All Talk: Windy Obama Botches Question at Iraq Hearing

WASHINGTON -- There have been enough Democratic presidential debates to conclude that White House hopeful Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) has not mastered the short answer format. Obama demonstrated at Tuesday's Senate Foreign Relations hearing with Gen. David Petraeus and Iraq Ambassador Ryan Crocker he also has trouble with questions.

The long-winded Obama, who bills himself as a consensus builder, wasted an opportunity to show how it could work.

Each member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee had seven minutes to question Petraeus and Crocker about the Iraq War. Obama used about six minutes of his time to lecture Petraeus and Crocker that the surge is of modest success given the cost and the Iraq central government is ineffectual -- points he has been making in speeches and debates. As Obama was wrapping up, he said, "That, of course, now leaves me very little time to ask questions, and that's unfortunate."

"That's true, Senator," piped up Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware, the committee chairman and a rival for the Democratic nomination.

Petraeus never got to answer Obama's 266-word question. Rushed at the end, Obama asked about benchmarks not met. Crocker said, "Senator, I described for Senator Sununu a little bit ago some of the things that I think are going to be very important as we move ahead."

Obama tossed a softball: "Can you repeat those?

To continue, click here.

Comments

[Menemshasunset]

Obama gave his stump speech- As a reporter recently said- he's the best first date ever but oh the disappointment with the second- When will his-I didn't vote for the Iraq resolution and Cheney & Rumsfeld had experience-go to the next level? Is there a next level?

[sarge]

Yes, there is a next level, as President, he won't fuck up the world!

[sarge]

It's amusing how Obama's critics have been claiming he's all style, no substance, yet, not being able to argue with the substance of his message, resort to criticizing his style.

[Think82]

same for Biden

[sarge]

agree! And here we have Patraeus and the Bush Admin. beaming about the progress in Anbar...which is essentially now a homogeneous population under local control....Biden has been arguing for this strategy all along...split it in 3, let the sects migrate to the place they are safe, give them autonomy..., then share the oil revenues so they don't have to fight over that!

[RealBlackGirl]

I watched the hearings. Every politician gave a long winded, meandering introduction to their pre-determined questions. In my opinion, only Sen. Warner seemed to be listening which allowed him to ask the question of the week, "Are we safer?" So, having conceded that point I have to wonder why reporters seem to spend most of their time reporting on style versus substance. I am fortunate to be able to watch the hearings for myself, but someone else reading this article to determine what Obama said wouldn't know. I think that the articles could provide more balance. None of the candidates, including Obama, is above critique. However, without the balance we end up electing candidates based on the likeabiity factor seen through the eyes of a small pool of people that don't always reflect the diversity of thought, gender, languages and ethnicities of America. I make an effort to read Ms. Sweet's work because I hope that her perspective is more informed based on her past experience covering Obama. Unfortunately, this article could have been written by any beat reporter.

[coonce]

Nearly 90% of ALL other Senators did the same darn thing. You and I both know that most of these hearings, of late, have more to do with getting YOUR thoughts out there during primetime - not what the visitors are saying.

Besides that, Dems and Reps both, set aside a specific set of senators that will do the actual questioning. Always been that way.

I'll take Obama's intelligence over your Mr Bush's any day.

[realityrules]

You people are amazing. Some of the incredible stuff that comes out of the mouths of republicans, and you waste time criticizing a phenomenal democratic candidate for asking a (long) rhetorical question.

[milo9]

"Windy" how appropriate!

[SamanthaJaneSalem]

Hillary supported the war. Obama didn't. Succinct enough?

[irishgawdess]

Sen. Barbara Boxer used up all of her time speaking at the general and the ambassador. I thought "big deal" at the time because a) her opinion is on record, and b) they would have given her some discombobulated answer anyway, like they were giving everyone else.

Perhaps Sen. Obama just shouldn't have made an excuse for using up six minutes of his time, and used all seven instead to lecture the two like Sen. Boxer had done.

I agree with the poster above who mentioned Biden's long-windedness. I missed that little dig...what? Is he totally oblivious to his own speaking style and that he loves the sound of his own voice?

And Hillary, BTW, sounded like she was on Valium. I was hoping that she'd go right for the jugular...was she being nice because it was 9/11? Rudy seems to have been the only presidential candidate who took advantage of the day to put himself in front of the cameras. Pig...

[mommadona]

OK, If we're going to "go there" - here's a professional's critique on the Senator's technique:

He needs to practice delivery.
He needs to take that big 3 COUNT before opening mouth.

He needs to GET THAT "UH....UH.....UH.."out of speech pattern.

He needs to use that BASSO PROFUNDO voice MUCH more....his delivery is TOO LAID BACK and NOT DIRECT.

In otherwords...STOP THE BILL COSBY ACT.

About 2 intensive hours with a good coach, and he's "ready to go!"

But he won't.
They never listen.

[Mrrar]

"STOP THE BILL COSBY ACT."

Ow.

[mommadona]

Hey, I call it like I see it...

[JoAnnCr]

You are right Obama would never listen.

If he would, he would have waited until he had more experience and had mastered the issues more deeply to enter the race for President.

I'm tired of on-the-job-training presidents.

[SeanGardner]

"...he would have waited until he had more experience and had mastered the issues more deeply to enter the race for President."
JoAnnCr

Hmmm. Hey JoAnnCr I would love for you to pick up the new issue of GQ. It makes an intelligent point about the issue of "experience" regarding Obama, Clinton and Edwards:

“Even on the much hyped question of experience, Clinton, Edwards, and Obama are roughly equal, each having no more than a decade of legislative experience and no executive experience. Given the historic opportunity of an electorate desperate for change and disinclined to elect another Republican president, the Democratic contest is really about who will be the most transformational president. Obama’s case is that to change anything in America, we have to begin by changing our politics, and he offers the kind of campaign he’s running as evidence that he means it”.

So JoAnnCr, what exactly is Obama not "experienced" in? Please explain.

But before you do that, go to www.obama.senate.gov and check out his command of the issues and see how the 50 plus bills he has written over the past three years easily debunks your uninformed notion of Obama needing to have "mastered the issues more deeply to enter the race for President."

Everybody has their opinions, but I would like to know straight up: what "experience" do you believe Obama doesn't have), and, what issues should Obama have "mastered more deeply"?

Because all you need to do is go to www.barackobama.com and click on ISSUES to see both how detailed his positions are, and, how he has "mastered" an understanding of the issues of deep importance to this country, and to the world.

[Mrrar]

Yeah. Abraham Lincoln was one of the worst presidents in history. People should learn from his actions that a few years in congress and a life dedicated to civil service is just plain not enough to become president.

Oh and let's not forget Bill Clinton-- I mean if there's one thing being governor teaches you, it's international diplomacy!

And John F Kennedy! yet another example of a youth taking office long before his time. Where would the world be without the Baby Boomers, I tell you!

[kitsapdem]

Obama is a bunch of hot air...no substance. Just a lot of grand standing, he was too busy reading his campaign memo to figure out how to one up Hillary during the Petraeus Hearing, that all he did was speechify. With Hillary way up in Obama's so-called in the bag South Carolina, the guy's desperate, and the race for the nomination is all but lost.

[Mrrar]

I hate nuance too. I wish Obama would learn that we the American people don't want intellectual, deep statements, but shallow, easily repeated Memes.

I mean, if the past seven years have taught me anything, it's that.

You're so right! He needs to say things that make sense in my -gut-, not my head! Thanks for bringing this to light, Lynn! :)

[Fairfloss]

Has Obama topped Biden's record for long winded, questions and that need to lecture as if he is the expert on everything?

Let have a play-off between the two "show-boaters."

[Think82]

biden's the only one who stays within the time limits in the debates, actually

[bahamut]

So i take it your part of the Hillary camp? If you didn't notice, Gen. Petraeus gave a rather convoluted answer to Sen. Sununu previous question. so i too would of liked to hear him repeat the answer

[Ben Dixon]

Everyone knows that the most intelligent people listen more than they talk. Its a shame that Obama seems to have forgotten that.

[Think82]

If people are thinking of voting for Obama, I would encourage you all to please look at JOE BIDEN. He is really the best candidate. He lead these hearings with incredible skill and has a plan to get us out of iraq that will not leave chaos behind. At every turn Obama shows us he is a bit green on foreign policy issues. I like to think of Biden as Obama plus 30 years more experience. For reading and viewing pleasure:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ehzEgU-oVI
www.planforiraq.com

and please donate to Joe's campaign!

[Mrrar]

Biden is a great candidate, and I think he'd make an excellent candidate to run with Obama-- as either president or vice president..

Nevertheless I am confident that Obama's ability to inspire is greater than Biden's by far... Which in no way discredits the genius Biden has, nor his experience.

An Obama/Biden ticket would have the Inspirational and experience qualities that would make it an unbeatable ticket.

Sorta like a Bush/Cheney ticket with 99% less hypocrisy and 99% more civil service.