McCain's Diplomacy: I'd Tell Shiites And Sunnis To Stop The Bullsh*t

President Bush's inane likening of international diplomacy with appeasing Hitler drew excoriation from all quarters today. If you're looking for the sort of reaction that reminds one of being hit upside the head with a ball peen hammer, you can't do better than Senator Joe Biden's "This is bullshit." For a bit more nuance, however, look to Matt Yglesias:

Meanwhile, Bush continues to fundamentally misunderstand the purpose and nature of diplomacy. The idea of talks isn't that you marshal convincing arguments and beat your enemies back with force of words. The idea is that it's sometimes possible to achieve a reconciliation of partially divergent interests.

Interestingly enough, if we take Senator McCain at his word as to how he would bridge the sectarian divide that threatens to lead to a total unraveling in Iraq, it's clear that McCain offers little more than words - and not even forceful or convincing ones. Flashback to May of 2006:

In a small, mirror-paneled room guarded by a Secret Service agent and packed with some of the city's wealthiest and most influential political donors, Mr. McCain got right to the point.

"One of the things I would do if I were President would be to sit the Shiites and the Sunnis down and say, 'Stop the bullshit,'" said Mr. McCain, according to Shirley Cloyes DioGuardi, an invitee, and two other guests.

One thing's for sure: McCain's brand of "Kindergarten Cop" diplomacy is just the sort of thing that could have one yearning nostalgically for Bush's "Cowboy" diplomacy.

Comments

[sonofsamstone]

10:57 AM on 05/16/2008

George W. McCain to Arabs:

"You kids stop this BS or I'm going to turn this car around!"

[MikeDu]

10:35 AM on 05/16/2008

I don't see why McCain's complaining. The current Iraq government pretty much mimics todays radical obstructionist take-no-prisoners RNC tactics. Physician, heal thyself!

[trbone]

09:57 AM on 05/16/2008

In interview 14 months ago Obama say muslim call to evening prayer is most beautiful sound on earth then recites it in perfect dialect http://politicalpyro.blogsome.com/2008/05/14/obama-hayya-ala-l-falah/ Why are palestinians in Hamas controlled Gaza Strip phonebanking for Obama? http://www.townhall.com/columnists/AmandaCarpenter/2008/05/13/palestinians_phonebank_for_obama

[MikeDu]

10:31 AM on 05/16/2008

Ho hum. Another paid RNC spammer.

[bxmask]

10:46 AM on 05/16/2008

Didn't Obama go to a catholic school while in Indonesia? I almost wish the campaign would just sue these media outlets for libel.

[sonofsamstone]

11:14 AM on 05/16/2008

Catholic?
It's bad enough Obama's a secret Muslim.....Now he's a secret Catholic too?
That loud BOOM you just heard was the sound of Rev. Hagee's head exploding!

[trbone]

09:52 AM on 05/16/2008

In an interview 14 months ago Obama says muslim evening prayer is most beautiful sound on earth then recites it in perfect dialect http://townhall.com/columnists/AmandaCarpenter/2008/05/13/palestinians_phonebank_for_obama Palestinians are phonebanking for Obama from Hamas contolled Gaza http://political pyro.blogsome.com/2008/05/14/obama-hayya-ala-l-falah/

[rollingdivision]

09:23 AM on 05/16/2008

So there is no circumstance where harsh direct confrontation has a place in diplomacy? Though the approach in not the norm there surely is a place for it. In fact aggressive and harsh approaches are specifically to be considered in diplomacy. So McCain would directly tell two groups to knock off the bs and that approach is a problem?

From the International Negotiators Handbook:"Choosing A Style Choosing a negotiation style will help set the tone as well as influence the ultimate outcome of the delegation’s negotiation. Choose a style that the delegation believes is the most effective means to achieving the delegation’s goals...– Some styles that can be effective include those that are conciliatory in tone,those that are more aggressive and harsh in tone, and those that are more neutral. It is sometimes effective to have certain delegation members purposefully assume different styles."

[WasteNJ]

09:47 AM on 05/16/2008

In other words, Cowboy Diplomacy is an accepted negotiating tactic. It's done wonders for us in the Middle East for the last 5 years, all that Cowboy talk. We've got them right here we want them...
Or is it the other way around? While we talk tough to impress the US public, the rest of the world laughs at the immaturity of our approach.

I understand the nuance of using different negotiating tools in different situations, but we have been using one tactic for 5 years with little if any success.

McCain wasn't negotiating, he was stumping to the GOP base.

[rollingdivision]

09:53 AM on 05/16/2008

Please, if you have a link or two indicating the Bush administration has been using "Cowboy diplomacy" exclusively for 5 years post those links. Also, please define "cowboy diplomacy" as it applies specifically to international negotiations.

[WasteNJ]

08:56 AM on 05/16/2008

"If you guys don't stop killing each other, I swear I'm taking away the Xbox 360 for a month!
I MEAN it young man!"

"What did I tell you about hanging out with the Militias? WHAT did I tell you?"

"I don't care what the other kids are wearing, I am NOT buying you a suicide vest!"

"What did I tell you about playing with mortars?! Now go apologize to that nice man in the Green Zone who's window you broke!"

Oh man, this is a goldmine of material.

[aftershock]

09:47 AM on 05/16/2008

LMAO!!! Thanks for the early morning laugh.

[Scarllatti]

08:53 AM on 05/16/2008

WHO IS FOOLING WHO? McCAIN OR HIS "BRAINS"?

[Micaanab]

08:46 AM on 05/16/2008

That woman that has the show "The Nanny" could be his running mate.

[GravitonX]

07:50 AM on 05/16/2008

Osama, just cut it out! Stop the BS! Now!

Problem solved.

[Micaanab]

08:46 AM on 05/16/2008

Maybe he can have him sit in time out.

[VOTER]

07:05 AM on 05/16/2008

KathyNicholas is new to Huffpost.

Is she a Clinton supporter or instead a McCain supporter?

Check her profile. Hmmmm

[julieeiluj]

05:41 AM on 05/16/2008

Stop the b.s. huh? The scary prospect is that this old sad man is serious.

[CaptainVideo]

05:38 AM on 05/16/2008

"I would do if I were President would be to sit the Shiites and the Sunnis down and say, 'Stop the bullshit,'"

Apparently the senile old codger thinks they would do what he says. Boy is he out of it!

Shiites and Sunnis have been at each other's throat since the 7th century.

[TRichards]

03:55 AM on 05/16/2008

Just what we need -- four more years of Diplomacy Via Swagger.

[NoahVail]

03:48 AM on 05/16/2008

This guy missed his calling. If he had only been a tad more competent, he would be a high school gym teacher and football coach. In addition to chasing kids off his lawn, he could prevent "grab-ass" in the locker room. Yeah, just give that old codger a clipboard and a whistle, and he would be all set.

OK, boys. Do a couple of laps and hit the showers. And no grab-ass!

[WasteNJ]

09:03 AM on 05/16/2008

Hilarious! Only thing is, I think he'd probably go ballistic after the first dodgeball hit his head.
"Dammit kids, sit down and stop the bullsh1t!"

[clint111]

03:45 AM on 05/16/2008

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