Barack Obama On The Strength Of Negotiating

One of the clearest policy -- and personality -- contrasts in the debate came when Barack Obama and John McCain discussed the issue of negotiating with other nations.

After McCain attacked him (angrily) for being open to negotiations, Barack Obama explained why negotiating is actually puts the United States in a stronger position, and why McCain's view is actually weak.

As he wrapped up his answer, Obama also hit McCain's refusal to commit to meeting with Spain -- a NATO ally.

Comments

[cactusgal]

07:45 PM on 09/27/2008

McCain's an enigma wrapped in a banana peel

[RStone]

10:05 PM on 09/27/2008

He is no enigma, he is straight talk. The wrong talk!!!!

http://www­.bopppoll.­com

Obama '08

[grata2ude]

07:08 PM on 09/27/2008

Kissinger is now saying he didn't say we should talk with Iran. Ah Mr. Kissinger in this day and age you can't say something then lie a few days later. This is the transcript of the event that Obama was talking about.

http://tra­nscripts.c­nn.com/TRA­NSCRIPTS/0­809/20/se.­01.html

[grata2ude]

06:58 PM on 09/27/2008

LOL Obama almost got grumpy to blow on that one. Great job Obama. That was indeed a highlight of the night. One of many.

[whit4brains]

06:43 PM on 09/27/2008

It sounds to me like he says "horsesh*t­" the first time and "of course" the second time.

[dutchman]

04:46 PM on 09/27/2008

It was music to my ears to hear our likely president pronounce "nuclear" properly. We'll finally have a leader who's fluent in at least one language!

[Bocado]

06:11 PM on 09/27/2008

You know, as trivial as that is, you're so right.

New Obama voter as of last night.
Finally someone methodical and intelligen­t.

[AliMac02]

06:24 PM on 09/27/2008

Congratula­tions! Welcome to the team! :) Methodical and intelligen­t are apt descriptor­s. As well as open, strong, curious, determined ....

[grata2ude]

06:59 PM on 09/27/2008

welcome welcome. All anyone has to do is listen really listen to him. Leaders like him only come along once in a great while.

[IllinoisTexan43]

04:34 PM on 09/27/2008

Yah, he said it. He says it once then guiltily looked up at Leher and then said "coarse not."







Where's Sarah?
Obama/Bide­n08

[JSquercia]

04:28 PM on 09/27/2008

I don't remember WHO said it but I do believe it was an Israeli Prime Minister who said You have to NEGOTIATE peace with YOUR ENIMIES

[Yve72]

03:57 PM on 09/27/2008

Transcript of dialogue..­.

OBAMA: "He said the other day that he would not meet potentiall­y with the Prime Minister of Spain, because he, you know, he wasn't sure whether they were aligned with us, I mean Spain..."
MCCAIN: says "Horse$hit­" or "of course".
OBAMA: "...Spain is a NATO ally..."
MCCAIN: says "Horse$hit­" or "of course".
OBAMA: "...um, if we can't meet with our friends...­"

Okay. Which makes more sense?
If McCain said "of course", it means he's agreeing with Obama's statement. I doubt it.

[DMcD]

06:02 PM on 09/27/2008

McCain's reply to the Spain comment (as I saw it) was but a smiling dismissive smirk --- just like when someone loudly farts during a business meeting --- busted !
I wish Obama had pressed that point further and quizzed McCain on just which continent does he think Spain is on --- the other day he thought it was in South America.

[whit4brains]

06:35 PM on 09/27/2008

I read on andrewsull­ivan that he thinks he said "course not".

[jupitor]

03:40 PM on 09/27/2008

I listened and looped this dozen of times! I say he said "that's horse sh#t, of course". i don't think it's my imaginatio­n either!

[NuOrigin]

03:38 PM on 09/27/2008

McCain - "you don't say that out loud" - you lie in public and do whatever you have to do in secret.

Way to call him on Obama, with Bomb Iran.

[Gould123]

03:33 PM on 09/27/2008

It was hard to get by mccains snickers,l­aughs,smir­ks and condencend­ing noises during Obama's speaking time! It was undignifie­d, and seen as looking down to obama, Not direct look or face to face with obama either

[oscartucker]

03:29 PM on 09/27/2008

McCain's first mumble was somewhat inaudible, but his second mumble was " of course". I am sure someone somewhere will slow down the tape and check it, but the main problem for McCain was MUMBLING anything any way. He should have been courteous and he proved what a temper he has.

[BatedBreath]

03:14 PM on 09/27/2008

NO, NO, NO! he did not say horse *. He was trying to interject a comment beginning with "of course". Get a grip. Focus on the fine attack from Obama. We don't need to be making rumors up to win this race.

[Yve72]

04:09 PM on 09/27/2008

That doesn't make any sense. Why say "of course" when your opponent is slamming you?

[dutchman]

04:53 PM on 09/27/2008

If I just listen to it, I think you're right, but when you look at his face while he's saying it, there's nothing but anger there. I'm guessing he said it 'horseshit­". Having said that, who cares? I wish America would learn not to get so upset and victimized over words dumb like horseshit. And I absolutely agree that we should be pleased with the way Obama handled himself here.

Dutchman

[Grunty1]

03:14 PM on 09/27/2008

That was one of the better moments of the debate. McCain BARELY restrained himself from lashing out in anger. I thought he was going to leap out for Obama's jugular for a moment.

[scrzbill]

03:03 PM on 09/27/2008

I have thought about the debate and have read hours of blogs and the one thing that comes to mind for me is that Mcbush thinks that because he is white he should not even have to debate a black person. That is what all this elite stuff comes from, uppity, elite. Whites are superior to gooks, remember mscbush saying that?, uppity blacks, elitist blacks, and as a whiter person, I don't have to look at you or acknowledg­e you. Your black and my being onstage with you demeans the whole country. Mcbush's distain for Obama is so evident and he talks about what a peace maker he is. Except when he went back to Washington for he finance deal he sided with the most radical brach of the neocons. That is what is call crossing the isle. What do you say to that kittyand?

[GingerB]

03:41 PM on 09/27/2008

I hate to think that's the case, but with McCain's history, you may be closer to the mark than what I want to believe.


http://www­.capitolhi­llblue.com­/cont/node­/10086

[parrotkisser]

04:02 PM on 09/27/2008

I would challenge anyone to give me ONE redeeming quality of John McCain.