I often think that I would be better at covering the political circus if I spent more time developing the skills of a comedian. How do we laugh at this one?
The left, and the Obama campaign in particular, have spent many months promoting the imaginary doctrine of “change.†If you have been through more than two presidential election cycles, you probably realize that the change they really want is a change in the party controlling the White House. Politics is often not too deep. But let’s look at one of the changes Barack Obama has gone through during his candidacy.
To motivate the voters, they’ve spent years asserting that George Bush bungled foreign policy and management of terrorism and war. Their campaign has worked relentlessly to associate John McCain with most every bungle in their rhetorical basket. Electing John McCain they said, would mean four more years of George Bush.
There has been a key point in this attack, one Barack Obama raised as an important distinction in the kind of president he would be – a central slogan epitomizing the change he would bring in the critical role of Commander-in-Chief. Barack Obama claimed he would be a more diplomatic world leader, holding meetings with enemies of the West such as the president of Iran. The Friday night debate on foreign policy and security, with natural connections to international macro-economics, told a different story.
The table was turned. It was John McCain this time insisting on the important difference that Obama himself had defined during his campaign – pressing Obama to clarify. Obama’s tactic was agreement. Each time McCain mentioned a difference between the two, Obama insisted it was wrong, emphasizing that his own position is supported by actions taken by the Bush administration and supported by McCain advisors. “I’m using the same words that your advisers use,†he insisted in retort.
When pressed on details, Barack Obama emphasized his agreement with John McCain, even incorporating the words of McCain advisor Henry Kissinger on diplomacy. This led to a spirited exchange about which candidate correctly represented Kissinger’s views. “We’ll take a look,†quipped Obama. Kissinger was interviewed on Saturday by Foxnews, confirming that John McCain was correct on all points.
The more things change, the more they stay the same? It doesn’t quite seem like it to me. George Bush has made some tough decisions as Commander-in-Chief and it’s no secret that not everyone in the world has agreed with them. But he has been clear in his dealings. Bush publicly warned Saddam Hussein that military action would result if he did not comply with UN Security Council resolutions, and we believed him. A credible threat of force is often essential to any attempt at diplomacy with tyrants who actively disrupt world peace. How will the game of chicken work with Russia for example, if our president can only be counted on to buckle and change under pressure?
