QUEEN ELIZABETH is a hard act to follow. But yesterday, in a fleeting visit to Ireland that had few of the formal trappings or historical resonances of the royal visit, President Obama certainly came close to a different audience, in different places, to pay homage to the political constituency of Irish-America.
Obama’s eloquence, self-deprecating humour, and patent empathy turned what otherwise might have been seen as pro forma diplomatic expressions of goodwill and shameless stroking of the national ego, turned into something heartwarming and inspiring. There’s nothing like welcoming one of our own back to the old sod, “to find the apostrophe we lost somewhere on the way”.
Ostensibly addressing the young people in College Green, and speaking largely about Ireland and its emigrants’ role making a reality of the American dream – “never has a nation so small inspired so much in another” – Obama’s master trick, and main purpose, last night was actually also to talk directly to the American-Irish community and to US voters.
In speaking of his newly found roots he laid claim to the constituency of “Kennedy, Reagan, O’Neill and Moynihan” ahead of next year’s election, and with humour disposed again of the conspiracy theorists’ “birther” myths. In reminding his audience of the contributions of immigrants of the past, he also made the case for his stalled immigration reform that will be an important part of the election debate. And the remorseless optimism of the “yes we can” mantra was as much about America’s own challenges, re-energising his dissipated youth base, as telling Ireland it could overcome the economic problems we face.
Obama reaffirmed, both in his speech and discussions with Taoiseach Enda Kenny, the welcome continuing US engagement with the peace process in the North – “we will continue to be there” – insisting that it “speaks to the possibilities of peace” elsewhere. His acknowledgment of Irish campaigning with the US on global food security was also welcome. In return the Taoiseach also took the opportunity to brief the president on the challenges faced by the Irish economy – help in the IMF no doubt welcome – and was quick to assure Obama that Shannon would remain open for US business.
If the purpose of the Irish visit was largely personal, with a serious domestic political dimension, the rest of Obama’s week is about high international diplomacy. It will be interesting to observe how Queen Elizabeth II receives him. Most pressing, though perhaps least explicitly acknowledged, is the need to address a sense among old European allies that the US under Obama has shifted its strategic focus to Asia, whether Afghanistan and its fallout or China, and to rebuilding bridges with Russia, that the trans-Atlantic relationship needs some reburnishing. What is striking about the formal agendas in London, at G8 in Deauville, and in Poland, is that such US reinvigorating of its relationship with Europe will be largely through strengthening partnership in response to events far beyond its shores.