Americans Favor President Meeting With U.S. Enemies

An overwhelming majority of Democrats and Independents, and nearly half of Republicans, say that they agree with Barack Obama's position that, as president, he would meet with foreign leaders both friend and foe.

A recently release Gallup Poll survey shows that 67 percent of Americans think that president-to-president diplomacy, even with countries considered hostile to America, is a good idea. The findings suggest that far from being naïve and out-of-touch on international affairs, as Sen. John McCain has asserted, Obama is reflecting the overwhelming consensus of the rest of the country.

According to the study: 79 percent of Democrats, 70 percent of Independents, and 48 percent of Republicans say it is a "good idea" for the U.S. president to meet with enemy foreign leaders. In addition, 59 percent of those surveyed (including 48 percent of Republicans) say it would be a good idea for the president to meet with the president of Iran.

The bottom line, Gallup concludes: "McCain may eventually persuade more Americans that there is nothing for the president of the United States to discuss with hostile foreign leaders like Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and that to do so only undermines U.S. efforts to destabilize such regimes. However, for now, whether it's the leader of an "enemy" country, generally, or the president of Iran, specifically, Americans think it's a good idea for the president of the United States to meet directly with the nation's adversaries."

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[harriscrl3]

See this is EXACTLY why Barack has been saying its important to have a CLEAR choice this election. McCain is OUT OF TOUCH. Look at these numbers 67% think we should be talking with countries we dont like. They made fun of Obama for this imagine if Obama had change his position or taken the same position as McCain and Hilary. Contrast is KEY people like clear sharp differences not differences along specturm that a Hilary/McCain matchup would have brought.

Carol

[disgustedbyitall]

Of course they support meeting with our enemies. Because the alternative is sending their 18-year-old sons out to meet them, many on a one-way trip.

[the964kid]

Barack Obama - 1

John 'More Wars' McCain - 0

[Birdman]

Americans Favor President Meeting With U.S. Enemies.

And McCain says he will not and says Obama is an idiot for suggesting that is what we shoudl do. Stiil I bet that we will have McCain as president, becasue th eAmerican people only know how to do one thing VOTE AGAINST THEIR OWN BEST INTERESTS.

[mahack]

Poll conducted for Telegraph.co.uk shows huge support for Democratic presidential hopeful; McCain lags far behind
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Europeans in love with Barack: Europeans in Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Russia favor presidential hopeful Barack Obama over Republican candidate John McCain by a huge margin, a poll conducted for Telegraph.co.uk found.

Overall, 52% of respondents said they support Obama's presidential bid, while only 15 percent said they support McCain.

According to the poll, Obama is particularly popular in Italy, where 70% of respondents said they preferred him over McCain. The French were not far behind, with 65 percent saying they would back Obama. In Germany, 67% of respondents gave the Democratic candidate the nod, while only six percent backed McCain.

[Susanfrom29]

Speaking with your enemies is called diplomacy. Saying "bring it on" is idiocy. Aren't we entitled to a government that knows how to use all of the tools of foreign policy?

[FweetyBigalow]

I can't even imagine Sen. McCain in a diplomatic setting-he nearly blows a gasket whenever Sen. Obama challenges him on anything. Instead of taking the highroad or giving a more nuanced response, he always resorts to insults and talking down to everyone. That's not what we need as Americans and as far as intelligence goes he and Obama are not even in the same league. This is why I cannot wait for the debates between them because Obama is going to wipe the floor with him. I don't think he will make it five minutes into the debate before McCain loses that famous temper!!

[LeftLeanWing]

"McCain may eventually persuade more Americans that there is nothing for the president of the United States to discuss with hostile foreign leaders like Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and that to do so only

undermines U.S. efforts to destabilize such regimes".
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This is the main problem we have with Iran. We want for them to 'cooperate' but at the same time we are trying to destablize their government. We already have a history of doing exactly this in Iran with a CIA sponsored cout d'etat of the DEMOCRATICALLY elected government in 1953 where we installed the Shah Pahlavi with disastrous results.

[brighterside]

Diplomacy as a foreign policy is American and its what most of not all of the presidents of the past did. To not engage in diplomacy is un-American and cowardly.

[ClydeSloppers]

Yeah let's talk to Iran's President who is busy sending arms to Iraq to kill our troops. Yeah good idea.

[nukemind]

Hmm, don't you think you need some evidence before just mimicking what Faux News says?

Iraq says Iranian arms evidence is inconclusive:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24454377/

Let me guess, you believed them when they said Iraq had WMDs too right?

[thepoliticalcat]

Actually, our contractors and our military are giving and selling arms and ordinance to the Iraqis. The Sunni Awakening Council members are paid by us and provided with weapons, and there is plenty of reason to believe they are using our own armaments against us. And, if you Google it, there's many stories about American military gear available for sale on eBay.

[Susanfrom29]

John Kennedy spoke with Khrushchev. Nixon went to China.

We must speak with these evil people. It is a dirty nasty job.

That is why we have politicians.

[walsenberg]

and clydesloppers, what do you propose? to obliterate them? do you think it was a good idea to go to war in the first place? how 'bout placing the blame on who really is killing our troops, start with bush, cheney, rumsfield and all the other neocons who wanted this war.

[NightRider]

And the troops are still trying to find the WMD. Which lie are you going to believe?

WMD in Iraq or Iran's President sending arms to Iraq?

[DAVESEAN]

Obama is a brilliant young man......Mcsame's time is behind him......

[Levittown]

Only the President should talk to other leaders, not the wanna-bees. McCain has become a part-tense in politics. His temper, his flip-flopping and record during the past sevem years is very negative for America
and our armed forces. Good-bye John.

[Glowcy]

Talking IS NOT supporting. Furthermore, simply engaging a dialogue does not have to come with the burden of preconditions.

The first, exploratory time that you meet for discussion does not have to be the only time at which issues and/or concerns will be resolved.

[thepoliticalcat]

It's common sense, for goodness' sake. If your neighbour or a colleague does something you don't like, you talk to them about it, and hopefully negotiate a fair solution.

You don't go up to them and whup them upside the head with a baseball bat, because that's going to make them come for you with a baseball bat as soon as they get their head stitched up. Or their friends and relatives will have it in for you.

Honestly, McCain is just pandering to the AIPAC crowd that has been controlling US foreign policy and vacuuming taxpayer dollars out of the Treasury for decades. Even the Israelis talk regularly to Hamas, Fatah, the Iranians, and all their other neighbours and "enemies."

[RTIII]

Duh!