In the last year, I've a couple of times been asked why "Europe" seems to be so much in favor of Obama (or against mrs Clinton). Every time, I've given the same answer, that Europeans aren't particularly interested in the primary campaigns in America, and that only the fewest Europeans are likely to have any opinion at all.

But after having thought about this again and again, and by now for quite a long time, I'm prepared to qualify that answer:

Yes, if it is true as I suspect that most of the Americans I've met working or studying in Europe are supportive of mrs Clinton, then they may have a point that mass media reports as they come through to their European audience may have not only a pro-Democratic slant, but also a slight tendency to treat Clinton in a more critical light than Obama.

Why that?


Ok, here is my theory:

First of all, women's equality is to a certain degree a passed issue for most people in Western Europe. Britain and Denmark have their queens, Finland its female president, like Iceland (1980) and Ireland (1990) have had. They have all been uncontroversial and rather successful. Germany's chancellor being female is no big deal at all, probably about as much an advantage as an disadvantage, which probably also could  be said about Berlin's queer mayor. No European feminists look to the United States for examples or hope.

On the other hand, advancing on the merits of one's husband is generally frowned upon. If people at all can relate to this, it only leads to unfavorable associations to South American and the Perons.

Secondly, Bill Clinton's merits are maybe not seen in as positive a light as among many U.S. Democrats. His personality worked splendidly with European counterparts and public, yes, that's true, but his government's policies towards Russia, Israel/Palestine, the EU, and Yugoslavia/Kosovo are particularly now in retrospect seen in an unflattering light.

If there is any ability that would be needed among the world's leaders in the next decade, be it then the ability to achieve compromises rather than procrastinations on fields important for our survival on Earth as well as for the world's peace. Hillary Clinton's personal record contains a failure, on what's here seen as a badly needed but very modest reform of a health care system that with its good care for the privileged reminds more about the Soviet Union than about any civilized country. Mrs Clinton is tested and has failed.

No-one can be blind for how the perceived differences between Western Europe and the United States have widened considerably since 1990. The run up to the invasion of Iraq made this particularly conspicious, and Hillary Clinton do maybe act as a personification of this, reminding about how also many Democrats in America have supported wars of aggression and other crimes. Obama's personality and his often repeated meme about America's need for a change do surely arouse a memory of better times.

People who have an opinion, like typically many journalists have, may also agree that it is high time for America to elect a president outside of the circles of white Protestant males. Given the size of the non-white population, the long presence of blacks in the country, and given the last years' anti-Muslim frenzy, it may be rather easy to put more hope into an unknown Obama - regardless of how little is actually known about him and what policies he likely will pursue if he gets elected.

But I'm sure peopel in responsible position brace themselves for the not unlikely election of McCain.