Hopes to Improve His Image as Commander-in-Chief

ABC News

Sen. Barack Obama's trip to the Middle East and Europe is a chance for him to be seen as a world leader, but with theklieg-light attention on him any mistake could be crippling to his effort to be seen as a capable commander-in-chief.

Obama's jaunt is shrouded in a blanket of security. The campaign has confirmed that the Democratic presidential candidate will visit the Middle East and Europe with stops in Jordan, Israel, Germany, France and England.
 
Obama has said he intends to visit Afghanistan and Iraq this summer, but for security reasons the campaign would not say whether those countries are part of this itinerary.
 
Weight of the World
 
Despite the stealthy start, the trip won't lack for attention.
 
All three news anchors of the network news broadcasts will interview Obama between his visits with foreign leaders such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Israel Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
The campaign's handlers believe Obama can help his standing as a world leader by being seen alongside other world leaders. That is the weakest part of his standing with voters. A recent ABC News/Washington Post poll found that only 48 percent saw Obama as a commander-in-chief.
 
The trip could become a focal point in the election campaign.
"He is facing a lot of tricky balancing acts as he goes to Iraq and Afghanistan and Israel and Europe," ABC News' senior Washington correspondent George Stephanopoulos told "Good Morning America." "How is he going to kind of change the perception out there because our latest poll shows that most Americans, even most Democrats, say that Sen. John McCain would be a good commander-in-chief. Fewer than half of those polled feel that way about Obama."
 
Commander-in-Chief Test
 
His toughest balancing acts will be in Iraq and Israel.
 
In Iraq, "He is going to be talking to [military] commanders who disagree with the time line he's set out [for withdrawing from] Iraq, and somehow he's got to find a way to show that he's listening to the commanders, but is not giving up on his principles. That will be difficulty number one."
 
"Number two, in Israel he'll face this tricky thicket over questions on the Middle East peace process. Many presidential candidates have made mistakes on that," Stephanopoulos said
He should have an easier time in Europe where his biggest mission will be to improve America's image, but he must do it "without appearing to criticize President Bush overseas."
 
The most important thing for Obama on the trip is to avoid any embarrassing mistakes.
 
"A gaffe could be a killer for Obama," Stephanopoulos said.

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