Wednesday, May 14, 2008
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Barack Obama: Middle East Expert
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Posted by:
Mary Katharine Ham at
10:49 AM
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Just compare the coverage of this to the McCain's Sunni/Shia terror funding "gaffe" of a couple months ago, which of course was actually not that much of a gaffe at all since terror funding crosses such religious lines frequently:
Obama posited -- incorrectly -- that Arabic translators deployed in Iraq are needed in Afghanistan -- forgetting, momentarily, that Afghans don't speak Arabic.
"We only have a certain number of them and if they are all in Iraq, then its harder for us to use them in Afghanistan," Obama said.
The vast majority of military translators in both war zones are drawn from the local population.
Naturally they speak the local language. In Iraq, that's Arabic or Kurdish. In Afghanistan, it's any of a half dozen other languages -- including Pashtu, Dari, and Farsi. And, then again:
"We need agricultural specialists in Afghanistan, people who can help them develop other crops than heroin poppies, because the drug trade in Afghanistan is what is driving and financing these terrorist networks. So we need agricultural specialists," he said.
So far, so good.
"But if we are sending them to Baghdad, they're not in Afghanistan," Obama said.
Iraq has many problems, but encouraging farmers to grow food instead of opium poppies isn't one of them. In Iraq, oil fields not poppy fields are a major source of U.S. technical assistance. Combine this with the fact that even Obama's most committed foreign policy supporters admit his entire philosophy is "accidental," and you've got a real recipe for geopolitical success, here. That is, if you like your success crispy and nuked with a side of smoked Western civilization. Yummy!
Now, with as much flack as the Left has given the Bush administration (sometimes rightly) for its incomplete understanding of the Middle East before moving into Iraq and the high premium they place on Obama's superior "judgment" on such matters, don't you think this comment from him will get a ton of coverage from Left blogs and Chris Matthews? Yep, I'm waiting.
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I sincerely believe Obama backed into his current stated views:
1) Coming from Harvard wanting to get into the political scene - Obama connects with Rev Wright (give him street cred) and William Ayers (Fund-raising and leftist elite in Chicago). All goes well for Obama until he runs for President. Then has to shed these liabilities.
2) Obama was against the war (before he voted to fund the war). As a state legislator Obama says he was against the war...granted he never voted on the Iraq War Resolution. Mighty convenient to say he was against it - which becomes the entire basis for his superior "Judgement" (oh and ignore item #1)
3) Obama's foreign policy experience - living in Indonesia when he was 8. His father being African. Should we also note Obama has the endorsement of Hamas, their phone banking efforts, his campaign staffer visiting Hamas? Probably not as Obama thinks *that fact* is a smear. If you question Obama's foreign policy experience - see #2, ignore #1.
4) Obama's repeated pledge to meet with our enemies without conditions. Obama uses his superior "judgement" to say he would NOT meet with Hamas because they don't recognize Israel as a legitimate state. But it's ok to meet with Syrian and Iranian leaders - nevermind they SPONSOR Hamas and Hezbollah. Again - see item #2, ignore #1.
Obama's projected foreign policy is the type which would coddle Israel's enemies, embolden them, and would respond with "dialogue" while bombs land in Israeli cities.
IMPORTANT UNRELATED NOTE: Mary Kate Ham is georgeous!!
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You can sum up Obama's foreign policy in one word: "DUH". The same will probably work for his domestic policy if he ever actually is forced to give specifics on what that would be. |
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M-Kat wrote;
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"...don't you think this comment from him will get a ton of coverage from Left blogs and Chris Matthews? Yep, I'm waiting."
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I'm sure that Chris Matthews is too busy with that "tingly feeling" going up his leg, to bother with "distractions" such as whether or not Obama knows which languages are spoken where.
Obama could have insisted we need to send L-a-t-i-n translators to L-a-t-i-n America, and Matthews would still sit there in front of the camera with that big goofy "When Harry Met Sally" smile on his face.
It's rather scary to envision Obama being handed the keys to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Nonetheless, the obsessive angry far right wingers who spit on McCain in the Townhall threads on a daily basis keep telling us that a President Obama wouldn't really be "all that bad."
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Obama's a quick learner, while McCain should know better by now than to make the kind of flubs he makes. I'll take the judgment of opposing the war from the beginning any day. How many straws did you get in that reach? |
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Obama’s foreign policy experience, childhood in Indonesia, backpacking in Pakistan, Granny in an African hut, etc… is just one big Holiday Inn commercial. “No, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express.”
Another thing… Michelle Obama’s constant whining about their college debts; Does it really take twenty years to pay it off? We want to entrust the Greatest Economy in the World/History to someone who needed twenty years, a Harvard Law degree, and a book advance to pay off college debts? Meanwhile W was an idiot with only a Harvard MBA, Oil company, the Texas Rangers and the Governor of Texas under his belt.
Oh, but wait… Obama’s domestic policy experience, He did stay at a Holiday Inn Express.
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Kimberlie,
What kind of puritanical universe are you residing in, honey ?
You really think that the Duke lacrosse team watching a stripper is somehow evil ?
And your world is upset because Bill O'Reilly dropped the F bomb ?!
In the next thread, you'll be whining that you're contemplating filing for divorce because...you can't train your husband to put the cap back on the toothpaste !
Don't look now, sugar, but misogynist Jihadists are trying to acquire nuclear weapons---those are the "F bombs" that you should worry your pretty little head about. |
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You wrote, "Obama's a quick learner".
I would completely agree with your premise: Obama doesn't have experience. He is *HOPE*-ing that on-the-job experience will work out.
Actually, Roy. If you follow American Politics you would have know John McCain was a vocal critic of the President and his Iraq Strategy. McCain always said we needed to use the Surge Approach (much sooner than Bush agreed) - which has since worked to quell much of the violence.
I think most Americans will disagree with you, though. We don't need to risk the Presidency with someone needing job-training. |
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Obama was actually right about what he said (and you can see the details in the update). |
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Barack Obama seems to be the master of the "gaffe." He is constantly opening his mouth, revealing that it was previously displaced with his foot, only to report that what he said is not what he meant and besides it wasn't me, it was a member of my staff.
One can only wonder if this "classless" act will survive until November or will he be plucked from the stage by the gaff. |
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is it just me or is Mary Katharine not drop dead gorgeous? and she's so smart. I wish i were a little bit younger.....
as for obama and his witless moron of a wife; black or white, isn't it funny how the democrats only put forth complete losers for the white house?
Last time around it was Kerry, before that it was ALGORE, inventor of the internet. you never hear their names anymore. I suspect we'll be saying the same thing about Hussein in less than a year, if we're all lucky.
Just another ridiculous excuse for a candidate, it's laughable if you ask me. it just shows how stupid the left in america is.
something tells me we'll be hearing about how ignorant this man is until November when he loses, i hope by a landslide or my faith in the mentality of America will be shaken.
McCain 08!
p.s. how come this poll worker chanting 'this is obama's house" is getting absolutely NO tv coverage. i'm surprised the ACLU hasn't sought an injunction against youtube for allowing it to stay up. |
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My favorite is Obama said he had been to all 57 states. |
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This is consistent with his "expert" leadership on Afghanistan and NATO operations. (he lived there once didn't he? - which more than qualifies him on foreign policy) |
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While there might be a pattern, they also put for their biggest liberals and then proceed to say they are SO mainstream. |
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Wow, we should all be so lucky to grad from Haavaad etc. and be so freekin smart...
Arrogance and Elitism knows no bounds!
I guess that is what is taught at the leftist halls of academia. |
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