Tony Bennett was very much on my mind as I cast off Friday evening, March 12th from my short stay in Okinawa. Okinawa was my first stop on an official speaking tour addressing the persuader-in-chief and public diplomacy functions of President Obama. 
Okinawa is a picturesque island, located approximately halfway between Kyushu and Taiwan. It has a very Hawaii-like feel to it, and my hosts told me that the locals consider themselves Okinawans first and foremost. Some five million Japanese tourists visit the island annually and I can see why. It was very relaxing, despite the obvious complexities of a strong American military presence. Overwhelming majorities of Okinawans oppose the U.S. military’s presence on the island, from the close proximity of bases to neighborhoods and schools to the noise pollution from military training drills. Indeed, the only interruption I heard from my hotel balcony was the buzzing of Top Gunners.
Okinawa is famous for its long-living residents in Ogimi Village, which made this wannabe growing old gracefully American curious about their longevity secrets. I’ll hazard a guess that it’s related to the Shikwasa fruit used to make a particularly refreshing Okinawan lemon juice. I also noticed plenty of local fruits and vegetables and tofu at my brunch. I think it must be their lifestyle, too. How do you say, “Don’t sweat the small stuff” in Japanese? I saw a very old Okinawan woman crossing the street at the pace of a sea turtle. I was worried for her safety. My consulate friend Aya said not to worry. Okinawans have great respect for their elders, which I added to my list of explanations for that world-famous longevity. It’s said that 80% of the Okinawa elderly live independently and undoubtedly keep close personal relations with family. Aya said she would receive a scolding from her grandmother if she missed her weekly visit.
I could wax on about my host island, but I’ll have to share a few thoughts about my talk. Before a group of twenty local journalists and military public affairs officers, I explained that 2010 is a very different landscape for the American president. While the campaign slogans for 2008 were “Hope and Change” or “Yes, We Can!” today’s operating principle is “Actions Speaker Louder Than Words.” Credibility measured in the eyes of the beholders, not the beholden, rules the day. This means that President Obama must move from bold rhetoric to much more action on lofty proclamations, including promises made in his June 2009 Cairo speech.
Obama’s second year in office is being defined thusly: Even Lincoln had feet of clay. The president and his family continue to garner respect and admiration, but Obama is no longer the new, new thing in American politics. Obama’s much admired cool character is being perceived as weakness not just by his detractors, but also supporters who want a little more fire and brimstone on policy choices. Global publics are losing patience on promised changes, both in economy and foreign policy. On the public diplomacy front, watch for a shift away from strictly personality-driven persuasion to more collaborative initiatives, including private-public cooperation, elevation of exchanges, the rise in influence of non-state actors like Google, tweeting celebrities, and Facebook, and the integration of old and new media. And don’t forget, November 2010 will recalibrate the power equation in Washington.
