Slog - Comments on Not Appeasing McCain's B.S., Anyway http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/not_appeasing_mccains_bs_anyway Obama's rapid response to the "talk to Iran/talk to Hamas flap" was smart stuff. If you missed it, yesterday Obama asked what McCain was so scared of, given, for example, that Presidents Reagan and Nixon et al talked to the fully nuked up Soviets. This is fine-tuned campaigning from a Democrat. Obama actually reframed the traditionally-doesn't-read-well softy-lib position of talking to your enemies—as the macho position. O is like: I'm not scared to talk to Iran or Hamas. (And by extension: I've got something to say to Iran and Hamas.) Amazingly, the "sensitive male" position becomes bad ass in contrast... Copyright 2008 Tue, 20 May 2008 12:48:41 -0800 Tue, 20 May 2008 19:01:15 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by DanFan OMG, all of the "Where is Josh Feit" crowd is going to be having spasms of bliss over this...

]]> DanFan http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/not_appeasing_mccains_bs_anyway#c1028387 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/not_appeasing_mccains_bs_anyway#c1028387 2008 Tue, 20 May 2008 12:50:18 -0800 Comment by Scott Dow Josh, shouldn't you be knocking back Mojitos and mumbling with Clark Humphrey about your glory days with the Stranger and how big your book is going to be?
Or at least filing resumes with the Tacoma Weekly?

]]> Scott Dow http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/not_appeasing_mccains_bs_anyway#c1028394 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/not_appeasing_mccains_bs_anyway#c1028394 2008 Tue, 20 May 2008 12:55:11 -0800 Comment by daniel I'm not sure the Kennedy thing helps him though. We talked to Khrushchev and APPEASED the hell out of him (see Turkey)because he had us over the nuclear barrel. It was the right thing to do but we're not in that position yet with respect to Iran and we should avoid that at any cost.

]]> daniel http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/not_appeasing_mccains_bs_anyway#c1028430 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/not_appeasing_mccains_bs_anyway#c1028430 2008 Tue, 20 May 2008 13:22:08 -0800 Comment by brett important to remember that it was HILLARY who started this line of attack against Barack in the early primaries, trying to make him look young and naive.

but then barack turned the criticism on its head in a masterstroke of political ju-jitsu that could end up being one of the defining themes of his campaign. (i.e. hope & change, strength thru intelligence & diplomacy)

another example of why it's good that hillary's time is over.

]]> brett http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/not_appeasing_mccains_bs_anyway#c1028464 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/not_appeasing_mccains_bs_anyway#c1028464 2008 Tue, 20 May 2008 13:47:06 -0800 Comment by Will in Seattle I am so looking forward to the Middle East being a Last Century issue once the Bush and Clinton dynasties are over.

Next argument: VAST WIND AND COAL RESERVES.

Oil is so last century.

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/not_appeasing_mccains_bs_anyway#c1028511 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/not_appeasing_mccains_bs_anyway#c1028511 2008 Tue, 20 May 2008 14:07:46 -0800 Comment by Hernandez @4 Quite true. The Clinton campaign did two things:

1. Robbed the McCain campaign of the opportunity to present many attacks on Obama (such as this one) as "original". Now, it just looks like he's recycling her old attacks that she started using months ago.

2. Gave the Obama campaign the chance to formulate a response strategy to these attacks relatively early on, so that he's now better-prepared when McCain starts making similar accusations.

]]> Hernandez http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/not_appeasing_mccains_bs_anyway#c1028531 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/not_appeasing_mccains_bs_anyway#c1028531 2008 Tue, 20 May 2008 14:21:56 -0800 Comment by Vince Obama can't keep playing defense. Here's a free tip. Label McCain "the most expensive Senator in America's history" Between the savings and lone scandal and the Iraq invasion scandal, he should be labeled "The two trillion dollar Senator" That should make the working class take notice.

]]> Vince http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/not_appeasing_mccains_bs_anyway#c1028558 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/not_appeasing_mccains_bs_anyway#c1028558 2008 Tue, 20 May 2008 14:50:39 -0800 Comment by PC @7 brilliant point.

Josh is right, too.

But let's get used to having power -- is it really so "machoThey are the traitors, they are violating the constitution they are making us weaker we should be the ones calling them names they richly deserve.

Dems need to stop being wimps.

]]> PC http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/not_appeasing_mccains_bs_anyway#c1028590 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/not_appeasing_mccains_bs_anyway#c1028590 2008 Tue, 20 May 2008 15:16:18 -0800 Comment by PC @3
Kennedy wasn't appeasing USSR when he ordered the US NAvy to quarantine Cuba and said he would stop any ships that refused to be inspected. He used force and diplomacy (giving up missiles in Turkey).

]]> PC http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/not_appeasing_mccains_bs_anyway#c1028594 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/not_appeasing_mccains_bs_anyway#c1028594 2008 Tue, 20 May 2008 15:18:14 -0800 Comment by NapoleonXIV The missiles in Turkey were obsolete at that point, anyhow (if Missiles of October is to be believed....)

]]> NapoleonXIV http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/not_appeasing_mccains_bs_anyway#c1028658 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/not_appeasing_mccains_bs_anyway#c1028658 2008 Tue, 20 May 2008 16:24:16 -0800 Comment by maxsolomon@home dont' think of an elephant is the playbook BHO is using to hit back. every response to an attack is a reframing. dems can't win fighting inside GOP frames. so don't.

he's going to smoke mccain in november. its going to feel really really good.

]]> maxsolomon@home http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/not_appeasing_mccains_bs_anyway#c1028701 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/not_appeasing_mccains_bs_anyway#c1028701 2008 Tue, 20 May 2008 17:10:36 -0800 Comment by daniel Appease was the wrong word. I can't believe I used that word when it's been so abused lately.

Still I think Bush / McCain's point about Hamas / Iran is to not talk to them to prove that they don't have any leverage on us. Obama says well let's talk and stop posturing about how you can't make us do anything because talking isn't a concession.

Dealing with the soviets was a bit different. Everyone knew the soviets had leverage... those thousands of nukes. So bringing that up in this conversation suggests that maybe they do have leverage on us.

Anyway I'm not going to claim that this is that brilliant of a point.

]]> daniel http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/not_appeasing_mccains_bs_anyway#c1028720 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/not_appeasing_mccains_bs_anyway#c1028720 2008 Tue, 20 May 2008 17:36:55 -0800 Comment by DanFan is right Josh is back!
Be still my heart.

Now Josh, what happened. You were fired. Said sorry. Then what?

]]> DanFan is right http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/not_appeasing_mccains_bs_anyway#c1028772 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/not_appeasing_mccains_bs_anyway#c1028772 2008 Tue, 20 May 2008 19:01:15 -0800