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Obama’s Foreign Policy Ego Meets Hillary’s Experience

By Fleaflicker on April 9, 2008 at 6:01 AM in Barack Obama, Foreign Policy, Hillary Clinton, John McCain

Every day that passes Obama gets cockier. His confidence grows at a rate directly inverse to the facts. The most recent whopper occurred during a fundraiser in San Francisco while answering a question concerning potential VP choices. Not believing in the conventional wisdom that he needs someone with strong foreign policy experience, Obama pooh poohed the obvious right away. And this gets deep folks…..

Obama: No Need For Foreign Policy Help From V.P.

Ironically, this is an area–foreign policy is the area where I am probably most confident that I know more and understand the world better than Senator Clinton or Senator McCain.”

Then he let loose his oft stated position. A guaranteed crowd pleaser:

Experience in Washington is not knowledge of the world. This I know.

Cue the adoring, mindless fans… yelling and whooping it up.

Sensing he has them in the palm of his hands, or is that his hands in their wallets, Obama continued:

When Senator Clinton brags ‘I’ve met leaders from eighty countries’– I know what those trips are like! I’ve been on them. You go from the airport to the embassy. There’s a group of children who do native dance. You meet with the CIA station chief and the embassy and they give you a briefing. You go take a tour of a plant that [with] the assistance of USAID has started something. And then–you go.”

So Obama has this all figured out. Somehow he has decided what Hillary did for the past 15 years. Or at least his version of it. The one he wants to lie about, oh excuse me, tell people about.

“You do that in eighty countries–you don’t know those eighty countries. So when I speak about having lived in Indonesia for four years, having family that is impoverished in small villages in Africa–knowing the leaders is not important–what I know is the people. . . .”

I realize that facts are verboten in Obamaland, but the truth is he lived in Indonesia from the time he was 6 until he was 10 years old. Now I realize he is a bright lad, but a 10 year old child’s experiences aren’t exactly the deep life affirming and defining experiences that I typically look for in a Commander in Chief. If they were such deep life changing experiences just why is it that he decided to suddenly abandon his mother in Indonesia to join his “typical white person” grandmother in Hawaii? And since he has done so well in life, why is it that his family is impoverished and living in huts in small villages while he lives comfortably in a mansion in a large city? What does that say about the content of his character? His generosity? His morality?

The author of this article, Mayhill Fowler, attended the fundraiser and was a bit taken aback with Obama’s outrageous claims.

Secondly, even though I’ve researched and written on Hillary Clinton’s trips abroad and consequently been critical of her claims, my estimation of her foreign travels is that they were sometimes quite a bit more than a dance, a briefing and a tour. What Barack Obama’s remarks last night in San Francisco reveal, however, is his self-confidence–to the point of cockiness–right now.

This is the part I know you have all been waiting for.
Our gal sets the record straight on Barack I’ll Bamboozle Ya. Okie Doke!

Fox News took Hillary to task yesterday morning, asking her to respond to Senator Obama’s allegations. It was obvious that she was very surprised by the questions and Obama’s claims. And that she got a good laugh out of it.

Clinton Takes Obama to Task Over Foreign Policy Experience Claim

“I’m somewhat shocked by that since I don’t see any evidence of it,” Clinton said, chuckling. “This is, you know, kind of hard to square with his failure ever to have a single policy hearing on the only responsibility he was given, chairing the European and NATO subcommittee on the Foreign Relations Committee.

“And as he admitted in the last debate, he was too busy running for president to pay attention to what we needed to do to improve our chances in Afghanistan and get NATO more involved. So, you know, I, I ,I don’t, I don’t know, I’m speechless. I mean, you know, making an assertion like that belies the facts and the record.”

When asked to respond to Obama’s allegations that Hillary merely spent time watching children doing native dances and didn’t really know those 80 countries, she continued:

Hillary on Fox TV
(self transcribed)

Well, he’s apparently talking about his own experience, which is quite limited. You know, for 15 years I’ve been spending a lot of time in other countries. You know, I stood up for America and America’s values in Beijing in standing up for women’s rights as human rights. I was actively involved in helping to reconcile people in Northern Ireland to the peace process. I helped to negotiate opening borders during the Kosovo conflict. I have been in many different settings where the conversations and the discussions were substantive and lengthy.

So I’m not quite sure where Senator Obama has been. So far as I know he has maybe taken two trips. But that’s fine. I mean, he can say whatever he wishes about his own experience and we will leave it to voters to determine who really is ready to be Commander in Chief and who is ready to restore America’s standing and moral authority in the world. I believe that I have the experience and the qualifications and the know how to actually get that done.

But why not just let you watch Hillary for yourself and hear her say all these wonderful things?

This part of the interview begins with about 4 minutes and 10 seconds left. Before this she weighs in on what the most appropriate American response should be toward China and the Olympics. Then a preview of what she would later say about Petraeus and Crocker. And following this interview, her statements about Pennsylvania and Obama’s misleading ads. And Ellen. All of it excellent!

http://hyper-educated-uppity-woman.blogspot.com Uppity

Obama has a lot of foreign experience. Just ask his bundler PLO guy Rashid Khalidi, Said, and those nice fellows over in Gaza City who made primary and caucus phone calls for him. The Swift Boaters must be cracking their knuckles at this point. Besides, I am sure Bill Ayers still has his contacts. After all, he said “We didn’t do enough”.

blobert

According to today’s NYT, that Foreign Relations subcommittee Obama is supposedly chairman of, the one that he never had time time for, finally convened! Obama even got to be referred to as “Mr. Chairman!”
It must’ve been quite a power trip for the neophyte, who could soon be our president.
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/09/a-rare-day-in-the-limelight/
rakesh

I am a Hill supporter. However you nauseate me. YOu are libeling a respected academic for cheap political purpose. If you have such a strong belief in your statment, produce some evidence and let the federalis prosecute the professor.

kenoshaMarge

It is apparent that Obama is confident that he can rattle off any drivel and have it accepted by his mindless fans but that the media will not call him on it.

He has been given a free ride. Now his massive ego has become so inflated that he can equate his lackluster and non-existent foreign policy experience as being the same as someone who has been out walking the walk as it were. What a dismal little twerp he is.

http://www.oohnuance.blogspot.com madamab

Sometimes I think he is just having fun with the worshipful press.

“Heh heh heh, let’s see if they’ll call me on THIS one! They can’t POSSIBLY let me get away with telling a lie this big, can they?”

But of course they always do. He has a rude awakening coming if he becomes the nominee, since he will suddenly be held accountable for all the BS he’s been slinging since the beginning of this campaign.

Hillary’s response was incredibly impressive, as usual. I really hope she wins big in most of the remaining primaries so that the SD’s will have to realize she is our only electable candidate in November.

AF catfish

You know, puppies, toddlers and teenagers do this to test out where their boundaries are. It’s up to the adults to push back.

sjc-tx

WOW!!! YOu really said it catfish!!!

“….You know, puppies, toddlers and teenagers do this to test out where their boundaries are. It’s up to the adults to push back.”

LOVE IT!!!!
kenoshaMarge

Are we assuming that there are adults in the media? Like leg-tingling Tweety or Red-Faced Temper Tantrum Olbermann or, oh hell, there must be a few but other than Krugman I can’t think of any.

And Krugman is no longer loved in Boyz Left Blogostand cause he ain’t all dopey for “The One”.
Susaninbosque

This is indeed superb!!! And much appreciated because it is so perfectly spot on.
Now, it seems clear to me, that he’s been testing these boundaries with all of the women in his life and just not only having them move back and gesturing him forwarding but applauding and adulating away… Michelle must just roll over for this stuff (when he’s cocky and gets it right to her satisfaction, that is) and clap and clap and now he thinks that all women and most men will just give way until he gets where he wants to be, gets to the prize.
He uses men and women equally but expects to be applauded by the women and he certainly thinks that no woman, and I mean, NO woman has any right to get in his way. Certainly not Hillary. The white women (mother and “typical white person” granny) have given him a helpful free ride but I would bet that Michelle told him: “Hang on there, buddy. I’m not going to help you out or applaud you unless you produce for me and this is what I want…. (fill in the blank and we know what that is now, don’t we…)”

Most women, beyond college age anyway, have encountered this mind set and we know it right away and we deeply mistrust it. Abhor it. But here may be the problem:

No white woman (and I do so deplore being pulled into this racist junk but we’ve all been pulled there by Axelrod who knew what he was doing) has probably ever set a boundary for him and clearly he’s just waiting for Hillary to behave like the “typical white person” women he grew up with and stand aside and applaud him and stop being a boundary. He is simply oozing that expectation which is why I am still appalled and shocked at what I hear or read come out of his mouth.
And consider so many of those who have endorsed him -folks who believe in their own entitlement and now identify with his – Kerry, Kennedy, Richardson who expect that nobody has to bother voting (how quaint), that expect for this WOMAN, this bothersome white woman, Hillary, to just step aside and applaud. No rules, why bother… he is variably a puppy, a well-dressed toddler or a teenager, mostly a teenager.
He needs for ALL of us to push back, not just adults but most certainly women and the wonderful men on this list who know what entitlement looks like and deplore it and refuse to allow – as best we are able – to keep Hillary from ever stepping aside.
Thank you, AFcatfish, that one just seemed sooo perfect. It hit my button. (And being from New Mexico, I know the level of Richardson’s entitlement… it is breathtaking.) His supporters are sooo full of their own sense of entitlement!! Thanks.

Northwest rain

Obama doesn’t have a clue about diplomacy between countries. His followers claim that he’s a great intellectual. Where is the proof?

I’m not sure what sort of logic he is using to claim that childhood experience makes him an expert on Foreign Affairs.

It’s hard to single out what part of the remark is the stupidest — perhaps the bit about his Grandmother in Kenya who lives in a hut or whatever he claims. Because SHE lives in poverty — THAT makes him an expert. He’s not the one living in poverty.

He’s a self centered, narcissistic fool.

His ill considered remarks about Pakistan triggered a riot — and then his meddling in another Nation’s affairs (Kenya) has lead to the death of about a thousand human beings.

I don’t even what to think about all the messes he will cause due to his ego.

Clinton’s response was great — laughter — Obama the comedian. See he does have a sense of humor and can make jokes about himself!! (NOT)
beebop

Well, I hope he’s getting a Sylvan Learning Center tutor since back in August CNN caught him in a McCain sized gaffe:

(CNN) – For the second time in recent debates, the mention of world leaders has attracted attention to Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

At Tuesday night’s AFL-CIO forum in Chicago, Obama was asked if he would scrap the North American Free Trade Agreement as president. The senator from Illinois said, “I would immediately call the president of Mexico, the president of Canada, to try to amend NAFTA, because I think that we can get labor agreements in that agreement right now.”

The only problem is Canada has a prime minister, not a president.

And just in case anybody missed Obama’s slip, Senator Joe Biden noted, “Hey, look, the president’s job is to create jobs, not to export jobs. And the idea that we are not willing to take the prime minister of Canada and the president of Mexico to the mat to make this agreement work is just a lack of presidential leadership. I would lead. I would do that. I would change it.”

John

Obama will call the President of Canada, the King of France, the Czar of Russia, the Sultan of Swat and the Duke of Earl and he’ll bring them all together at some neutral location- Siam or the Belgian Congo, perhaps, to work out an agreement.

It will take some serious jawboning, though.

http://hyper-educated-uppity-woman.blogspot.com Uppity

Yeah Jawboning and “Bamboozling”.

He won’t get that far. He will not be president. Millions of women and floridians and michigin’rs and the Swift Boaters will see to it. The sexist, racist bigot He can run fairly now and allow revotes or he can go down in November. His choice.

Bye Bye Howard. But not before you watch the Democratic party sink into obsurity ala 1972. Somebody should make you bust your ass for a decade to fix it, you Fearful Moron, you.

Fear IS what this is all about isn’t it now?

AmyinSC

Love the response, and yes, it DOES seem to be abt fear.

I just cannot believe this guy – everyday, I am amazed at the crap that comes out of his mouth. WOW!! And that the MSM just laps it up – unbelievable!

Nicole

That’s very funny, John…I’m still giggling.

workingclass artist

Beebop, I listened to Obamessiah yesterday questions at the hearings yesterday and it was pretty clear to me how remedial his statements were and redundant the questions were. DUH……. Then…. Yawn…..It may be too late for Sylvan Learning Center.

simon

I found it interesting that of the three Presidential candidates, he was the only one who spoke of himself, and not the war.

McCain gave his status quo speech, Clinton said we need new policy, and shes’ right, and Obama said, AGAIN, “I spoke out against the war.”

Is Axelrod aware his boy needs fresh material?

Stagnant water produces brain eating bacteria.

Really.

kenoshaMarge

Blah, blah, he says once again that he spoke out against the war. When it was meaningless since he didn’t have to vote in a climate that was intent on revenge for 9/11 and didn’t much care who they took their rage out on.

Once Mr. I Spoke Out Against The War had a chance to vote against funding the war in an attempt to stop it, well surprise, surprise he voted for funding along with most of the rest of the Democrats. Because he knew, as the other Dems know, that a vote against funding will be played in the media as leaving the troops in Iraq without bullets or some other nonsense. In other words he has done the politically expedient thing. He spoke out against the war. Big hairy frakkin deal. Talks cheap Bozo, it takes money to buy whiskey.

John

Guys, watch the great Katherine Hepburn/Spencer Tracy flick /The Keeper of the Flame if you want to really understand what is going on with Obama- Hepburn’s character gives an excellent explanation of how a person worshipped by the masses will grow to resent and ultimately loathe the drooling morons who will bleat praise for every utterance he choses to push past his lips. Or Andy Griffith’s A Face in the Crowd for the same lesson.

If it hasn’t happened already, Obama will develop a deep hatred of his followers based on disgust for their gullibility. If he’s elected, that will translate into a hatred of the United States as a whole. I really think we are near the abyss with his guy. Not since MacArthur had his virtual Triumph in DC after his dismissal by Truman have we been so close to falling into the hands of a megalomaniac.

http://hyper-educated-uppity-woman.blogspot.com Uppity

Hell all I have to do is watch a WWII German film to see similar adoration and publicity-fixing. All that’s missing is the uniforms.
mimi

“If it hasn’t happened already, Obama will develop a deep hatred of his followers based on disgust for their gullibility. “

Are you listening black people???
eurogirl70

And if memory serves me right, in “Keep of the Flame”, it turned out that Katherine Hepburn’s husband was a Charles Lindbergh-type guy. Quite fond of the National Socialists, if you get my meaning.

He especially had a whole group of young “followers”. Ring any bells?
eurogirl70

And if memory serves me right, in “Keeper of the Flame”, it turned out that Katherine Hepburn’s husband was a Charles Lindbergh-type guy. Quite fond of the National Socialists, if you get my meaning.

He especially had a whole group of young “followers”. Ring any bells?

http://hyper-educated-uppity-woman.blogspot.com Uppity

the president of Canada

Doh Obama. Doh.

I like him better when all he can say is Ummmmmmmm……Ahhhhhhhhhhh.

workingclass artist

Was this why his chat about campaign BS concerning NAFTA was leaked ? LOL

John

Barack Obama will give a speech in which he says “some sceptics will tell us that we can’t meet with the President. What do we say to that?”

Crowd bleats “YES WE CAN!”

Air America hosts take time off their Obama fundraising duties to blast Hillary for suggesting that Canadians are too stupid to ever adopt a Federal system of Government. Barack believes differently, and it was his Audacity of Hope that caused him to vocalize his dream that someday Canada WOULD have a President, and in some future time he might have a conversation with him. Oh, ye of little faith, ye of little minds, who failed to understand his point.

Keith Olbermann gives a Very Special Comment in which he denounces the Racism implied by Hillary’s “Canada doesn’t have a President” reply. He says that Hillary’s attitude toward Canada’s lack of a President puts her in the same company of Pol Pot, Stalin, Hitler and Mussolini, all of whom agreed with her that Canada does not have a President! Olbermann urges her to put her talons back in her makeup bag before it’s too late. He concludes with “good night, and good luck!” and turns from the camera, at which point his head explodes.

The Washington Post, lead by Eugene Robinson, publishes a series of Op-Eds criticizing Hillary for implying with her “Canada doesn’t have a President” smear that she would never meet with the President of Canada- “haven’t we had enough of this kind of ‘diplomacy?’”

“Why Does Hillary Hate Canada?” is the headline of the Huffington Post Webpage, over the most hideous photograph of Clinton the site managers could find.

Nicole

John, you’re good!

scott

No John’s mad as hell and he’s not going to take it anymore!

Besides that he’s a regular barrel of monkeys.

http://hyper-educated-uppity-woman.blogspot.com Uppity

Monkey! You said Monkey! That’s on the List! You can’t say Monkey anymore!!!!!

You CAN however still beat your wife with a bat and remain a delegate for Obama! Take heart!

TeakwoodKite

Ouch!

sister of ye

Hey! That’s me! Sister of ye of little faith. No wonder I never bought the Obama kool-aid. John, you’re too funny. You pegged it exactly.

It amazes me that a guy who lives in Chicago apparently never once visited Canada. It’d be about 6-7 hrs. to go thru Michigan to Ontario, and I’d guess about the same to drive north thru Wisconsin. Hard to match Hawaii’s beauty, I’d guess, but you’d think he’d take his girls to visit Niagra Falls, or to the lakes to see and hear the loons. (Real loons, I mean, not the Senate.)

workingclass artist

The demographics in Canada are not desirable to the venerable OBAMESSIAH. Methinks.

Darry Touchet

I don’t know what is going on with the press. It is truely starting to scare the hell out of me. I see cases everyday where they slander and lie. Everyday.

Take for instance the story about the hosipital and the pregnant woman. They made it seem like the whole story was a lie, when it wasn’t. Did they apologize, did they run 24/7 the truth, no. They give Obama free passes on all his lies. This is getting truely to the point of being Nazi style propaganda. It is a sad day for america. I feel so hopeless now. I wish i could suspend by believe, at least I could go about my life all happy and cheerfull. Why did I have to be born with a good brain.

Of Course, you know the press is now gonna take Hillary’s comments and twist them and say she is on the attack again, not that she is defending herself. Watch, prove me wrong.

BernieO

I don’t know why you are surprised. They have been doing thing like this since the 90′s when they slandered Clinton at every turn. (Whitewater, a pseudo scandal for which there was no credible evidence, was pushed by the NYTimes and the WashPost.) They savaged Gore and willingly repeated lies about him, too. Most of our media are nerds emotionally stuck in junior high school trying to align themselves with the cool kids. Check out the 2000 archives from dailyhowler.com to see how this works.

Salo

yeah it’s no surprsie. They have orders to bump her off. No mistaking it.

simon

I don’t know what is going on with the press. It is truely starting to scare the hell out of me. I see cases everyday where they slander and lie. Everyday.

Paula Jones, as dumb and as ugly, and just as delusional.

Imagine a Washington, and an army , full of Paula Jones.

It’s laughable.

BTW, I found Jones more disgusting for her blind opportunism, more so then for anything else.

She allowed herself to be used by the wealthy right wing, for a little money, and fame. (Sound familiar?)

Of course, she was a simple secretary from AK, the deal with the rest of that crew, well, I guess they’re all insecure, and self hating.

Rob Gard

Hillary could (should) also have stated, when interviewed on FOX News concerning Obama’s claims of foreign policy experience, “Unlike my husband, Bill, Senator Obama must have really inhaled.”

Nicole

Rob, you just scored one…

I now think the key, for all of us, is to laugh Obama out of the race.

Seriously, how can this man and his puny resume be taken as anything but a joke, (as he runs for the highest office in the land)?
JoeySky

That was so good! ROFL!

kenoshaMarge

The same delusional ego that allows Obama to somehow believe that he has Foreign Policy credentials allows him and his adoring followers to talk about his superior campaign.

It’s not hard to run a “superior” campaign when you have your own cable television network (MSNBC). Look how well that worked for George W. Bush with his very own cable television network more commonly known as FOX.

It’s not hard to maintain a lead when the media, the DNC, the Democratic Leadership and most of Left Blogostand supports you. It’s not hard to maintain a lead when your gaffs and misspeaks are ignored and your oponents are headlined, twisted, spun and repeated endlessly.

What is amazing, is that Hillary Clinton is still in the race. Given all that she has had to contend with, a really superior candidate, with a really superior campaign would have won by now. Even with a headstart and all the help in the world he can’t seem to defeat her.

Kinda says all you need to know about which is the best candidate. Having someone tough, tenacious, smart, well-informed and hard-working is why so many of us support Hillary Clinton. T’other dude? No frakkin way!

Win Without Us!
mimi

Like Fleaflicker, I simply can’t get over Obama’s claim that living in Indonesia between the ages of 6 and 10 gives him some kind of edge on foreign policy. If anything, all this exposes is something I’ve suspected about Obama for awhile now, he’s been planning this run for the presidency for a very LONG TIME. Still, he can’t surely expect grown people to accept that at those ages he was astute enough to make adult observations that would have a credible bearing on anything relating to politics now? And whatever he experienced in Indonesia, it was enough to make him NOT want to go back when his mother did. He’d have had more credibility if he had simply because he would have been older.

Say, on Jake Tapper’s abc blog, there was a report about Obama’s sudden revelation that he spent 3 weeks in Pakistan while in college one summer. Apparently, the reporters were a bit miffed because the Obama Campaign never mentioned this before. Someone posted a link yesterday on savagepolitics.com.

I agree, why no mention until now?
Faith

Good morning! Interesting sign at a local AA church here in my town:

“Pride brings shame.
Humility brings wisdom.”

I’ve attended this church before, and I know that “Reverend” Wright would be escorted out if he said anything vaguely resembling what he preached in the TUCC.
Chip

You guys are stretching a bit. I’d be the first to agree that Obama is lacking in foreign policy experience. I’d question, however, that Ms. Clinton’s foreign policy experience is that much greater. And I’d certainly note that President Bush has been surrounded by individuals with considerable and undoubted foreign policy experience in the persons of Messrs. Rumsfeld and Cheney; that hasn’t worked so well for either the US or the rest of the world. I’d take my chances with Obama; Hilary is unacquainted with the truth, and I’d suggest the US most requires an individual with decent human qualities, including humility.

Deke

Hillary is unacquainted with the truth give me a brake. Professor Obama make that Instructor Obama just makes up stories that he thinks sound good then believes them them regardless of the facts.
He is a dangerous megalomaniac. He is the lefts George Bush

workingclass artist

Ok…. Who’s his Cheney ?

pm317

Exactly! Third term Bush anyone? Even before he started, didn’t Obama start some kind of riots in Pakistan with his comments? Now he wants to look into the soul of that crazy Iranian president whose name I will not try to spell. What I want to know is the details of his trip in his 20s to Pakistan and Hyderabad, India. Why is he talking about it suddenly now?

PMS

Gee, Chip, you’re right. I must have imagined all the stuff we’ve seen Hillary do on the International Stage over the last 12 years.

And your insight into making our Foreign Policy a place for Amateur Hour is really inspiring!

And Diogenes must have extinguished his lamp when he met Obama, because here’s a guy incapable of lying (well, except about where his money comes from, or who he hangs out with, or how he bought his house, or how his campaign talks to foreign governments, or how his parents met, where he was, or what he did, or who he knows… other than that, I can’t think of a thing he lies about).

BTW: What’s today’s flavor at the Obamatown Cantina?
eurogirl70

Chip:

When Senator Obama had not only the chance but rather the responsibility to provide oversight and conduct hearings, which would have shown his seriousness to garner foreign policy experience, what did he do? [cue crickets] He could have gone out and met the people. I’m damn sure that Indonesia has changed alot since last he was there; over 40 years ago.

He sure wooed the Pakistani “people” when he said that he would unilaterally launch airstrikes in the country. Pakistan isn’t unstable enough? I think that little “foot in mouth” moment resulted in the deaths of over 100 people protesting on the streets of Islamabad! Yeah, he has the “soft” touch alrgiht!
jes

And how do you know that Obama is acquainted with the truth?

Maybe you can look into your crystal ball that you carry around with you.
sjc-tx

ok mr chip…. Give me an example of Senator Clinton’s ‘unaquaintance with truth’… And don’t give me the out of context Bosnia line…! BHO = ‘decent human qualities’..??!!! hmmmmmm association with wright, rezko, ayers, farrakon, she’s typical white woman, ‘big fucking whore… and what else??!!!

Keep drinkin’ that kool-aid

Inkslayer

Here’s a funny little clip I YouTubed of Bob Beckel trying to defend Obama on his “I know more and understand the world better than Senator Clinton or Senator McCain” foreign policy quote:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3c-90wsPWzM

I call it, “Obama – What are you Smoking?”
bob h

President Clinton would not need a baby-sitter VP, as Obama would.

sister of ye

That’s the reason I’m opposed to her being his VP. It’d be another case of the woman does all the work while the guy takes all the credit.

eurogirl70

As a real leader, knowing the leaders is as important as knowing the people. The two are not mutually exclusive. However, as a leader, you must have good intelligent field operatives stationed in a country that have expertise on the political and cultural sensitivities and that can report back to you on what is going on on the ground. Senator Obama’s naivite knows no bounds.

Do the people of a country have the ability to declare martial law?
Do the people of a country have the power to prevent free and fair elections?
Do the people of a country have the power to launch military strikers?

No Senator Obama, the leaders of a country do. That is why it is of paramount importance that you have a seasoned, well traveled leader who can assimilate quickly to changing developments, be perceived as an “honest” broker, and can apply our nation’s “soft power” to a situation so as to woo and attract not only support from our own citizens but from other countries citizens as well.

Living in Indonesia from 6-10 years of age is not foreign policy experience, and no grown man currently a United States Senator should have to have this spelled out to him. As for having poor relations in small villages in Africa, I have but one thing to say. Senator Obama, the vast majority of American’s came here because they were poor somewhere else and thought that emigrating to the United States might bring with it more opportunity. So, in effect, most of us have “poor” relations somewhere else.

As for Senator Obama mentioning his trip to Pakistan as a college student, I find it interesting them that he knew the difference between Sunni and Shiia but not that internationally that Pakistan, not Iran, poses the greatest international danger due to its instability. He has only recently changed his tune in this regard. He also apparently could not foresee how much anger he would incite in the Pakistani “people” when he said that he would launch unilateral airstrikes in Pakistani if he had actionable intelligence. This did not win him many fans on the streets of Islamabad.

Senator Obama’s speech in the kind of puerile philosophy-speak that I would expect from a first year college student who has been dabbling with the “Workers Party”

workingclass artist

LOL….And at a third rate college…Can’t believe this guy was the editor of the law review, maybe he had a ghost. Book was highly over-rated as are the speeches. American Rhetoric.com has the top 100 speeches…HRC is there as is Ol’ Bill… Great reference for rhetoric comparison especially in the age of Youtube.

SJ

Obama will feel as if he is god because on every turn there is always some idiot willing to call him president or give him the impression that he has already won the GE. Just up to yesterday there was some one saying that he may be the next president.

For him imagine that the first black president of the USA, what black man can ask for more does not matter if he turns out the be worse than Bush he would of achieved the ultimate dream.

He needs no knowledge, no experience just a group of people willing to make this happen for him, and all he has to do is sit there for the next 4 years and not say a word or do one thing to help this country his future would of been set in stone, life would never be the same again for him or his family, is’nt that not what it is all about for Obama?
JoeySky

Obama is in the same league as Paris Hilton. Clueless!
SJ

So exactly what did Obama ask at the senate hearings yesterday or was it just a forum for him to sit before the General and tell everyone that he knew the Iraq war was a blunder. Obama wanted to know what is the acceptable conditions for withdrawal and if AQ will ever reach to the position that they are no longer a force in Iraq, well geez is that what we are trying to do got make the Iraqi force strong enough that they would no longer need our help in facing AQ?

Obama also wanted to know why Iran’s PM was welcomed in Iraq, but is Obama not the same man that always speaks about dialogue, so what is he saying dialogue is good once he is doing it when others attempt that it’s not correct?

Obama also seem to share some concern about the integrating of the Iraqis armed forces, and did not want the Shiite to feel slighted by the Sunni’s , wow is Iraq not a divided country so the best way to have them solves their own problem is by getting both sides to live as one.

To me Obama asked nothing of relevance and just used that forum to give his usual stump speech that he felt the war was wrong, at this point it really does not matter who was wrong or right the fact is that our troops are there now and the problem is finding a situation that is acceptable to get them out.

With all these learned journalist I would of expected some to ask exactly what did Obama contribute to this discussion rather than the ooh’s and ahh’s that I saw on FOX in the Brit Hume show saying Obama was so magnificent.

Obama made no sense at all and offered not one solitary iota of a valid question other than his I did not approved of the war, which we have heard over and over from him, but I guess some believe that once you don’t agree with an event you instantly know how to correct it.

Salo

He did simpoly reiterate his stump speech.

He’s not really comfortable with the material.

I think that once Hillary is forced out he’s doomed.

he looked out of place in the Senate hearings.

SJ

It is a very sad day then when the media I would expect as journalist that they would do a precise evaluation on these candidates performance especially when they make an appearance in a forum like the one yesterday.

This man is a candidate for PTOUS, if he has no clue of what is facing this nation then why congratulate gobbledygook, are these learned media persons willing to push for a total airhead to be in charge of this country?

Maybe they are all living on another planet so if Obama becomes president and mess up it won’t affect them or their immediate families. Unfortunately there are many of us out here that have valid concerns about Obama, and I really wish that some of these learned journalists would start doing what is right and leave all their political bias at the door.
http://www.politicalamnesia.blogspot.com Darlamc

Just got banned from HuffPost- I assume it is because I kept posting the video of Brian Holman. They are still running their video and the false headline of “False Horror Story.”

After all the absolute horrible words I have read from Obama supporters- this just blows my mind. Going to make another tribe to Hillary today- thanks Huff!
Marco

His comments are ridiculous. If only our media were capable of scrutinizing their chosen one.
MarkL

God, he really is a moron.. and just like Bush, he’s surrounded by sycophants who tell him he’s a genius.
g8grl

What he sounds like are thoese teenagers who, through their vast experience of the world, try to convince their parents that they know better who the next POTUS should be and pester those parents to vote for him…Oh wait, I think I read something about that yesterday in the NYT.

workingclass artist

The problem with OBAMESSIAH is that he and I are about the same age. Now this is important to me because if anyone has ever seen the moviie
“Dazed and Confused” it’s obvious what bodes for the country. Not to put my generation down, but well… The 80′s were really good, and as a generation our accomplishments have been mixed… And well… we do seem to suffer from cultural identity problems…. And well frankly I wouln’t vote for myself even though I have a few good ideas and I went to a snotty Ivy League…. and well….The 70′s were pretty good too… and well I got sober in the 90′s so they were just different, but I made some pretty good money and well…. My geneation just aint ready to vote for one of our own…. Maybe….

Patrick Henry

Fleaflicker…

Good Job..Good subject..But Hey..This is the time for “New Age” Politicians..like Barack..Who needs Foreign Policy Experience..All You gotta do now is just be willing to have “Bamboozle ” Diplomacy..

kind of interesting which of the few Foreign Nations
and States Obama wants to talk to..Guess those are the Only Ones in His “Area of Expertese or Interest”or how little he has had to Talk about Global Matters and national security Concerns..

We learned so much from all those “Debates” didnt we..?
What do we Really Know about Senator Obama..??

Oh Well..Nothing like On the job training..

Just gotta have some ..Military guys around..and some economy guys…and appoint a few thousand friends here and there and Hey..I will Have my Own Hood..Just don’t call me at 0300…Idon’t want Michelle to wake up..that early..makes her grumpy..
Sara

Paaaahlease. Obama’s international experience is frighteningly slim. He keeps referring to time he spent in Indonesia…in kindergarten and the fact that he was an International Relations major at Columbia. I am pursuing a Master’s in an international field at Columbia and yet I don’t feel ready to be president. I can tell you, however, that I wouldn’t meet with Ahmadinejad or Assad without some MAJOR preconditions and definitely not in my first year as prez while Lebanon hangs on by a thread and the Israelis would be ENRAGED at us when we need them concentrating on peace. Just my opinion.

Furthermore, Obama was an international relations major during the Cold War, which makes him a million times less likely to understand the nuance of the new type of crisis involving the US and the Islamic world which desperately needs to be solved and/or drastically ameliorated. Obama, in a desperate attempt to prove he is not Muslim (which if he actually knew anything about Islam he would not find this accusation smear-like) has not taken a nuanced stance on Islam at all. His jab at “Islamic radicalism” during his Wright/race speech and constant denunciations of “not being a Muslim” further isolate the overwhelmingly moderate Muslim populations. This is an area where Hillary and even McCain (in his recent foreign policy speech) have drawn distinctions and made intelligent arguments.

Finally, I thought that despite his missteps and lack of experience, I could find comfort in his advisors. I will say that I did like Samantha Power, but she is out. Zbigniew Brzezinski, Carter’s former National Security Advisor, is partly responsible for starting the first Afghani war which Reagan then so vigorously maintained throughout the 80′s, arming and training the likes of Osama Bin Laden. Brzezinski is often remembered when during the 90′s he stated that the end of Cold War via the arming of the moujahidinnes was worth “a few stirred up Muslims.” Then we have Anthony Lake and Susan Rice, two former Clinton advisors best remembered for telling human right’s organizations that intervening in Rwanda would require “a change of public opinion” (otherwise known as we-can-go-into-white-Bosnia-but-not-black-Rwanda-unless-we-convince-the-public-it-will-really-be-worth-it-to-have-Americans-die-for, gasp, Africans!) Bill Clinton describes the US deciding not to intervene in Rwanda as his biggest regret as President.

I don’t have confidence in Obama or his advisors. This is the area where Obama makes me the most nervous and where I dislike him the most. It is well known that foreign policy consumes the majority of day-to-day discussions of America’s executive branch. The fact that Hillary has standing relationships with heads of state like Egypt’s Mubarak is a a MAJOR plus. She has also witnessed the nitty gritties of peace accords and NATO deployment. I could go on, but this post is already too long.

HRC 2008!
Heather

Obama was an embarrassment yesterday. Two pieces I saw that I agree with on that were C.I.’s
http://thecommonills.blogspot.com/2008/04/iraq-snapshot_08.html

In the afternoon, the most embarrassing performance was given by John Kerry who gushed and fawned over Petraeus for over two minutes. Then he moved slowly and offered little but, when Barack Obama went, you grasped why. Kerry was Bambi’s hand-holder. Bambi tried hard to make Kerry’s points his own by repeating . . . them . . . oh . . . so . . . slowly. Someday he may provide leadership. Thus far, he just plays follow the leader and spoiled brat. Bill Nelson asked permission to wave the cry baby ahead because Obama was pressed for time. Biden allowed it. If Obama was pressed for time maybe he should have stuck to the alloted time? Or, as he would word it, maybe . . . he should have . . . stuck to . . . the alloted . . . time. (Did he study voice with William Shatner?) He didn’t stick to the time limit and whined that he needed more, “I know I’m out of time, if I could have the indulgence of the committe for one minute.” One minute? Try seven minutes. Couldn’t wait his turn and then got his allotted time plus seven minutes more. And offered nothing in all that time. Babara Boxer could have done something with an extra seven minutes (she did a great deal with her allotted time). But Bambi wasn’t prepared. He repeated all of John Kerry’s points (they’re friends, so it’s not theft — ask David Axlerod). “. . . that are . . . doing harm to . . . uh, . . .” Is he unable to speak if the lines aren’t written ahead of time? If so, can Bully Boy slide the ear piece over to him because he obviously can’t speak on his own. Seven minutes. Obama went seven minutes over — after he’d used his allotted time. After he’d claimed he’d only take one more minute. The Whiny Boy Prince gets his way . . . and does nothing with it.

and Rebecca’s
http://sexandpoliticsandscreedsandattitude.blogspot.com/2008/04/this-that.html
did you catch the hearings today?

hillary was a pro. she came prepared. she had her prep work done and utilized that and she also utilized statements that crocker & petraeus made in the hearing. bambi, by contrast, was the kid who showed up and screamed, ‘what test today!’

‘uh … uh … uh …’ how many times did we hear that? he was completely unprepared. he basically ripped off john kerry’s questions and gave no credit unlike the other senators who made a point to say things like ‘as senator hagel pointed out.’

if you ever wondered if bambi was qualified to be president you saw this afternoon that he wasn’t. ‘uh… uh… uh…’ he was trying to think of what to say and what to ask.

that’s why he went over time. he was completely unprepared. and then he asks for another minute and grabs 7 of them. while still going ‘uh… uh… uh…’ inexperienced. wet behind the ears. not ready to be president.

you saw everything you needed to see today: hillary did the work and bambi thought just showing up was work. couldn’t even wait his turn. he was pressed for time, he insisted. and then went over his time. and then, when he knew he hadn’t said anything of value, asked for even more time. he got 7 extra minutes. prince bambi.

Prince Bambi.
Foreigner4hillary

LOL…oh my goodness…John, you’re hilarious!
TruePatriotWarrior

One thing Hillary was wrong about–and she should know–there is no “Red Phone” in the White House. That a call might come at 03:00 hrs over the Red Phone is, therefore, total trash.
TruePatriotWarrior

Foreign policy experience is probably the incorrect term. What will be the foreign policy of either candidate is what is pertinent. The rest is campaign rhetoric and posturing. I dare say that neither candidate will do much in this direction without breaking free of Israel. We were led into this conflict by adopting Israel’s Likdudist view of the Middle-East.
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