COULD AN OBAMA WIN HURT CHÁVEZ?

[Zorro]

<snip>

At a recent summit in Argentina, Venezuela's leftist president Hugo Chávez said that if he were a United States citizen, he'd vote for Republican candidate Sen. John McCain (R) of Arizona.

The comment was passed off as a joke – but many observers say Mr. Chávez might not be laughing at the prospect of victory by democratic rival Sen. Barack Obama (D) of Illinois.

Mr. Chávez has made an art out of insulting President Bush and his "imperialist" foreign policy. His anti-Bush diatribes resonate in Venezuela and have helped insulate him from growing criticism that he neglects domestic affairs. And every time he launches into his famous oratory, he impresses a slew of left-leaning international admirers who wonder at his defiance of the world's sole superpower – which they say has taken an arrogant and aggressive tack.

A McCain victory would allow him to sustain that message: Mr. McCain, after all, hails from the same party and shares many of the same policies as Bush. But Senator Obama is a different story. It remains to be seen how Obama, who has never visited Latin America, would actually shape his policies here, but many in the region identify with his mixed-race heritage, share more similar politics, and would welcome what they consider a newcomer to the Washington beltway.

"It's hard seeing Chávez calling Obama 'Satan' and the likes," says Ray Walser, a Latin America expert at the conservative Heritage Foundation. "He won't get as much traction."

<snip>

More at: http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0716/p06s02-woam.html

[Judi Lynn]

1. Oh, my god. You're running quotes from the Heritage Foundation half-wits. Figures. n/t

[Zorro]

2. So you disagree with the statement?

It would certainly expose Chavez to be an ill-informed loudmouth if he does refer to Obama as "Satan".

Oh, I just think I hit on why Saint Hugo is so popular with you.

[struggle4progress]

4. Do you know the dates of Walser's State Department postings to

Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico and Nicaragua?

[JohnnyCougar]

3. If Obama wins...

Chavez will have no need to drum up anti-American sentiment, because there is no threat of invasion.

I think we will see a lot of progress between the relations of both regions.

[magbana]

5. No one who becomes the nominee of the Democrat or Republican parties . . .

will pursue a course with Venezuela and Chavez that is much different from Bush administration. When it comes to foreign policy what Obama and McCain may think about particular issues is pretty irrelevant. The days of a president determining foreign policy are long over. Foreign policy is determined by big oil, defense manufacturers, and Wall Street.. This is why I agree with Chavez' statement below where he says that Obama represents the empire.

Obama is rumored to have as many as 300 foreign policy advisors -- many left over from a Clinton administration that was a foreign policy disaster. Obama is being managed very carefully and you can expect his anti-Chavez rhetoric to go into high gear.



From Venezuelanalysis:

Chavez Responds to Obama

Earlier in the week, in an interview with the Spanish news agency EFE, Barak Obama said that he believed Venezuela "is a destructive force in the region" because of its alleged support for the Colombian guerilla group, the FARC, its "anti-democratic practices," and its "incendiary rhetoric" against the U.S. Despite this, said Obama, he would still support a dialogue with the Venezuelan government.

Chavez responded angrily to Obama's comments, someone who he previously seemed to believe would take a different line with regard to Venezuela, saying that Obama is "dynamiting" any possible dialogue between Venezuela, Cuba, and the rest of Latin America.

"The gentleman said he would review U.S. policy towards Latin America, but applying a policy of a carrot and stick. Well, gentleman, go study what is happening in Latin America because, if he hasn't understood that, what there is, is a revolution unleashed," said Chavez during a gathering with members of his United Socialist Party of Venezuela.

" said that Chavez is a destroyer, something like that, of South America, but the destroyer is the empire, which he too represents," added Chavez.

Chavez then went on to say that no one should "have illusions" should Obama win the U.S. presidential elections because he will represent the empire, no matter how much he tries to present himself as an agent of change.

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news/3657h

[Bacchus39]

6. Obama will represent US interests as US president

what would you and Chavez have him do?