American Account: Obama plays into the hands of the protectionists

He came, he saw, and as they say in showbiz — for that was what Barack Obama’s European trip was all about — he knocked them dead. Having given the Germans an opportunity to adore him; traded views with Tony Blair on the plight of less charismatic politicians in the Middle East and, dare it be said, in Britain; heard Gordon Brown extol the virtues of the British healthcare system; and compared views on the role of individual responsibility with David Cameron, Obama returns to the United States to continue to persuade voters that he has the answers to their economic malaise. He starts with a real advantage. Although unemployment remains low and the economy continues to grow, voters are worried. A bank has failed, the financial news channels pump out dark tales of foreclosures and write-offs, petrol prices are crushingly high,... [read full story]