Obama comfortable as head of nuclear summit before world leaders

[babylonsister]

How refreshing-we have a real leader!


Obama comfortable as head of nuclear summit before world leaders

By Scott Wilson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, April 14, 2010

During his first year in office, President Obama was often best overseas when he was behind a lectern or onstage before a crowd with a microphone in his hand.

But in convening his first international summit -- the largest on a single issue in Washington history -- he focused more squarely on his relationship with world leaders. He slapped backs, kissed cheeks and met one on one with more than a dozen heads of state, leavening his appeal to shared security interests with a more personal diplomacy.

The approach marked a shift for Obama as he seeks to translate his popularity abroad into concrete support from fellow leaders for his foreign policy agenda, most urgently now in his push for stricter sanctions against Iran.

"He's in charge, he's chairing the meetings, and this is where his personality plays a big part," said Pierre Vimont, the French ambassador to the United States, who compared Obama's role during the summit to the way he led the bipartisan health-care meeting at Blair House in February.

"He does it very well," Vimont continued. "And he feels very comfortable doing it."


more...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/13/AR2010041302988.html?hpid=topnews

[ClarkUSA]

1. ""Many of those who attended were just happy to be in the picture with Obama."

Being the most popular leader in the world as well as being a "very pleasant person" - as per Russian President Medvedev - does wonders for President Obama accomplishing what has never been done before.

"He's never better than when he's the teacher," said a European diplomat, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the issue publicly. "Many of those who attended were just happy to be in the picture with Obama. I mean, he did get 46 leaders to Washington on a boring issue. That's pretty good.

<snip>

At the news conference, Obama called the day "enormously productive" and the summit itself "historic."

"So I'm going to keep on at it," Obama said. "But I think on all these issues -- nuclear disarmament, nuclear proliferation, Middle East peace -- progress is going to be measured not in days, not in weeks. It's going to take time. And progress will be halting.""

I am glad Americans elected President Obama by the largest GE margin of victory in decades. There's nobody else in the global politics who could have pulled this meeting off and gotten the results he did. This was his initiative from the beginning when most candidates were still saber-rattling. Between this and the START treaty, it's yet another campaign promise kept.

[4lbs]

6. I remember when Dubya was at it several years ago, most of them had a "Do I have to?" look on their

faces in group photos.

[ClarkUSA]

7. Yeah, right? BushCo = eight years of a nightmare, both nationally AND globally.

I am sure that very few, if any, world leaders are showing off their Bush-era group photos to their public.

[4lbs]

9. comparing...

[ClarkUSA]

10. Great photo contrasts! You should post an OP...

How about the time he couldn't find his way off the stage in China? It was like watching a bad sitcom skit.

[Captain Hilts]

2. He has the deliberate, thoughtful temperament that we want in charge of nukes.This conference played

to his - and now, our - strength.

It's all good.

[Tarheel_Dem]

3. What only three recs? Kick for the very capable leader of the free world.

:kick:

[Empowerer]

4. Remember when people questioned whether he had the gravitas to be a world leader?

To think that was less than two years ago . . .

[high density]

5. The Republicans are still calling him a community organizer

I guess they still want to continue to underestimate him.

[Cha]

12. The repubs never could keep up with the times..

President Obama went way past community organizer and is now a World Organizer.

:bounce::patriot::fistbump:

[high density]

14. World Organizer-- I like that a lot!!

:hi:

[ClarkUSA]

8. They were naive to underestimate the political force of nature that was, and is, Barack Obama.

;)

[Cha]

11. I'm so proud of him..and the other world leaders

appreciate him too.

[craigmatic]

13. he's a diplomatic genius and just natrually good at it.

Too bad the same qualities that help him do this with world leaders make him look weak when he tries to negotiate with republicans.

[Cha]

15. He doesn't look weak..the republicons look like

idiots.