Mr. Obama conforms to the ideological and social norms Mr Freedland, his friends and associates, and a great number of other “Europeans”. I travel to France semi-frequently, and it is always a minefield to discuss American politics (when they bring it up, as I don’t), as the French mostly know more about my country than I do.
Last January the subject of Obama and Clinton in the primaries was quite the buzz. I was told various “truths” about America that were, of course, “irrefutable”.
In retrospect, I am glad to say I was pretty restrained, knowing that most Europeans are fed several grades of hogwash about America and politics here. They think they know, but in truth they don’t have any idea.
When something unusual (to the European eye) happens in American politics, they usually struggle to find some Eurocentric rationalization. It is rare to hear them say,”I just don’t understand this.”
I live here (in the US), and there are times things happen that I don’t understand. But the European (especially the Frenchman) has to have a tidy intellectual rationalization for everything. Freedland has already set himself up to rationalize any possible outcome.