BERLIN - Amid the thumping bass of Sen. Barack Obama's warm-up music, a number of Minnesotans joined the swelling crowd in Berlin's Tiergarten.
Hilary Bown, 27, a Duluth native and leader of "Young Democrats Berlin," said she was thrilled by the turnout. "Obama's campaign is the first to pay attention to American expatriates," and not just on military communities abroad, she said.
She cited Obama's words on nuclear nonproliferation as the strongest part of his speech. "Maybe he was playing to the German crowd a little bit," she said, "but it was such a relief to hear a politician speak outside of Cold War-think. It's hard to fight a Cold War and a war on terror at the same time."
Carl Moy, 50, a law professorfrom south Minneapolis, said Obama's visit was "not like Reagan's visit, or Kennedy's. ... This is just about making Obama look presidential."
He said he is only a recent supporter of Obama. He mourned the loss of Hillary Rodham Clinton as the Democratic nominee, but said that "the most important thing is that the Republicans don't win." However, he said, he has reservations about Obama's electability.
Sisters Madeline and Lillian Stillwell, natives of Plymouth, said Europeans welcomed Obama's message of cross cultural exchange.
"Bush was so isolationist," said Madeline Stillwell, a dancer.
Lillian Stillwell, a visual artist, said: "But there is also some suspicion here of Obama's rock star status."
