The problem you have with that is: What if General Petrayus says we need to stay for 2 years, & that 16 months is not enough?

Obama has boxed himself into a corner. He should have stayed with his statement that before he made "any" decision he needed to listen to the commanders on the ground. He did that, & then the far out left got on his butt, & he went back to the 16 month withdrawel plan -- before going to Iraq & talking with the commanders.

In truth, no matter who is the next President, we will have an American base in Iraq that is capable of batteling off insurgents or Al Queda terrorists. McCain has stated that, Barack "can't" because he has said too much already.

But, in the end, when he is President he won't have a choice. He knows he has a second term to "win", & failure in Iraq because of his decisions would insure his defeat for a second term.

I think your poster is correct. The Obama mania is so fast & furious, that many are going to be very disapointed, that he really is NOT the Messia.

It's pretty clear Obama doesn't support the military. It's also clear people in the military (overall) don't support him. Charlie Daniels had a bigger crowd at Camp AJ in 2006 than Obama did the other day, and he hasn't had a hit in 20 years.

__________________
Andy
Cynical Optimist

What will you expect he will do with the military if he's elected, if I may ask?

__________________
"I think that gay marriage should be allowed."
- John McCain on an episode of Hardball, 2006, before the commercial break

"I do not believe that gay marriage should be legal."
- John McCain on the same episode of Hardball, after the commercial break

"John McCain does not speak for the John McCain campaign."
- Tucker Bounds, Spokesman of the John McCain presidential campaign.

The straight talk express. You gotta love it.

Yeah, it's really fun to abuse those soldiers fate for campaigning, isn't it. If you meet them, you're blamed for using the suffering of people (you didn't want to sent there in the first place) for your campaigning. If you meet them and tell people that you didn't want them to go there in the first place, you look like an asshole to every ordinary soldier. And if you don't go there at all, but tell people you didn't want this war, and you promise to end it, you dickhead look like a complete fucking douchebag. Or how common people say: It hurts when he's not flip-flopping, doesn't it.

Writing this, I find a memories in my head about threads here that said that the conservative administration quiete fucked up post-war life for veterans, and the horrible conditions in the biggest army hospital in the US. For some strange reason, this all was not the fault of those people who are politically in charge of the military. Dude, some people here live in a twisted reality.

__________________
"I think that gay marriage should be allowed."
- John McCain on an episode of Hardball, 2006, before the commercial break

"I do not believe that gay marriage should be legal."
- John McCain on the same episode of Hardball, after the commercial break

"John McCain does not speak for the John McCain campaign."
- Tucker Bounds, Spokesman of the John McCain presidential campaign.

The straight talk express. You gotta love it.

No, he wasn't. He could've kept the press out of the room. That would've accomplished the goal of visiting the troops because he cared about the troops.

You know, had that been his goal, which it clearly wasn't. Basically, he saw that he couldn't get any political traction out of it, so he said "Fuck the troops" and went elsewhere.

The guy is a complete and utter scumbag...

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Obama's New "57 State Patriotic Pin":




Sayeth John Drake - 10/13/08: "OK, you're right, I admit to LYING"

I'm wondering if someone from the conservative camp is willing to pick up this question I dropped seven pages ago:

__________________
"I think that gay marriage should be allowed."
- John McCain on an episode of Hardball, 2006, before the commercial break

"I do not believe that gay marriage should be legal."
- John McCain on the same episode of Hardball, after the commercial break

"John McCain does not speak for the John McCain campaign."
- Tucker Bounds, Spokesman of the John McCain presidential campaign.

The straight talk express. You gotta love it.

Great question, and really hard to answer, because we don't really know enough about Obama's core beliefs to make any projections.

On one hand, there's this video (a Obama statement) on Youtube which I read as gutting our military capability. Others will no doubt see it differently.

On the other hand is the blowback Clinton received when he tried to end the ban on gays in the military. In total, what Clinton wanted to do is far more minor than what Obama 'apparently' wants to do.

A President Obama will have some say in the future course of our military but there are trememdously powerful constituents with a vested interest in the future of the military, and no President has complete sway of Defense Policy. Checks and balances are one of the great things about our country, and I don't just mean the three branches of government.

Colin Powell was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs (and the most respected man in America) when Clinton tried to end the ban and he effectively nixed it. And Powell is a reasonable, thoughful guy. I expect, if Obama goes in on day one and orders the troops to begin withdrawing, depending on the situation on the ground at that time, he's liable to get some blowback. There might be resignations, which would be a public relations disaster for Obama (the Gay in the Military debate was a huge problem for Clinton).

If, around the time of the inauguration, General Petraeus makes a statement saying a withdrawal at this time would present unacceptable risks, then Obama would back down and throw away the only issue he used to come to national prominance. But politicians throwing away campaign promises is nothing new so it wouldn't surprise me. General Petraeus is probably in the top ten of respected people in the country. Obama might pretend he's "just on the ground" but not even he is that stupid. I don't think Obama will buck Petraeus.

Clinton was against SDI, but, all through his Presidency, research continued, money was spent. I mention this to illustrate a Presidents power to "Change" the military is limited.

I think Carter got a bad rap for the disastrous hostage rescue mission in Iran. Most of the ineptitude displayed on that mission was systemic to our post Vietnam military. Carter just happened to be President at the time.

What Obama would do to the military is not my major concern. Any damage he would do to the military by changing it would be relatively short term. My concern is HOW he would USE it.

If my view is correct, and I hope it's not, that Barack Obama is a Extreme Black Nationalist, then there could be serious problems. If, as some believe, he's seeking to implement the Black Liberation Theology that he listened to for 20 years in that church, then there could be serious problems. If he tries to force policies overwhelmingly favoring blacks down the throats of the majority (white) people, there could be race war, or at least a disruption in the races, with some segments of the called out military doing what they are told, as in Little Rock, and some segments saying, hell no, I'm not gonna fight against my own people. Admittley, it's a worst case scenario, and I'm counting on the balance of powers to prevent it.

On the international stage. Well, he's a "Citizen of the World" so I don't expect much there. And our enemies will use that weakness to their advantage. I fully expect a test from radical islam, possibly others, in the early days of a potential Obama Administration. How he handles that test will tell us much more Barack Obama than we know kow.

Will Iran get a nuke capabilty? On an Obama watch yes, on a McCain watch, no. But that would involve McCain (or Israel) using military force to prevent it. I don't see any way around that. Iran is determined, and so are we.

I hope I answered your question, as much as my limited capability allows me.

This was such a hell of a good question, and I think I'll post this on my blog.

Let the flaming begin.

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Andy
Cynical Optimist

It's because he's a leader, they can see that, and there has been a terrible void in the world for the last 7 1/2 years, in the world leadership role that the US president used to fill.

I would like to see a candidate talk in common sense. Let's be a little more isolationist. We give trillions of $$ to every slimehole country around the world and all they do is shit on us for it. We help wherever help is needed and get nothing but crap in return. Let's start taking care of us and screw the rest of them. And when they come here to kill us, use every weapon and tactic available to completely annihilate them. In short, I'd really like to hear someone running president of the US, not the world.

Oh, and to respond to the idea that Bush has done so much damage to our "reputation"... Why? Because we finally fought back instead of laying down and letting these goat scroggers kick us at will? I'm not a huge fan of G Bush, but, if anything has damaged the US reputation over his term as president, it's all the dems constantly berating him in the public eye over his actual performance. Divided we fall. Remember? The dems have carried a very successful campaign of propaganda to completely eliminate all credibility from our president. Brilliant.

Could you please elaborate? Thanks.

__________________
"I think that gay marriage should be allowed."
- John McCain on an episode of Hardball, 2006, before the commercial break

"I do not believe that gay marriage should be legal."
- John McCain on the same episode of Hardball, after the commercial break

"John McCain does not speak for the John McCain campaign."
- Tucker Bounds, Spokesman of the John McCain presidential campaign.

The straight talk express. You gotta love it.

I haven't heard anything from Barrack Obama that indicated that he's an extreme black nationalist. In fact, these people want to chop his balls of.

When it comes to Iran, nobody can stop them to get the bomb. The only way would be a ground invasion, and that's not gonna happen (thank god).

I think Obama would cut back military spending, return Iraq into the hands of the Iraqis (which would be what the Iraqis want), he would cut down international stockpiles of nuclear WMD, and secure Afghanistan. None of this is a danger for US security.

When it comes to terrorism, sooner or later it's gonna happen on US soil. The question is wether it is in years, decades or centuries. A GOP-administration already once failed to prevent a major terrorist attack on US soil. As long as Obama's men are not as oblivious as Bush's when it comes to intelligence warnings, I see him as a improvement for US security in this context.

__________________
"I think that gay marriage should be allowed."
- John McCain on an episode of Hardball, 2006, before the commercial break

"I do not believe that gay marriage should be legal."
- John McCain on the same episode of Hardball, after the commercial break

"John McCain does not speak for the John McCain campaign."
- Tucker Bounds, Spokesman of the John McCain presidential campaign.

The straight talk express. You gotta love it.

Failed to prevent one but prevented how many others since then?

Obama is the favorite of every terrorist they ask. Why should we put him in office when the terrorist like him?

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"We can't screw it up any worse than they have." - Barack Obama

Wanna bet?



"You never want a serious crisis to go to waste...." - Rahm Emmanuel

ya thats a nice excuse but it doenst float...........

i find it funny that liberals will always excuse away obama's inexperience with posts like this

yet bashed bush in the same manner obama has been criticized..........

i think the poster is referring to the lack of a liberal to take decisive action in the face of terrrorist....if you need examples look up bill clinton
a republican administration allows 9/11 ???? nice spin