Thomas Buch-Andersen, host of the Danish TV show Detektor, mocked President Obama's political rhetoric in a recent episode. "Obama used a metaphor from boxing to explain Denmark's role in the world," says Buch-Andersen, introducing the segment.
He then roles the tape. "That's fairly typical of the way that Danes have punched above their weight in international affairs," President Obama says at a press availability in the Oval Office with Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt of Denmark.
That description is then shown again and again in regard to other allies of ours.
The Danish host said the speech writer's copy key might be stuck. But the TV guy fails to appreciate that when we decide to "lead from behind," pretty much all of our allies have to "punch above their weight" to make up for us.
This is called "smart diplomacy." Smarts, doesn't it, Europe?
