Obama's giving his much-anticipated Berlin speech even as we speak. It's a good speech, though nothing particularly revolutionary. More important than the words is the image: What looks like hundreds of thousands of Berliners, gathered in a historic square, looking expectantly at an American politician for inspiration and leadership. Our candidates frequently assert that a restoration of America's global leadership will be high on their agenda. But American leadership cannot be passed by an act of Congress, or ratified by the electoral college. It is the rest of the world that must accept our role, and for it to be worth anything, they must do so willingly. The crowd assembled in Berlin today is certainly willing.
