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Sunday, August 10, 2008
Andrew Young says Obama would herald an ecomonic upswing
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The election of Barack Obama would create an immediate economic boost for the United States, former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young told me this week.
Young, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and I chatted after he gave a speech to the Southern Regional Meeting of the National Council for International Visitors, an organization that promotes international citizen diplomacy. The group was meeting in Atlanta at the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel.
During his speech, Young gave a historical perspective of how he became interested in global issues and how he took advantage of his personal relationships with people of different countries to gain insights on international relations.
The only time he talked about current politics was in answer to a question about whether he felt the two presumptive presidential candidates —- U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) and U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Illinois) —- would support citizen-exchange programs like the International Visitors program.
Young said that although the two candidates are quite different, he believes they would support programs of citizen diplomacy.
Then after noting that he had been a supporter of U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton’s presidential effort, Young talked about reading Obama’s book that traced his upbringing —- son of a man from Kenya and a woman from Kansas; a mother who moved with him to Indonesia before Obama moved to Hawaii to live with his white grandparents.
“When I read that, I thought this boy has the DNA to be president,” Young told the audience. “That makes him much more acceptable to the rest of the world of any president we’ve had so far.”
After the speech, Young wanted to make it clear to me that although he had said something nice about McCain, he was supporting Obama.
The issue is sensitive because Young, along with many other leaders in the civil rights movement, strongly backed Sen. Clinton’s campaign instead of the popular African-American candidate.
“I think what disturbs people is that he (Obama) never was a black leader, but I see that as a strength,” Young said. “I’m going to do everything I can to help him.”
But Young said he has not reached out to the Obama campaign to officially endorse him.
“I want to maintain my freedom,” Young said, adding that he wouldn’t want anything he says to become an issue for Obama, as was the case with Obama’s former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
Wright made so many divisive comments that the senator eventually cut ties with him.
Young also said he understands why the Obama campaign would not want to be too closely identified with civil rights leaders and the historic black power structure.
“Just like John F. Kennedy had to distance himself from the Catholic Church, Obama has to be president of America and be a leader of the world,” Young said. “He’s no longer just a senator from Illinois.”
Although Young is not getting involved in the presidential campaign, he sees great hope in a possible Obama presidency, especially economically.
The best example was Obama’s recent trip to the Middle East and Europe, especially his talk to 200,000 people in Berlin, he said.
“If that was the excitement in Germany, can you imagine what it would be in Latin America, Africa and Asia?” Young asked, implying that the United States has not been popular abroad in recent years.
“The reaction to Obama demonstrates the kind of hope the rest of the world has in America.”
More importantly, Young strongly believes that the economic future for the United States is inextricably connected to the rest of the world.
“It’s technically impossible to be self-sufficient,” Young said. “In order to maintain our leadership in a global economy we have to work with the rest of the world. With the transfer of technology, we either lead the world or we get trampled by it.”
And because Obama would be welcomed by global leaders, Young believes his presidency would have a dramatic beneficial impact in the United States.
“Nothing would have more impact on the economy and the price of oil than his election as president,” Young said. “There would be a boost of 1,000 points on the stock market the first week after he’s elected. This would be better than a chicken in every pot.”
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