Just when I thought Obama lovin' was regulated to the political commentators and reporters at MSNBC, I was sadly mistaken. Even entertainment reporters need to show their support! June Sarpong, took some time on her appearance on "Morning Joe" today to gush about Obama's upcoming stops in Europe and talk about America losing its standing with the international community.
Sarpong was on the show to talk about the movie "Dark Night" setting box office records but who cares about movie records when we have Sen. Obama running for office! Since she's British, interviewer Willie Geist couldn't help but ask her how Obama's perceived in the U.K. Her response was a glowing endorsement of the Illinois senator. (Video below page break)
Video link here.
Partial transcripts:
JUNE SARPONG: What Barack Obama has done really well internationally is
sort of creating that rock star image and he is the candidate that people are rooting
for. One of the things is John McCain doesn't have much brand recognition outside
of the U.S. Whereas Barack, they know him, they all watched the first speech and
I think it's almost like he brings hope for people internationally to believe in America
again. So I think there is that.
WILLIE GEIST: So you've gotten the message, hope, hope and change.
JUNE SARPONG: Yeah and I think people internationally even more so than America have really.
GEIST: Isn't it partially that it's sort of the hip thing to do if you walk around the village in New York, all the hipsters with their Obama t-shirts. I'm not totally convinced they haven't investigated his policies that much. Do you think people know what he stands for?
SARPONG: Yeah, I think what it is in the U.K. because your foreign policy inevitably becomes ours. People have really checked out what he stands for. And in terms of withdrawal from Iraq and the same for Afghanistan, that is what British people are really rooting for, hoping for. And I think that is why they've bought into him. And what's weird, it's not just the hip people. A very small minority of us Brits are hip.
GEIST: Come on.
GEIST: There has been perception that America has lost its standing in the world. Is that true?
SARPONG: Definitely, in the last eight years there is a perception that America doesn't listen and does whatever it want to do, however it impacts the rest of the world and I do think what Britain is hoping for, we have become that critical friend, the friends that's honest with you, no matter what that means. That we won't be left off the guest list if we disagree with you.
GEIST: You're still invited. When I go overseas I was in France fairly recently, the people there, I got the sense they still love America. It's the leadership and what's happened the last couple of years.
SARPONG: Of course, America is, with out the doubt the leader as it were. I think people outside of America accept that. What they don't want is that bullish mentally, where America doesn't listen.
Maybe tomorrow a MSNBC meteorologist will take some time out from covering
Tropical Storm Dolly and tell us what they think about Obama?
