Obama's Salesman Approach

It is unfortunate that President Barack Obama's visit to Asia as well as the G-20 summit in Seoul took place in the aftermath of what he himself termed a "shellacking" in the midterm elections -- an electoral rebuke delivered in part because Americans believe that the Democrats have not delivered on their promises of economic security. The trip could have been used to project the message that the United States is prepared to take the lead in the global community of nations. As Secretary of State Clinton put it back in September, "[T]he United States can, must and will lead in this new century. Indeed, the complexities and connections of today's world have yielded a new American moment, a moment when our global leadership is essential, even if we must often lead in new ways . . . "