Craig Crawford: Give Obama a Break on Talking to Dictators

You would think that White House contender Barack Obama had proposed giving Fidel Castro the Presidential Medal of Freedom. That is, if you listen to the Illinois senator’s Democratic rival, Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York, try to exploit his casually positive response Monday to a simplistic debate question about whether he would meet with the Cuban dictator and other bad guys in the first year of his presidency.

Among Cuban voters in pivotal Florida, it might not be politically savvy to show any openness to a Castro meeting. Clinton went much further yesterday, calling it “irresponsible and naïve,” clearly hoping to boost her ongoing message that Obama lacks the proper training for the Oval Office.

But to voters who are growing weary of the Bush administration’s unrelenting belligerence on the international stage, Obama’s willingness to at least talk to others probably sounds more promising than Clinton’s apparent preference for maintaining a war footing against potential enemies.

http://www.nytimes.com/cq/2007/07/25/cq_3159.html

Obama tried to spin his way out of his response. Obama reacted as if it was a big deal, and that made it a big deal. He should have just taken note of how she responded and prepared so he wouldn't wrong foot himself again next time that type of question came up again.

;)

In every boxing match, your opponent is going to land some punches and score some points. You have to understand that going into the fight and not panic at the first sight of blood.

Obama saw a trickle of the red stuff and reacted as if he was mortally wounded. This would've blown over with little notice if he had just moved on to the next event.

She's the one who called his answer irresponsible and naive.

And the contrast with Hillary's response. Obama's people defended him by accusing Hillary of being like Bush. Then it was on.

Both candidates have pretty much the same position on this.

That is only your opinion. Many others have a different opinion.

He seems to accept Obama's post debate spin while ignoring what Hillary actually said during the debate.

But there would not be a contreversy if Clinton had not called him irresponsible and naive. What...do you expect him to say nothing and look worse after that?

were disgustingly Rovian...in that they seemed to be personal attacks. If she had said something like "I've been on such and such committee, and have met leaders as I traveled the world on behalf of the former Administration which he hasn't done" -- that's perfectly valid. But to call Obama "irresponsible and naive" is really just a page taken from the creeps we have now. Disclaimer: I'm not for Hillary precisely because of all the shenanigans with Bushco, DLC, etc. I don't want a continuation of Bush's style....

... "apparently Clinton is just too much of a coward to go toe-to-toe against America's adversaries like previous American presidents did in Rekjavich, Beijing and Berlin".

For a woman trying to overcome the stereotype of women being too weak to lead the United States (though apparently not too weak to lead Israel, India or Britain in years past), Hillary is opening herself up to that very attack on this. She should be happy this happened long before the primary when nobody is paying much attention.

:eyes:

i suppose this is a more worthwile thing to be arguing about than a haircut.