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Talking About Foreign Policy? May I See Your Passport, Please?
Sen. John McCain has stated categorically that Sen. Barack Obama should not have the audacity to offer his ideas on foreign policy without first going to the country in question.
Like McCain did with his highly publicized stroll down a block in the heavily fortified Geen Zone to a pre-swept market, wearing a flak jacket, surrounded by combat troops armed to the teeth and under the watchful protection of a couple of BlackHawk helicopters to demonstrate how well the "surge" has worked, despite the fact that publicity photos of his promenade were tightly cropped to leave out his bodyguards -- all one hundred-and-some-odd of them.
According to McCain's waterboarded logic, effective foreign policy is based on entry stamps in your passport. In McCainland, that means you have to go to Iraq, to be "authorized" to talk about Iraq.
Hmmmmm.... perhaps we should be holding McCain to his own standard: travel there first, talk policy later. When was John McCain last in Tehran? Havana? Caracas? Pyongyang?
Thinking about "bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb-ing" Iran, John? Just a minute please... sorry but we don't see your visa. Wanna overthrow Raul and Fidel? Sorry, but we don't see where you were admitted to the country. Got plans to hunt down Hugo? Um, not so fast. We don't see your boarding pass. Tempted to try to corner North Korea? Kim Jong Il didn't let you past the 38th parallel.
Oh, I see... That rule doesn't apply to you, just your Democratic opponent.
Uh-huh... ri-iiiiiiiiiiiiiii-ight.
Comments (15)
Excellent point. Remember though, it's not McCain's logic. He has none. It's the logic (today, anyway) of his campaign, spouted by the talking head of McCain.
Still rhyming, can't get Destor's post out of my head.
July 18, 2008 6:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Those were some great limericks...
July 18, 2008 7:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Great post, Jade. Appreciated the phrasing of "McCain's waterboarded logic," but especially loved the logic that was yours in listing his missing-in- action visa stamps.
July 18, 2008 6:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
actually the first word that come to mind was tortured logic, but waterboarding isn't "torture". It just "simulates" torture. Like Bush "simulates" a President and McCain "simulates" intelligence.
July 18, 2008 7:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Very good post. Rec'd.
However, I'm thinkin' McCain's passport should probably be cancelled. This will promote a more productive and positive relationship with other nations. Proof of our good will towards them - we won't send them what we don't want here!
July 18, 2008 10:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Perfect!
July 18, 2008 10:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Lets not forget that John McCain never read the the classified version of the October 2002 National Intelligence Estimate. Still, that didn't stop him from arguing for and voting for the invasion of Iraq.
This very issue was raised by the media during the debate with Hillary Clinton, who also did not read the NIE. However, McCain's failure to read the NIE was not rasied during the republican debates, nor has it been raised since McCain became the republican nominee. Again, it's a question of judgment.
July 19, 2008 7:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
McCain's been to Iraq 8 times. He's spent more time in the military and in the Senate than Obam's been alive. His point is that Obama should spend some time learning before he tells everyone else how things should be done. Obama's like a teenager who knows just how to fix the world, without ever having left his parent's home.
July 19, 2008 9:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
My travel agent has been to Iraq more times than McCain, but that doesn't qualify him to be president.
July 19, 2008 10:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
Ahmed Chalabi's been to Iraq more times than anyone in the U.S. govenment. In fact I am sure there are tons of ex-Baathists who have a great deal in-depth knowledge of Iraq. I am sure McCain's considering appointing some of them as advisors.
July 19, 2008 11:25 AM | Reply | Permalink
In the end, Obama's core message has been that its less about experience and more about judgment. All the experience in the world ain't gonna amount to a hill of beans if you exercise poor judgment. If you don't learn from that experience.
Some people can practice kung-fu for 30 years and still get their ass kicked by a more talented person who's only trained 3 or 4 years. Obama is just more gifted at political kung-fu.
July 19, 2008 11:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
Another great pearl of wisdom from the Bulldog.
Following Bulldog's logic then:
(1)George Dubya is one of those delinquent 6th graders who tell lies to the dumb big bullies in the class in order to watch them beat up the usual weaklings after school.
(2)McCain is like an Annapolis grad who was 576th in a class of 600 and only passed cause his Dad was an Admiral. He doesn't have any plans to save the world but just wants to be like George W. (see #1)
July 19, 2008 6:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
McCain criticizes Obama for not having been somewhere and then criticizes him for going there. Just another round of "gotcha" politics. People aren't buying that anymore.
July 19, 2008 9:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
Just because you lead a monkey on a leash around a hospital doesn't make that monkey a doctor.
Even if you both stay at the Holiday Inn.
July 19, 2008 11:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
John McCain doesn't get how the rest of the world gets their information. He doesn't even use computers. How in the world could someone so clueless even comprehend how a mind like Barack Obama's works? His criticism is understandable on that count, but it is as pathetic as most of his other "understandings."
July 19, 2008 1:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
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