History
The Rainbow Tour…Then and Now?

In 1947, Eva Perón conducted her Rainbow Tour of Europe. It resulted from an invitation to Juan Perón by Francisco Franco to visit Spain. The defeat of fascism in Europe had isolated Spain, and Spain was not part of the various reconstruction plans paid for by the US to rebuild Europe. Argentina was one of the few countries who maintained cordial diplomatic relations with Spain. So, it was a natural for the Generalissimo to invite the Argentinean leader to Spain.

However, all the reasons for Franco to invite Perón were also reasons not to go. Argentina had taken its place in the UN and improved relations with the US after the war. The mood in Buenos Aires was not to set back Argentina’s new place in the world. However, Argentina made a loan to Spain a year prior so that the Spaniards could purchase grain and beef from the Argentineans. As a compromise, it was decided that Eva should go to Europe, not just Spain, so that the world could see the woman who was unifying the poor and workers of Argentina. So, the Rainbow Tour was launched.

Eva meet with many European leaders starting with Franco. She was well received in Spain, receiving from Franco the highest award the government could grant to a non-Spaniard. She also handed out 100 peso notes to every poor child she met on her journey. She was hailed as a champion for the poor, the oppressed and the worker. She met with the Holy Father at the Vatican where she received an award for her husband and a rosary from the Pope. In France she went to Versailles and meet with de Gaulle. While in France things began to sour. She was advised that she would not be permitted to stay at Buckingham Palace. Citing exhaustion, she then canceled her trip to the UK. In Switzerland she was subjected to thrown stones and tomatoes. And, it was widely circulated that she was only in Europe to deposit funds in a Swiss bank account. Shortly after the Swiss incidents, she headed home.

The Europeans were critical of her form fitting dresses, big hairdos and extravagant lifestyle. Yet, during the tour she appeared on the cover of Time under the title “Eva Perón: Between two worlds, an Argentine rainbow”. Even that was a downer, however, since this was the first print story to mention her out of wedlock birth. For that mistake, Time was banned in Argentina for some months. The Rainbow Tour, its reasons and outcomes, was popularized by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber in the musical Evita. Evita was a heroine in her own country but the rest of the world came to see her as more flash than substance, a cult figure who was a rags to riches success story but who was a celebrity rather than a serious political figure.

Fast forward to the now concluded “Charm Tour” of President Obama. He is an extremely popular figure in Europe, a rock star type. He drew big crowds everywhere. The press is gushing over his tour. But, what was accomplished? He wanted Europe to climb on the stimulus bandwagon. They did not. He wanted more commitment to the war on terror [oops! That is non PC talk.] and for combat troops in Afghanistan. They did not. Apologists for the president say he started a “process” and there were no firm goals to be accomplished on the “Charm Tour”. He went to listen to Europe and apologize for US behavior over the last eight years. However, this process seems to be based on the same premise as the domestic economic recovery…undo what Bush did, or Bush bashing as Bush II supporters call it.

Is BO more flash than substance? He has had a meteoric rise on the public stage, another kind of rags to riches story. Does he have any answers to the world wide financial problem? Yes, spend, which the Europeans saw as no answer. Obama did not push the Europeans on any issue, and maybe that is why he is so popular. Instead, he admitted the prior administrations missteps and arrogance, chummed up to the G-20 leaders, lobbied for more support for whatever we now call the fight for survival against Islamic jihadists, stopped in Turkey and paid a surprise visit to Iraq where he praised the troops for a job well done [A war he opposed from the beginning]. Fortunately, he had no rocks or vegetables hurled at him…those were reserved for London Bobbies and the RBS. Is he more a celebrity than serious political figure? Hard to say, but leadership surely is more than cavorting around Europe being contrite about what the US has stood for and done and giving an I pod to the Queen with his speeches loaded on it. Celebrities have charm; leaders have firm policies and the determination, resolve and commitment to see them through. We will see.