home
Obama Adds Nato and Europe to Campaign Speeches | 68 comments (68 topical)

Readers Must Login or Create an Account to Comment

I want to see the actual Obama quote... (5.00 / 3) (#26)
by p lukasiak on Sat Mar 01, 2008 at 02:53:56 PM EST
...before I draw any conclusions from what Obama said, because IMHO the description of his statement (NATO allies need to do more, especially of the 'dirty work') makes it obvious that he doesn't understand how the world works, and how diplomacy works.

There are key differences between what Clinton said (basically, that when she's president, the US will do all it can to succeed in Afghanistan, but it will also expect the help of its NATO allies), and the description of what Obama said.

And this doesn't cut it:

"It is also important for us to send a signal that we're going to be listening to them when it comes to policies that they find objectionable," he said, "Iraq being at the top of the list."

Its condescending, and putting Iraq at the top of the list is completely tone deaf.   Iraq isn't at the top of Europe's list of problems it has with US policies... Iraq is a US problem, not a European one.  And if there is a non-European issue that Europe has a hard time with, its US policy toward the Palestine/Israel conflict.   And seriously, Obama is going to 'listen' about Iraq, when both Obama and Europe already pretty much agree that US policy sucks.  How very generous of him.

[ Parent ]

Both quotes (none / 0) (#30)
by andrewwm on Sat Mar 01, 2008 at 03:01:19 PM EST
are just brief AP-style summaries of what the candidates said. I think you're reading way more into the meaning than what is possible from these short quotes.

And it's clear that our rift with Europe started because of Iraq. Saying that we want to hear their opinion, especially on an issue we've been shutting them out on, is now considered a bad thing?

[ Parent ]

Here's how AP treats quotes: (5.00 / 1) (#44)
by echinopsia on Sat Mar 01, 2008 at 03:56:02 PM EST
If it's between double quotes, it is exactly, verbatim, what the person said.  There are strict rules about this - to misquote, summarize, or invent anything between double quotes and attribute it as a direct quote is forbidden and potentially actionable.


 Saying that we want to hear their opinion, especially on an issue we've been shutting them out on, is now considered a bad thing?

No, but saying we want to hear their opinion, when one has not made the effort to hear them by holding Senate subcommittee meetings on Europe because one is too busy campaigning for president, is highly hypocritical.

[ Parent ]

top of the list (none / 0) (#33)
by p lukasiak on Sat Mar 01, 2008 at 03:06:13 PM EST
Saying that we want to hear their opinion, especially on an issue we've been shutting them out on, is now considered a bad thing?

no, saying its at the top of the list is a bad thing....completely tone deaf, because it says that US priorities will determine the agenda.

[ Parent ]

You know (none / 0) (#35)
by andrewwm on Sat Mar 01, 2008 at 03:09:46 PM EST
there are still quite a few coalition of the willing countries still left in Europe. For starters, our main ally, the UK. So I would assume that they still have things they want to say about Iraq.

[ Parent ]
A European (none / 0) (#56)
by Warren Terrer on Sat Mar 01, 2008 at 05:28:58 PM EST
agrees with you.

[ Parent ]

Obama Adds Nato and Europe to Campaign Speeches | 68 comments (68 topical)

Readers Must Login or Create an Account to Comment

  • Premium Ads

  • Blog Ads

  • Contribute To TalkLeft

    donate to TalkLeft