Premature and Deserved

Okay, Andrew Sullivan finallys reacts and makes some good points:

If any person has done more to advance some measure of calm, reason and
peace in this troubled word lately, it's president Obama. I think the Cairo
speech and the Wright speech alone merited this both bridging ancient rifts even
while they remain, of course, deep and intractable. He has already done more to
heal the open wound between the West and Islam than anyone else on the
planet.

I'd just add one caveat: the American people who elected him deserve
part of the credit too. Now he needs partners to help him.

I've had some coffee now. Reading through all the reactions, compiled by
Chris and Patrick, there are two obvious points: this is premature and this is
thoroughly deserved.

Both are right. I don't think Americans fully absorbed the depths to
which this country's reputation had sunk under the Cheney era. That's
understandable. And so they also haven't fully absorbed the turn-around in the
world's view of America that Obama and the American people have accomplished. Of
course, this has yet to bear real fruit. But you can begin to see how it could;
and I hope more see both the peaceful intentions and the steely resolve of this
man to persevere.

This president has done a huge amount to bring race relations in this
country to a different place, which is why the far right has become so vicious
in attacking him and lying about him. They know he threatens their politics of
division and rule. He has also directly addressed the Muslim world, telling some
hard truths, and played a small role in evoking a similar movement of hope and
change in Iran, and finally told the Israelis to stop cutting their nose off to
spite their face.