FRASCATI, Italy — I spent the Republican convention in Madrid and half of the Democratic convention in a picturesque Roman suburb, which is unusual: As a politics nerd, I was glued to the TV for both conventions for the last half century, and I haven't spent my whole life in Europe.
This time, family commitments and work commitments brought me to the Mediterranean for the summer, so I was only able to watch games at odd hours and catch glimpses of the local news.
But one thing has become clear from these experiences: American politics are front-page news in Europe as much as they are in Peoria. Our allies are, perhaps, sometimes too involved. I recall a relative of my wife's telling me in Scotland many years ago that Europeans deserve to vote in American elections, given how affected they are by who we choose as our leaders.
Sorry, Charlie. No.
Another thing I learned from my time in Europe is that the European media is just as supportive of Kamala Harris as the American media.
Not only do European journalists hold the same left-leaning views as their American counterparts, but even those who strive to be impartial read the New York Times and the Washington Post and watch American television, and the impression they get from those sources is their reality.
So they're selling the same myth here about President Joe Biden: that he's made great sacrifices and agreed to pass the baton to Harris “for the good of the country.”
The truth, of course, is that Biden maintained he would remain in the race until shortly before he was forced to send an unsigned letter announcing his resignation. It was only when party heavyweights, particularly one baroness, called and threatened him if he did not step down that he finally agreed to step down.
According to Italy's Rai News, which reported before Biden's speech, Biden “will be greeted with a round of applause from the Democratic delegates elected in his name.” The news agency quoted Chair Jaime Harrison as saying, “We thank him for 50 years of selfless leadership. He is a president who has always been with us and, in God's name, has always fought for us.”
The first day, according to the paper, “featured a line-up of speakers who highlighted how Biden and Harris have put the interests of the United States above their own, in contrast to the self-centered management style of former President and Republican candidate Trump.”
Italy's communists, meanwhile, were quick to welcome the new Democratic Party establishment: Their newspaper, Il Manifesto, called the second day of the convention a “day of adulthood” because, once Biden was finally out of the way, the stars of the global left would take center stage.
“Bernie Sanders, Michelle and Barack Obama will take to the stage and tell thousands of happy, healthy Democrats that all is well, but there's still a long way to go,” Il Manifesto said. “And it's not enough to just win this election; they have to win in a landslide victory, because then they can't claim fraud, and without a majority in Congress the door to real reform is closed.”
But Europeans, like Americans, don't believe that media reports reflect the truth on the ground. Maybe I'm not good at conveying popular sentiment because I work in conservative circles. It's true that Donald Trump arouses as strong opinions here as he does at home, but the people I was with – government leaders and politicians, media figures and, more importantly, ordinary Italians and Spaniards – didn't think that Harris-Biden was the best for them, many of whom actively supported Trump.
In fact, most Europeans I meet would say they worry about America's decline, although some political leaders, charged with protecting the interests of the people who elected them, must prepare for the possibility that America might suddenly cease to be the number one country in the world.
To read more about RESTORING AMERICA, click here
They are not unaware of the fact that Vladimir Putin invaded Russia's neighbor Ukraine, even though he expected to take Kiev in three weeks and is still stuck there three years later, or that China, under Xi Jinping's aggressive policies, is flexing its muscles in the South China Sea.
Of course, to those who write Il Manifesto editorials and call Sanders and the Obamas “adults,” the victory of Putin and Xi Jinping, and more importantly, the defeat of the United States, will be welcome news. But they represent Europe as much as Kenan Thompson of Saturday Night Life represents America. Europeans should be skeptical.
Mike Gonzales is a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation and co-author of “NextGen Marxism.” Heritage is listed for identification purposes only. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not reflect the organizational position of Heritage or its Board of Trustees.
