Obama Tells Lynn Sweet this is not just about foreign policy

[illinoisprogressive]

He also says this is about conventional thinking and that is what led to authorizing this war without questioning it.
I agree. I have long been someone who challenges establishment thinking and believe it stymies new ideas and better ways of approaching problems.

From Lynn Sweet:


What Obama undeniably has is a variety of life experiences that make him unlike any other presidential contender. Obama’s youth was spent in Hawaii and in Indonesia. He has five living half-brothers and two-half sisters with African, Indonesian and American backgrounds from his parents various marriages and relationships. (There is a question whether one of the half brothers is a blood relation; Obama treats him that way.)

snip-

bama said, “The debate is not just about life experience, although obviously that informs my perspective. But it also has to do with perspectives about how the United States should project its interests and ideals around the world.

“And what’s been interesting about this debate over diplomacy is, I really think that it is a debate over the same conventional thinking that led people to authorize the war in Iraq without asking questions versus a, an approach to foreign policy that asks questions and is informed by a knowledge and perspective of cultures like those in Iraq and is not trapped by a lot of received wisdom. And that I think is what is going on here. We had a foreign policy over the last several years that is obsessed with talking tough and then not acting very smartly," he said, aiming, not by name at Clinton.

“And part of what I believe we have to have if we are going to be successful in going after terrorists and mobilizing the international community around critical issues like Darfur and stabilizing Iraq is a willingness to not just talk tough, but be tough enough and smart enough to talk to leaders around the word, to engage our enemies, to speak truthfully, to uphold our values. And that I think is going to be part of the central debate in this campaign.”

http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2007/07/sweet_blog_extra_obama_tells_s.html

[bigdarryl]

1. DAMN he has some very good points. this guy has knowledge of the world at hand

[rudeboy666]

2. No one is really against engaging enemies

It's just that Obama's approach might seem too naive (not to mention politically disastrous with the electorate at large) if he doesn't clearly qualify his controversial statements of a while back.

[Kagemusha]

3. Why not just try to make a perceived weakness his strength

and not apologize?

Never seems to hurt Republicans.

[Kingstree]

4. He is correct.

[Grandrose]

5. Context vs 60 second sound bite.....

Thank you so much for posting. There should be a law stopping debates, unless each person is given sufficient time to finish a thought! I can dream! We are truly blessed to have DU with the unfiltered words and discussion, it's all good!
:think::kick: