E.J. Dionne: The Stand That Obama Can't Fudge

[highplainsdem]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/06/AR2008070601765.html

By E. J. Dionne Jr.
Monday, July 7, 2008; Page A13

When a candidate calls a second news conference to say the same thing he thought he said at the first one, you know he knows he has a problem.

-snip-

The unsteady moment suggested that Obama has not figured out how to slip the trap John McCain's campaign is trying to set for him. As Michael Cooper and Jeff Zeleny shrewdly put it in the New York Times, Republicans want to place Obama "in the political equivalent of a double bind: painting him as impervious to the changing reality on the ground if he sticks to his plan, and as a flip-flopper if he alters it to reflect changing circumstances."

The flip-flop charge may be of limited use to the GOP this year because McCain has changed his own positions rather promiscuously on matters such as taxes and offshore drilling. Even on Iraq, one of McCain's signature issues, the Straight Talker has shifted his emphasis.

-snip-

Yet Obama needs to be careful not to cede the high ground on Iraq. Because Obama's strongest argument for himself on foreign policy rests on his sound judgment in opposing the war from the beginning, any appearance of waffling on the issue is especially dangerous.

-snip-

[nc4bo]

1. wash, spin, rinse and repeat then spin some more. n/t

[rpannier]

2. They'll parse every words he says

Distort it, take it out of context, do whatever

He has to make sure he doesn't make it any easier for them

[Supersedeas]

12. Meanwhile the Media Free Ride for McBush continues

[BlooInBloo]

3. The Village has spoken.

[Cha]

Fuck the

village.

[Masterofarts11]

4. Agreed

Obama should stay strong on iraq, and he did stay strong with his clarification.

[uppityperson]

6. I thought you posted you were banned. Oops, mods caught you again.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=6463831&mesg_id=6464054
"I was banned, so here's my last one"

[NattPang]

5. I don't get it.

"The unsteady moment suggested that Obama has not figured out how to slip the trap John McCain's campaign is trying to set for him."

Don't they mean the trap that
the media is trying to set for him?

[DFLforever]

7. He gave us the hint: media is just carrying out RNC orders.

[JoFerret]

9. they are just trying

to make it interesting.

"the polls are tightening" routine.

[Triana]

8. John McCain's campaign? Try the trap THE MEDIA is trying to set for him...in cooperation

with John McCain's campaign.

[Marrah_G]

10. At first glance I thought it said " Obama can't stand fudge"

So I was like OMG...WTF!

I can't vote for someone who is a fudge hater !

So then I like read it again and was like "Whew!"

:bounce:

[nxylas]

11. Mmmm...fudge!

[papapi]

13. Doe it make sense that Obama would not . . .

pay attention to the situation on the ground in Iraq? Now that the repugnantcans (and more than a few Democrats) have gotten us into this mess they want to push all the blame onto the next President for trying to get us out. I hope we can get out and the Iraqis will step up to the plate when they realize that the constant flow of billions and billions of dollars is going to be reigned in and it's up to them to figure the rest of it out. Wishful thinking???