One of the big issues in the reign of The Hated George Bush is how he has alienated all the people in the Middle East and lost opportunities. Obama was supposed to be a new approach. He just said, "More of the same."
In the Stephanapolis interview he was asked if his policy in the Middle East would be "building on the Bush policy or a clean break?"
He said, "Well, you know, I think that if you look not just at the Bush administration, but also what happened under the Clinton administration, you are seeing the general outlines of an approach."
Obama is articulate and he knows how to use words. He was directly asked if he would be a break from Bush. His answer is his approad is looking not just at Bush, but "also" Clinton, that is his general plan. I.e., building on the current policies as continued from before.
OKAY: Challenge Time: This was one of the core areas where people attacked Bush. Where is the change you can believe in?
The difference will be if he talks to our friends and allies, and they truly feel they have a partnership with us when it comes the world affairs. They did not with GW.
Regardless of the feelings of other people, Bush has always talked to everyone. We have negotiations going with N. Korea. We have an interest section in Havana that talks to Cuba. We have indirect negotiations with Iran.
You say, "talk to our allies." Which one of our allies did Bush not talk to? I forget. Did he recall the ambassador to France or Italy and break off relations? HE talked to them.
No, the issue is not "talking" to people. It is what your policy is. Obama is continuing with the Bush)/Clinton) Policy in the Middle East.
I didn't say it. He did. If we are hated because of our policies, continuing with the same policies is not going to win friends.
In fact, it is Obama's "9-11 moment," when the world is friendly again, loving the United States again, expecting change, expecting the break with the past, expecting new things.
Trust me - they are not waiting for Bush continuity.
When the world realizes that it is the same old policy, what will they think?
Give it up. If I can paraphrase his own words, No Change You Can Believe In."
Just going by memory of his appearance, I thought he said it was not a good time for the people in the Middle East to be getting two different messages; one from him and one from Bush. You may be right, that he will not make significant changes, but I'm willing to wait and see, after he becomes president. You may be right and you may be wrong.
-- Modified on 1/12/2009 3:51:10 PM
Bush has been perceived to only have tough talk in his arsenal. Perhaps true; perhaps not. Obama seems more interested in listening, as well as talking. Once he hears what they say, it's likely he'll come to a lot of the same conclusions that many others have.
So, that change you can believe in...? I'm guessing it's under the middle shell. No wait, the left one, er, the right one. No, the center one...final answer.
Gosh, now it is Bush talks, but talks tough, and anyway, it is the listening that is important.
BUll
Countries and people will like us or dislike us because of our policies, not because "we talk," "we listen," "we talk, but not tough."
If his policies are the continuation, that will be the deciding factor.
Actually, I am very glad because this is a tacit admission that the policies were okay, even if the style was off.
costs the US economy? Is that the policy that folks don't like?
Winner take all and the US capitalists will kill every person there until that becomes a reality. No matter who the winners are , The US capitalists will be their masters.
The problem is not with the response but with the question. It assumes a black or white condition when the Middle East is vastly more complex than that.
The question does not assume that the Middle East is a "black or white condition." It asks, "regardless of how you characterize the condition, is your approach going to be different?" The listener (Obama) is free to respond, explaining that the condition is complex and therefore needs a different approach.
If Obama sees it in a different way, a more complex way, a more nuanced way - how ever you want to characterize - he can still say, "The condition is different that Simpleton Bush percieved. My approach will be different so as to take those complexities into account and deal with them."
I have spoken to people who are bending over backwards to avoid understanding that Obama said, "I am following the Clinton-Bush path." (My words, not real quote.)
No matter how you try to spin it, saying he will continue the approach used over the last 16 years, is a tacit approval of the policies and approach of the 16 years. And guess whose 8 years are included in the approach he will follow.