I Take It Back… Words Are Not JUST Words.
In the ‘early days’, decades ago it seems, I frequently dismissed Obama’s promises of Change, Hope, New Politics etc etc etc as being just words. His words, accompanied by his actions, of the last few days definitely put lie to that opinion.
Today [07/20] on CBS’s Face the Nation, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., in Afghanistan, told the paparazzi-pursued correspondent Lara Logan that "the objective of this trip was to have substantive discussions with people like President Karzai or Prime Minister Maliki or President Sarkozy or others who I expect to be dealing with over the next eight to 10 years.
Tapper goes on to consider the possibility of ‘The Butterfly Effect’ with such careless statements and the ways in which international diplomacy can be "impacted by careless or glibly-chosen words". I found myself, on hearing this quote tonight, having thoughts along the same lines and some rather odd prescient feelings of doom. Not to mention my more knee-jerk reaction of "Who the hell does he think he is."
Some Democratic allies of Obama’s are — off the record — concerned that the senator too often doesn’t consider the potential butterfly effect of his diction.
Take his support for an "undivided Jerusalem," or his remarks about women seeking abortions when they’re "feeling blue," which upset feminist leaders.
Or the media kerfuffle after his "refine my policies" presser.
On his press plane on July 5, after that incident, Obama said, "I’m surprised at how finely calibrated every single word was measured."
A reporter noted that that is precisely what happens with the president, he can change world affairs with one word, finely calibrating your words is what happens.
I can’t help but wonder if this is just (more) indication of a certain unflattering attitude… whether simply careless arrogance or a serious callous indifference. If careless arrogance… someone needs to tell him it’s not cute. If callous indifference that bodes ill for the future and magnifies other issues with the man. The ‘elitist’ label was ridiculed by Team Obama and his supporters long ago but I think it is rearing it’s ugly head once again and in a much more serious way.
Can you imagine Obama managing a crisis with China? Or Russia? Unless he is willing to recognize how his words impact a given situation, we could be in real trouble. Wars have been started like that and Obama could paint us into a corner and not realize it.
More evidence - if any were needed - that this is a man who needs some seasoning before he enters in the international arena.
Further news tonight of his making public his conversations with Maliki…
David Gergen - Monday on AC360°:
“Barack Obama made the first mistake of his trip in releasing a statement in which he said exactly what Malaki had said in those conversations. We have a long tradition in this country that we only have one president at a time. He’s the commander in chief and negotiator in chief.
I cannot remember a campaign which a rival seeking the presidency has been in a position negotiating a war that’s underway with another party outside the country. I think he leaves himself open to the charge tonight that he’s meddling, that this is not his role, that he can be the critic but he’s not the negotiator. We have a President who does that.
So back to the knee jerk reaction… Who the hell does he think he is? Words… indifferent, arrogant or callous… on the ‘big’ public stage, national and especially international, are far more than words… they can be like deadly weapons in the wrong hands. I believe the ingrained attitude of Obama is something that seriously needs to be considered and examined and taken far more seriously. Political stances and solutions can, and do, change with the wind but ‘who we are’ is usually carved in stone.
Check out Bonnie Erbe’s article on “Obama’s Fundraising Hypocrisy”
http://www.usnews.com/blogs/erbe/2008/7/21/
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