Obama showcases foreign policy at NH forum

Obama is a remarkably refreshing American politician.

However, it is a good measure of how deep in the shadows American public opinion is that anything he says on foreign policy is viewed as anything other than plain truth.

To much of the world's people, the things he says are so well accepted they are taken for granted.

As for much of the rest of the packs in both parties, many things said sound like 1960, just with a few nouns changed.

Obama's only experience in foreign policy is deciding which kind of sushi to order in a Japanese restaurant. And Hillary doesn't have any more, even with her and Chelsea's shopping trips to other countries at taxpayer expense.

I am sure they all believe that Obama is the best foerien policy guy and are not just supporting him because he promised them jobs if he wins. That is how it gets done in Cook County.

This question of experience is really starting to get old. The only candidates on either side of the aisle that have foreign policy expereince are Biden & Richardson.

Nothing can prepare you for the Presidency, it is a unique job.

From my perspective, Obama and his foreign policy hacks (many from the former Clinton administration just dying to get back into the game) are a little too concerned about what the rest of the world thinks about us.

Like it or not, the US is the world's most powerful and richest country, although recent economic events suggest that we may not be the richest for too much longer.

In any case, everybody wants a piece of us. Billions around the world
want to immigrate here, legally or illegally. Everybody wants our foreign aid--as many billions of our taxpayer dollars as possible, with extra billions thrown in for their leaders' Swiss bank accounts (imagine what Al Maliki's account looks like right now). And everybody wants Big Daddy USA to settle their fights--Iraq, the Middle East, the Balkans, Israel and so on.
Not to mention the zillions of Islamists who want to kill as many of us as possible. And the oil-rich Russians who want their world power back at our expense.

And into this, we are going to send Obama promising gadzillions of our taxpayer
money and democracy and open borders to everybody.
On the dime of our own citizens and to the detriment of huge internal
needs for housing, education, and health care.

Better think about that.

Hmmm, in one Swamp item on Giuliani, Nisleib says he is concerned about Giulian's foreign policy experience. Here, Nisleibe excuses Obama's lack of experience.

Also, Richardson and Biden have the most on both sides of the aisle? McCain has a fair amount of foreign policy experience as does Romney in a way. Heading up the Olympic Committee takes much diplomacy and skill, and Romney's accomplishments on that front were well recognized.

Obama has fumbled many questions on foreign policy. And, again, living overseas at age 8 does not count.

Helena-

Might makes right, the rest of the world be damned?

Sorry, but if you want a plan to ensure that the US declines in power and prestige, that's it. Empires don't last. Isolationism is a fantasy. We are engaged with the rest of the world whether we like it or not. What affects them affects us.

Helena, that statement is incorrect. The EU is richer than the US by a wide margin, and is more powerful in non-military means. This is no the time to indulge in fantasy.

Benjamin, the EU is richer than the U.S., and "by a wide margin?" What are you smoking?

No, might doesn't make right.

But turning foreign policy into a souped-up (and MUCH more expensive) version of the Peace Corps isn't the way to go either. We need a tough sophisticated foreign policy which doesn't see the solution to everything as giving away billions of taxpayer dollars for both guns and butter and spending a lot of time
kibbitzing with really sleazy, corrupt world leaders.

My mistake, the numbers are 15.8 and 13.7, not 17 and 15. Same point though.

http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2007/01/data/weorept.aspx?pr.x=48&pr.y=13&sy=2004&ey=2008&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=998&s=NGDPD%2CPPPWGT&grp=1&a=1
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2007/01/data/weorept.aspx?pr.x=57&pr.y=6&sy=2004&ey=2008&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=111&s=NGDP%2CPPPWGT&grp=0&a=

We can be patriotic without pretending to be superior to everybody else.

Regarding Clinton's jab, it seems that the need for change has never been so strong since WWII, either!

Benjamin, I believe Helena said "richer than any country", not richer than a bloc of 27 countries.

I see Helena, not guns and butter, just guns. No diplomacy, just destruction.

Yeah, that's a brilliant plan. I'm sure that there couldn't be any negative reprecussions making the primary form of US foreign activity being bombing and destruction.

But we'd be "tough", that's more important than a having a policy that might actually bring results for americans and non-american's alike.

Columnist Mrk Steyn's take on St. Barack is priceless:

"“Change can’t just be a slogan,” says Senator Obama, who’s committed to a Democratic party “that doesn’t just offer change as a slogan but real, meaningful change, change that America can believe in. That’s why I’m in this race, that’s why I’m running for the presidency of the United States, to offer change that we can believe in.”

Any cynical hack pol can offer change as a slogan, but Senator Obama’s offering “Change You Can Believe In” as a slogan. It’s on the side of his “Change You Can Believe In” campaign bus. “I don’t want to settle,” he declared in Bettendorf, Iowa, “for anything less than real change, fundamental change, change we need, change we can believe in.” Obama is reshaping the debate: He’s changing the way we think about change. As his chief strategist, James Axelrod, told Politico, the senator is arguing for “real and authentic change, not synthetic change.” He’s passionately opposed to “synthetic change,” mentioning no names. If you’re looking for a synthetic-change candidate, sorry, he’s not your guy. Include him out. He’ll change his hair, he’ll change his tie, but he won’t change his fierce righteous opposition to synthetic change.

In the stirring words that conclude his new TV ad in New Hampshire: “This is Barack Obama. I approve this message to ask you to believe — not just in my ability to bring about real change in Washington. I’m asking you to believe in yours.” ...“I am here,” Obama told the crowd at the Jefferson-Jackson dinner, “because I feel a fierce urgency that the time for change is now.”

Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. The Democrats are the party of stasis: On affirmative action, there can be no change; on abortion absolutism, there can be no change; even on a less cobwebbed shibboleth such as the Iraq War, there can be no change — they’ve booked the band and caterers for the big Defeat Parade and no matter what happens on the ground in Baghdad and Anbar they’re not going to change their plans."

John D-

None of the leading candidates (with the possible exception of McCain, if you consider him a leading candidate) have any foreign policy experience. Hillary, Obama, Mitt, and Rudy are all novices. That is all right, that is almost always the case. When was the last time we had a President who walked into the Oval Office loaded with foreign policy experince? Eisenhower maybe?

What you need to look at is who they will have advising them. On another thread I pointed out that Guiliani has chosen stark raving mad foreign policy advisors.

And how do you get that I am forgiving Obama from the post upthread?

Since Obama's idea of change is that Americans shouldn't include cynicism on the food pyramid, Mark Steyn only plays into his narrative. Even if change is a slogan, it is miles better than the gridlock that is ruining our country's future. Yes, gridlock from liberals and conservatives alike.

It is obvious that no-one commenting here on the forum actually watched this amazing event on the Internet. Obama and this panel were most impressive and it was refreshing to hear a candidate give specifics on an important issue like foreign policy instead of doubletalk. I believe if people are going to comment they might make an effort to actually be informed.

You would do well to watch the video of this forum. It was ASTOUNDING in its breadth. I am appalled that the MSM doesn't cover something like this, which actually informs the public about a candidate's stand on the issues.

If any of you have any doubt about his abilities, take some time to view and listen to these people. They know, they care and they believe honestly that Obama should be the next commander in chief.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post_group/ObamaHQ/Cx7J

I'd like to put my two cents in on this argument Helena brought up. I agree that yes, America is far and away the world's greatest power (rise of India, China, Russia notwithstanding). So in that sense she has a point that we may have to take actions other countries don't like to serve our legitimate interests. However, I think Helena's characterization of Obama is completely made-up. When has he ever indicated he wants to give out more aid and would never use the military? He is just a common-sense guy, who has already committed to a more aggressive pursuit of Al Queda in Pakistan. Don't confuse him with a bleeding heart liberal, because he is not one.

footballer

Joe Biden had the folling to say about Barack Obama's first year in office and made an interesting prediction.

"He's going to need help... We're going to need you to use your influence, your influence in the community, to stand with him, because it's not going to be apparent initially, its not going to be apparent that we were right... because all these decisions, all these decisons once their made, if they work, then they weren't viewed as a crisis... if they don't work its viewed as you didn't make the right decision..."

This to me seems that Joe Biden is asking for nothing less than for people of influence to use their influence to help the public perception of Barack Obama, just in case things don't go well, or are not viewed favorably by the American people.

Is Joe Biden conceding that things are not going to ge well in the first year of a potential Barack Obama presidency? Biden then spoke about what it would be like a year from now...

"This guy has it. But he's gonna need your help. Because I promise you, you all are gonna be sitting here a year from now going, 'Oh my God, why are they there in the polls? Why is the polling so down? Why is this thing so tough?' We're gonna have to make some incredibly tough decisions in the first two years. So I'm asking you now, I'm asking you now, be prepared to stick with us. Remember the faith you had at this point because you're going to have to reinforce us."

Biden continues...

"There are gonna be a lot of you who want to go, 'Whoa, wait a minute, yo, whoa, whoa, I don't know about that decision'"

This was after Joe Biden had already said to this group of Barack Obama supporters...

"Mark my words. It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy. The world is looking. We’re about to elect a brilliant 47-year-old senator president of the United States of America." he told a fundraising crowd in the Pacific Northwest on Sunday. "Remember I said it standing here if you don’t remember anything else I said. Watch, we’re gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy."

Joe Biden continued...

"He’s gonna have to make some really tough - I don’t know what the decision’s gonna be, but I promise you it will occur. As a student of history and having served with seven presidents, I guarantee you it’s gonna happen."

These remarks were not generic remarks about whoever the next president might be, but rather these remarks were specifically about Barack Obama! This is no mere gaffe! This is Senator Joe Biden portraying how he see events playing out in a Barack Obama presidency!

It's time to stop making excuses for Joe Biden, and take him at his word. At the end of all this Senator Joe Biden said...

"I probably shouldn't have said all this because it dawned on me that the press is here."