The Bush doctrine and the psyching out of Barack Obama
Charles Krauthammer on the Bush doctrine:
…The New York Times got it wrong. And Charlie Gibson got it wrong.
There is no single meaning of the Bush doctrine. In fact, there have been four distinct meanings, each one succeeding another over the eight years of this administration — and the one Charlie Gibson cited is not the one in common usage today. It is utterly different.
He asked Palin, “Do you agree with the Bush doctrine?”
She responded, quite sensibly to a question that is ambiguous, “In what respect, Charlie?”
Sensing his “gotcha” moment, Gibson refused to tell her. After making her fish for the answer, Gibson grudgingly explained to the moose-hunting rube that the Bush doctrine “is that we have the right of anticipatory self-defense.”
Wrong.
I know something about the subject because, as the Wikipedia entry on the Bush doctrine notes, I was the first to use the term…
Michael Gordon of NYTimes on Palin’s foreign policy answers
Jonah Goldberg on Feminist Army Aims Its Canons at Palin – Because womanhood is a state of mind
The Anchoress on the Gibson interviews of Palin and Obama
Protein Wisdom on Alinsky, Obama and progressives
No Left Turns on Howard Kurtz and the media’s anger
Just One Minute on Lincoln’s prayer
Mark Penn on press treatment of Palin
Gerard Baker on Obama: How there is a yawning gulf between what the Democratic candidate says and how he has acted. That’s why the race is so close
Obama has been psyched out by Palin. Not even the media’s distortion campaign can hide that fact.
Geez, if a 44-year-old American citizen – who is just a small-town mayor with no experience, right? – can get under his skin, then how is Obama going to handle Putin or Ahmadinejad?
Obama is a self-absorbed and arrogant wimp. Some Messiah.
Obama’s a wimp, huh? Nice rejoinder! That will show those liberals who actually care that Sarah Palin couldn’t speak beyond prepared soundbites on the single most important foreign policy issue of the day. Or those who are a bit troubled that a potential vice president has spent a grand total of about 7 minutes outside of the United States in her life.
But Obama’s a wimp! Right on there Don!
” couldn’t speak beyond prepared soundbites”
… are you talking about Palin or Obama?
“couldn’t speak beyond prepared soundbites”
… are you talking about Palin or Obama?
The problem with you, Monique, is that you cannot ever concede a single point to your opposition. To equate Obama, who is by every measure a first-rate mind, to Palin on the ability to discuss important issues is on its face absurd. You may disagree with his policy and even think him unprepared to be president, but only the most crass partisans think him a “sound bite” kinda guy.
Your sportscasting, caribou-skinning, book banning, trooper firing, bridge to nowehere building, “I can see Russia from my home” governor … well, that’s another matter entirely.
So, Pragmatist, let me understand. You honestly believe that a state trooper who tazered a twelve year old, drove his cruiser while intoxicated and threatened someone with violence (and this is not a complete list) should remain on the force as an ongoing danger to the public, a besmirchment of all the upstanding state troopers who surround him and a liability to the State of Alaska?
Secondly, as you appear not to have heard the news, I’m glad to inform you. Sarah Palin did not ban any books or even try to. Thanks for the opportunity to set the record straight.
Pramatist, Obama IS notorious for saying stupid things when he’s off the teleprompter. Remember these gems? -his uncle liberated Auschwitz (which was actually liberated by the Soviet Red Army) -his parents met at the Selma march (which occurred years after he was born) -his comparing the Russians invading Georgia to the American troops going into Iraq -his suggesting that Iran wasn’t much of a threat to the US -saying that the reason there weren’t enough translator in Afghanistan because they were all being used in Iraq (failing to realize Iraqis and Afghanis don’t speak the same languages–which you have to honestly admit that Palin would have been crucified by the media if she had made the same mistake). Those are just a few of Obama’s off-the-teleprompter foot-in-mouth comments. Obama is a bright guy. But it oftens seems he possesses an intellect that might better in the antiseptic environment of academia’s ivory tower than in the rough and tumble real world. Obama also has a preponderance to embellish reality when he speaks off the cuff (the Selma march and Auschwitz comments). Look, I don’t think either Palin or Obama have the requisite foreign policy experience to be President at this point in time. But I do know this: Palin has been a successful governor. She has shown that she puts in the time to learn the job she holds and did her job well. Conversely, Obama sits on the Senate’s Foreign Relations committee, yet still makes basic mistakes when talking about foreign policy. I think Obama is bright, but he never took the time to learn his job. He was all about running for the big office. Most important, Palin is running for VP, not President. Would I be apprehensive if she became President on Day One? I definitely would be… Read more »