*** WHY I think Obama is not ready yet --- Yes it's Kennedy Related ***

[zerostar]

So yeah, I have NOT been able to get this out of my head... When Kennedy took office Khrushchev and Castro saw a weak, un-experienced person in power. I feel this was a main cause of The terribly Embarrassing Bay of Pigs, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the secret dismantling of our bases in Turkey. We looked weak to the world after we baked out down so readily. Most americans didn't even know it at the time.

Right now Korea could be a huge problem for us, do we really want someone so unexperienced in office to lead us if/when a crisis happens? Or someone who may try to look tuff and makes mistakes (pulls out ships from the area for instance)? I don't know nor do I pretend to know what Obama would do but it does concern me.

So, I am not saying I won't ever vote for him, but right now, this, along with his terrible mis-speaks during the primaries make me fearful he is not ready yet.

[goldcanyonaz]

1. Quick, put this on. You'll need it.

[thesubstanceofdreams]

2. Terrible mis-speaks? Lol

As Obama said during the debate, he's had the best judgment of the 3 presidential candidates remaining on the most important foreign policy issue of the last decades. If anything, I would be a lot more afraid of McPain and Hillary's war friendly votes and positions of the past (McPain being a million times worse of course).

[zerostar]

4. Best Foreign Policy?

Best foreign policy? He didn't even acknowledge Israel as an American friend in the first debate I saw him in! This will fly in the primaries but his inexperience will shine in the run up to the GE...

[cali]

8. what are you talking about?

Was Israel a topic in this debate? Did Hillary acknowledge Israel as an ally and Obama dis them? Or was Israel not brought up at all in the debate. In any case, it's customary to provide a link to an extraordinary claim. Please do so.

[karynnj]

18. Link please?

Every American Senator supports Israel. Sometimes you do not support Israel by doing everything the Likud party wants.

[Maribelle]

27. ha ha ha Obama said?

Obama has said a lot of words. Manifesting judgment requires substantive actions. Copying and pasting other's words and surrounding them with empty fluff is not a substantive actions. Obama is a big fat zero in this area of foreign policy.

[I Vote In Pittsburgh]

3. Wow! You sound so concerned!

I am so touched!

:rofl:

[zerostar]

5. Thanks

for contributing. Helpful.

[SammyWinstonJack]

30. ...

:spray: :thumbsup:

[bklyncowgirl]

6. Apparently most Democratic voters disagree with you--Look at the candidates who dropped out.

Serious foreign policy and military credentials were not what the voters were shopping for this election season. Look who dropped out or never got into the race.

Wes Clark, the former NATO commander concluded that it would be a waste of time for him to make another run.

Joe Biden, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, couldn't get traction.

Chris Dodd, Experienced, thoughtful and dead on arrival.

Bill Richardson, Former U.N. Ambassador and special envoy extroadinaire. May have won Mr. Congeniality but not much else.

Hillary Clinton, has some foreign policy chops but her vote for the Iraq War put her at odds with many Democratic voters. Was considered inevetable--now struggling against the onslaught of a freshman Senator who had the good judgment to speak out against the war before it began.

I thought foreign policy was important which is why I supported Richardson early on, but apparently the foreign policy establishment has let Democratic voters down to the point where not being a member of that particular club is a plus for many voters.

[thepurpose]

9. All these people you mention will also be available to advise Obama in the GE should

he win the nomination. While each maybe either sitting on the sidelines or supporting Hillary at this moment, if she in the end doesn't make it to the promise land to quote Congresswoman Lee, I sincerely believe Wes, Joe, Chris, Bill and Hillary herself will advise Obama.

[cali]

11. He already has a formidable foreign policy team

and no doubt, if he's the nominee, there will be more good minds on his side.

[thepurpose]

14. Absolutely.

[SKKY]

7. With the exception of the Bay of Pigs, I think Kennedy came out looking...

...pretty damn good, no? What terrible mis-speaks?

[zalinda]

12. Sorry, but Kennedy came out looking like a

hero, only because of his death in office. Things would have been quite different if he had lived. His Presidency is the US version of the King Arthur tale. Would he have gone on to do great things, who knows, but from what I've read he didn't do great things in office. His stature rose from his death, as it does with any early death of a celebrity.

zalinda

[calico1]

24. I think his premature and tragic death has a lot

to do with why he is remembered so fondly by most people. The truth is we don't know how things might have been had he lived, served two terms, etc. We tend to gloss over people's flaws when they die young and tragically.

[Sensitivity]

10. AMAZING!! The perverse twist in logic that a dishonest campaign is willing to engage in!!

Clinton is willing to destroy the icon of Democratic political history in order to sully her opponent. Doesn't she realize that it will make Dems feel dirty if she win the office in this way?

[zalinda]

15. Why do you think ANY Obama thread that questions

him is from a Clinton supporter. There are plenty on this board that don't like either one. But, apparently Obama supporters live in the land of black and white.

zalinda

[Orangepeel]

31. Ah, I wouldn't bet on the OP being a Clinton supporter

To me, it sounds like someone who intends to vote for a crazy old man who wants to put the rest of the world in its place.

[I Vote In Pittsburgh]

34. Funny, I had that same thought

Odd, isn't it...

[Yossariant]

13. Yes. The "let's invade Pakistan" nonsense is juvenile, at best.

[thesubstanceofdreams]

19. Except that he didn't ever said he would invade Pakistan

McPain and Hillary are for maintaining the status quo in regards to allies/foes (Iran bad bad bad, Pakistan good ally). Obama has a more realistic view where not everything is black and white. The fact is, Al Qaeda (the guys from 9/11, remember?) is strong in Pakistan and our good allies are doing little (or can do little, at best) to stop them. Obama has argued for actually going after the terrorist, what's wrong with that?

[Yossariant]

22. All the kings horses and all the kings men have been unable to find bin Laden. Invading a nuclear

power is lunacy of the highest order.

Al Qaeda is strong in many countries --- now including Iraq.

You make the argument for staying.

[Inuca]

25. See above

He NEVER SAID he would INVADE Pakistan.

[Yossariant]

26. He STILL says it on his website. I'm sure you're gonna tell me W.O.R.M.:

"When I am President, we will wage the war that has to be won, with a comprehensive strategy with five elements: getting out of Iraq and on to the right battlefield in Afghanistan and Pakistan; developing the capabilities and partnerships we need to take out the terrorists and the world's most deadly weapons; engaging the world to dry up support for terror and extremism; restoring our values; and securing a more resilient homeland."
http://www.barackobama.com/2007/08/01/the_war_we_need_to_win.php

[Inuca]

29. I know about that

It does not say nor does it imply INVADING. It implies instead fighting AQ where they are, which is primarily the Pakistani area close to Afghanistan.

[karynnj]

16. The Cuban Missile Crisis?

That was VERY skillfully handled by JFK. He got the correct intelligence of what was happening out to the world - unlike other US Presidents - and he used reasonable measures to defuse what could have been a longterm threat (missiles pointing at the US from 90 miles away) or an immediate crisis.

As to the Bay of Pigs invasion - it happened months into his Presidency. He was wrong to approve the planning that had started under Eisenhower by the military and the CIA. It is easy to see that it would have been extremely tough for a new President to question decisions approved by former GENERAL Eisenhower. He also took the blame and learned from it.

You sound like you are from the right.

[earthlover]

20. If there was a loser to the Cuban Missile Crisis it was Kruschev

Kennedy showed that he was up to the task.

[jasmine621]

21. If there was loser to the Bay of Pigs, it was America! nt

[earthlover]

28. I agree Bay of Pigs was a fiasco....

however, the Cuban Missile Crisis was handled brilliantly by Kennedy. We could have gotten into a nuclear war if the military top brass had its way. We accomplished all our objectives, Russia backed down, brilliant.

[H2O Man]

17. Those bastards!

Krushchev and Castro knew Kennedy was just a kid, so they caused the Bay of Buchanan, er, Pigs! Darn them! They forced Ike Nixon to plan that stuff even before Kennedy took office!

Castro had a beard.

Thank you for warning us. This nation turns its lonely eyes to you.

[depakid]

23. Kennedy had considerably more experience

Won several decorations for command of PT-109 in WW II, and served in the House from 1947-53 and in the Senate from 53-60.

I would also note that Profiles in Courage, which won the Pulitzer Prize was about 8 who risked their careers for integrity and for standing up for high ideals.

No one running this time around was even in that ballpark.

[mckeown1128]

32. I hate to be the one to tell you this.

Playing the fear card doesn't normally work on Democrats. We don't scare up votes as readily as the republicans. Sorry.

[Kahuna]

33. You lifted the first paragraph from repuke David Frum on Real Time

last night. At least give him the credit.

[VotesForWomen]

35. it's true; most people never even heard of this guy a year ago, and now they're positive he

belongs in the most powerful position on the planet.