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McCain on Obama: Inexperienced, But "I Didn't Say He Wasn't a Smart Politician"
June 01, 2008 10:40 AM
Another typically illuminating interview from The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg, this one with Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. HERE and HERE. Lots of good stuff in there, but I particularly liked the conversation about Sen. Barack Obama's stated willingness to meet unconditionally with dictators of rogue nations hostile to the U.S. One excerpt: MCCAIN: Senator Obama likes to refer to President Kennedy going to Vienna. Most historians see that as a serious mistake, which encouraged Khrushchev to build the Berlin Wall and to send missiles to Cuba. Another example is Richard Nixon going to China. I’ve forgotten how many visits Henry Kissinger made to China, and how every single word was dictated beforehand. More importantly, he went to China because China was then a counterweight to a greater threat, the Soviet Union. What is a greater threat in the Middle East than Iran today? Senator Obama is totally lacking in experience, so therefore he makes judgments such as saying he would sit down with someone like Ahmadinejad without comprehending the impact of such a meeting. I know that his naivete and lack of experience is on display when he talks about sitting down opposite Hugo Chavez or Raul Castro or Ahmadinejad…. GOLDBERG: What is the difference between an American president negotiating with Ahmadinejad and Ehud Olmert negotiating with the Syrians? MCCAIN: You don’t see him sitting down opposite Bashar, do you? (Bashar al-Assad is president of Syria.) I mean, that’s the point here. It was perfectly fine that Ryan Crocker spoke with the Iranian ambassador in Baghdad. The point is you don’t give legitimacy by lending prestige of a face-to-face meeting, with no preconditions. GOLDBERG: But Obama has shifted off that position. MCCAIN: Sure, and the next time he sees where he’s wrong, maybe he’ll shift again. The point is is that he doesn’t understand. Look, in the primary, he was unequivocal in his statements. And now he realizes that it’s not a smart thing to say. I didn’t say he wasn’t a smart politician. Read the whole thing HERE and HERE. - jpt
June 1, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (58)
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BEN...
its amazing, that the politicians that actually HAVE common sense, dont get a shot. ron paul HAS COMMON SENSE IDEAS. aside from immediately pulling out of iraq(which might have worse consequenses than going in there in the first place), he has common sense. something that our politicians and citizens to a great extent, have lost. i mean, for the last 31 out of 35 years, our government has SPENT MORE THAN IT HAS TAKEN IN IN TAXES. is there any common sense in that?? where does the rest of the money come from?? i wish democrats would look at this. while universal health care SOUNDS all fine and dandy, where does the cash come from?! we simply dont have it. (not to mention the fact that I dont want the government in charge of my health care!) thats just one example. but why do these canidates not get a shot in hell? why dont the COMMON SENSE canidates ever get taken seriously??
Posted by: tim | Jun 1, 2008 1:16:56 PM
Obama is the man with good judgement and leadership ability. I do believe that he can restore America credibility to the outside world.
OBAMA '08
Posted by: I.A.T. Smith | Jun 1, 2008 1:12:10 PM
Obama is the man with good judgement and leadership ability. I do believe that he can restore America credibility to the outside world.
OBAMA '08
Posted by: I.A.T. Smith | Jun 1, 2008 1:12:04 PM
tim - Of course I agree. That is why this election will be exciting. I only am speculating, but who knows. The dems have certainly been much more motivated during the primaries than the republicans. You are correct in saying that the economy is in trouble because of our spending. It is just tough convincing the masses that spending is the culprit.
Posted by: Ben Straub | Jun 1, 2008 1:11:29 PM
Jo, Comparing graduating from the Naval Academy to graduating from Harvard is a stretch. You DONT have to be incredibly intelligent to get into the Naval Academy, just extremely willing to die for your country. I am not denegrating those who serve either, because I was in the Navy myself, and because of that, I can assure you, some of those zeros coming out of the academy are dumber than a box of rocks.
Posted by: JJ | Jun 1, 2008 1:10:58 PM
JS - I remember the media talking about the platforms of Obama, Clinton, McCain and Paul. They talked about how the next budget under new leadership would compare to Bush's current budget. Obama +250 billion, Clinton +230 billion, McCain +60 billion, and Paul -150 billion. The first two will send us into greater debt, but our nation accepts that since most are up to their eyeballs in personal credit card debt. McCain would be better but he wants to bomb Iran, and the latter of course moves us in the correct direction. You are correct they promise what they cannot give unless of course China and others are willing to continue funding us. They pander what else is new.
Posted by: Ben Straub | Jun 1, 2008 1:07:48 PM
BEN...
i agree with you except for obama winning. im a conservative, and i didnt want mccain as a canidate. i think alot of conservatives feel this way, but i think when it comes down to it, america CANT and WONT go that far left with a president. especially one who dosnt have the experience. i mean, we are at a very crucial time in our history. while i dont know if mccain will be the guy to make the necessary changes (more than likely not) he is absolutley the only one who is even close to having normal ideas. i think, and history shows, that when it comes down to the wire, americans will vote for what they know. someone with experience. im not saying its exactly right, but thats the way history has done it. if only the democrats would have put up a semi conservative canidate. ( not a BLACK man, and a white WOMAN with sooo much baggage. not good planning.)
Posted by: tim | Jun 1, 2008 1:06:23 PM
Obama is very risky for the country.
He is dot com stock.
Posted by: golfgirlusa | Jun 1, 2008 1:03:10 PM
Obama never promised recovery of economy and his healthcare is faulty. So, delivering the underpromise and talking about right and wrong and talking about ethics and not voting properly in the senate really makes him a great polititian. Well some voters like those pampering talks. Who can debate that?
Posted by: JS | Jun 1, 2008 1:01:04 PM
tim - Well said. I believe at this point that Obama will win the presidency, and I pray that he does a good job. I would hope whomever gets in there makes good policy choices for all of our benefit. This election will be exciting. It would be awesome if third party candidates got significant vote tallies.
Posted by: Ben Straub | Jun 1, 2008 12:58:48 PM
KATE...
do you really think the "vietnam vets against mccain" thing is really an issue??!! i mean, thats something you think is a valid argument in NOT voting for him?! do you hear john mccain going aroung talking about how he was a vietnam vet and a POW so you should vote for me?? cmon, stick to the REAL issues if your going to debate on who is the right canidate. there is NOTHING from john mccain's military past that cant be viewd as a positive on the man he is, and how it changed him as a man. period.
Posted by: tim | Jun 1, 2008 12:56:56 PM
BEN...
you bring up a good point. we do need some fresh ideas in washington. the 9 trillion in debt has been going on for decades now from both sides of the aisle. ron paul would be a good change i think. he would cut ALOT of the wasteful spending. which is the biggest problem we have right now. it would be nice if democrats would realize this. QUALITY universal health care and all of the other b.s. they think the government should be in control over dosnt cost that much right??!! idiots.
Posted by: tim | Jun 1, 2008 12:51:36 PM
In my opinion all of this great experience has gotten the US in a war we started, and has put us 9 trillion in debt. This so called experience is destroying us. Bring on the fresh faces and Ron Paul.
Posted by: Ben Straub | Jun 1, 2008 12:45:13 PM
i would agree with mccain... obama IS a smart politician. for now.. lol. this is the first time he has been on the national spotlight. now take a look at how much controversy has been around him. look at how many times he has had to explain his past ridiculous comments. look at how many times, just in this campaign, he has changed his views on what he has said before. this is all due to lack of experience. so then he gets criticized by so many people, he realizes he screwed up and he is advised (dont think for a second he makes these decisions on his own)then he has to go and backtrack and change his views. there is no disputing this. theres nothing wrong with being inexperienced. its just that. he dosent have the experience. maybe he should have waited till 2012 to run for president.
Posted by: tim | Jun 1, 2008 12:45:05 PM
JO
Obama will be the 44th POTUS
Posted by: Kate | Jun 1, 2008 12:42:14 PM
Obama got the attention of David Brooks and George Will today.
Watch and learn McCain.
Obama08
Posted by: Thinking | Jun 1, 2008 12:40:15 PM
UGH...
senile president... thats what you have to bash him on?! too cute..
Posted by: tim | Jun 1, 2008 12:34:50 PM
McCain is wrong!
Obama is NOT a smart politician. Anyone who has Rev Wright, Pfleger & Ayers in their closets and wants to run for president isn't too smart.
So now what does he have? Oh yeah, pretty speeches. Lol.
Posted by: Jo | Jun 1, 2008 12:30:57 PM
Kate will be one unhappy camper on election day when Obama gets pummeled in the election. Maybe Father Pfleger and Jeremiah Wright can console both of them.
President McCain - get use to it!
Posted by: Jo | Jun 1, 2008 12:29:50 PM
Don't you just love it when someone mentions Vietnam and leaves out the key facts!
Why did Nixon retreat? It was from the anti-war pressure and the democrats that forced him to.
After the cut and run that the democrats forced, nearly 3 million Indochinese were murdered after we left.
Worth repeating, 3,000,000 citizens were slaughtered from the result of the cut and run antiwar, kumbya tree-huggin hippies!
Posted by: GTA | Jun 1, 2008 12:19:47 PM
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