Today was probably the best day Obama has had since he started his campaign more than a year ago. Bush's reprehensible (but not surprising) remarks in front of the Knesset comparing "some senators" who want to negotiate with our enemies to Neville Chamberlain's policy of "appeasement" towards Hilter in Munich in 1938 gave Obama an incredibly rich opening to shape the debate on American foreign policy. And today, he did just that, proving once again, that he will be a remarkable candidate and if elected, an era-changing president.
For Bush to mention Hitler on the 60th anniversary of Israel's establishment and to launch this political attack on foreign soil is probably unprecedented. But nothing can surprise me anymore coming from this utter failure of a man. This is the man who through his cowboy diplomacy emboldened Iran, by removing its secular rival regime in Iraq, enabled Hamas to come to power in Gaza and then cut off all aid to the Gazans even though it was his administration that insisted on having the elections (despite the warnings of Israel). This is the man who on a visit to an amputee clinic in Texas in June 2006, housing veterans of the Iraq war, tried to identify with their pain by stating: "As you can possibly see, I have an injury myself--not here at the hospital, but in combat with a cedar. I eventually won. The cedar gave me a little scratch" (Amputee Care Center, San Antonio Texas, 1 June 2006). Just the few hours before he made the offensive speech to the Knesset, he said in an interview to Politico.com that he gave up golfing to commiserate with parents who lost their loved ones in Iraq: "I don't want some mom whose son may have recently died to see the commander in chief playing golf. I feel I owe it to the families to be in solidarity as best as I can with them. And I think playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal."
In his brilliant and appropriately aggressive remarks, Obama responded by hitting all the right notes: 1) Bush's idiotic cowboy behavior has made us less safe, emboldening Iran, putting Hamas into power, and allowing N. Korea to develop a nuclear weapon. 2) Bush's foreign policy has been an aberration of the American tradition of negotiating with one's enemies as it was practiced by most presidents, including JFK (with Khruschev during the Cuban missile crisis), Ronald Regan (with Gorbachev), and Nixon in meeting with Mao. In his profoundly informed and thoughtful response, Obama showed once again why he is such a remarkable man and a perfect president to follow the disastrous 8 years of Bush-Cheney.
If the Americans take a second to turn off their "Dancing with Stars," and Fox news, and listen to what Obama has to say (and I think many of them are tuning in), Obama will certainly be the next president of the United States. I think today, he is one huge step closer to this as he has defined the terms of the debate which the Democrats cannot lose.
Every time I listen to Obama, I feel proud to be American!
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5 comments:
Fuck Kentucky!
yeah tell me about it. But what do you expect? My mother had a heated argument with her coworker (a black woman) who said she would not vote for him cause he is Muslim. This is the same women who voted for Bush twice! The ignorance really is the greatest violence perpetrated on the people of this country.
But my county--Jefferson County--including Louisville went for Obama: 56% It is also the most educated county in the state. Which confirms my belief: education=support for progressive policies. It's a fact
I agree, better education usually leads to progressive politics. However, it would be false to draw the inference that "the more intelligent, the more leftist/radical," for obvious reasons.
I was just giving you shit. But, I will remind you, Alabama went for Obama.
Oh you are absolutely right there. I wasn't talking about intelligence as I think most people are naturally intelligent, but they lack the means to actualize this intelligence which is where education comes in.
And I was glad for Alabama to go for Obama and I have to say it might be in play this fall. Or do you think this is overly optimistic. Also some other states in play: Louisana, Missouri and definately Iowa?
Louisiana, Iowa, and Missouri will be in play, but not Miss and AL.
I think education, as far as having a PhD, is a bit overrated - even though I am now "in the club." I think someone who is autodidactic can be as insightful and intelligent as a PhD from an Ivy league school, especially considering the intellectual mediocrities that I've observed that hold such credentials.
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