak... and dude isn't even from the country.*

Seriously: It's like he is only pretending (as are we) that he isn't yet President.

(Meanwhile...)

In Manchester last night, there was just one reporter and one photographer waiting for McCain as his plane -- a white, blue and gold Boeing 737-400 emblazoned with his campaign slogan, "Reform, Prosperity, Peace" -- touched down on the Wiggins Airways tarmac. The Vietnam War veteran limped as he made his way down the metal stairway, a leather briefcase in one hand and a cell phone in the other, and walked straight into an awaiting Chevy Suburban.

* Update: Apparently Kennedy's Berlin speech drew more than 1 million.