Which raises the question: Who are the bad guys rooting for in 2008? John McCain would have you believe the answer is clear. Barack Obama wants to meet with the leaders of enemy states, especially Iran, "which would increase their prestige," McCain says, and convey the impression of American weakness. To punctuate the point, McCain persistently barks that Obama wants to meet with the Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a flagrant anti-Semite but a relatively powerless figurehead. Obama did say during a debate last summer that he would meet with foreign leaders without preconditions. "He shorthanded the answer," Senator Joe Biden recently said. Ever since, Obama has been creatively fuzzy when asked directly if he would meet with Ahmadinejad — and he has begun to point out that the real leaders of Iran are the clerics led by the Supreme Leader Ayatullah Ali Khamenei, who controls Iran's foreign policy and its nuclear program. Obama has also been explicit about the need to start with lower-level talks, a presidential summit coming only if there were progress in those negotiations. In his previous, straight-talking incarnation, McCain would have allowed Obama the modifications to his shorthand answer and debated the issue on the merits. Not this year.
When I asked McCain on May 19 why he kept linking Obama to Ahmadinejad, he said that Ahmadinejad represents Iran at the U.N., which is a fair point, and that the "average American" thinks he's the leader of Iran, which he isn't. Indeed, it could be argued that McCain's Ahmadinejad obsession "increases the prestige" of a relatively powerless loudmouth for domestic political gain. Linking Obama to the world's most famous anti-Semite certainly doesn't hurt McCain among Jewish retirees in Florida, a swing state. In any case, don't be surprised if Ahmadinejad pulls a bin Laden and "denounces" McCain just before the election this year.
Why? Because the last thing Iran's leaders want is an American President who doesn't play the role of the Great Satan. They need the mirage of an implacable, saber-rattling foe to distract their population from the utter incompetence of their government. An American President who said, "Let's talk," would lead an awful lot of Iranians to ask their leaders, "Why aren't you talking?" That was certainly the case after the reformer Mohammed Khatami won a surprise landslide election to become the Iranian President in 1997. The Clinton Administration began making quiet diplomatic overtures toward Khatami, and a handshake between Clinton and him was choreographed for the 2000 U.N. General Assembly meeting — but Khatami backed out at the last minute, under pressure from his clerical superiors. In recent Iranian elections, the mullahs have made sure that reformers like Khatami were ineligible to run for the presidency and the Iranian parliament — although there are indications that Khamenei considers Ahmadinejad to be an unnecessarily bellicose embarrassment ahttp://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1808467,00.html
Iran Hopes McCain Wins
Discussion in 'Political Debate & Discussion' started by Crabtownboy, May 23, 2008.
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Crabtownboy Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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Bottom line.
You have no proof of your assertion, and...
I don't care who Iran or anyone else wants for President of the U.S. It just doesn't matter.
...Although most terrorists generally favor democrats, who are most likely to be appeasement oriented. -
If they are republican then you can look past it but if Dem then it's because they are appeasement oriented. -
;)
Yours is just the reverse.
Only difference is I have plenty of examples of democrat appeasement...but you won't consider it proof at all. That ol' double standard again.(yours this time) -
So because Iran's leader wants a saber rattler to be elected for their own political protection we should vote for a man who in the course of 1 week said that Iran is both NOT a threat and IS a threat to the world.
Who cares what they want? Not me. Apparently Time cares. Maybe even people in the Czech Republic care, but I don't. -
You are putting words in my mouth and actions to my charge. I would hope I am open minded enough to view all points without bias. That is after all the only way to come to solid decision based solely on the facts.
The more I think about it the more I think maybe we should hear what the terrorist have to say. We have certainly acknowledged they are a valid group since we've devoted an entire war to stop them. Maybe, just maybe we can negotiate a peace and save face at the same time??? -
Revmitchell Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
Pretty dangerous mindset. -
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JSM III would continue President Bush's foreign policy. The Middle Eastern/South Asian country that has benefited the most from President Bush's foreign policy has been Iran. It is in a much stronger position after the removal of Saddam Hussein than it was before.
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Revmitchell Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
At first I thought you was serious. :laugh: -
Your hopes are in vain. -
Hmmmm...
Could be.
How many terrorists attacks have we had in the U.S. since 911? -