Obama is Bush III on foreign policy

B_starinvestor

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First 100 Days of National Security: Obama's Centrist Approach Angers Fans, Pleases Critics - First 100 Days of Presidency - Politics FOXNews.com

As a realist, I must say that I am refreshed and grateful that Obama has pulled a complete 180 on his foreign policy after the campaign trail.

All in all, he's basically Bush III on foreign policy; staying in Iraq, beefing up Afghanistan, no idea on earth what to do with detainees from Gitmo, failed diplomatic efforts with Iran, no idea what to do with Iran, shoulder shrugging and head scratching on N. Korea.

That being said, he's doing a lot better at restoring relations with Europe than Bush did; but not much else has changed.

Its good to see that with some intelligence briefings and discussions, he reversed directions on his outlandishly radical campaign promises in relation to foreign policy.

It gives me a boost in confidence regarding his leadership performance.
 

sgtrock

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I can’t disagree more for the first time in over 12 years if not longer we have a leader not a wimp or a politician hiding behind his staff or pointing the blame on someone else.

He inherited a senseless war in Iraq and it would exasperate the problem unfortunately now pulling troops out to quickly. Although I am cautious on expantion in Afghanistan I do believe this is where the heart of the problem lies as well as an unstable Pakistan. North Korea has been a thorn in our side for sometime we must utilize the Chinese better to stifle their rhetoric and work to reunite the two Koreas once the North’s Leadership is gone. As for Guantanamo, having served there I must remind you again he inherited this mess from the previous administration who not since the escalation of the Vietnam Crisis did more to help line the pockets of their political and financial cronies than any other time in our history. Halliburton is just one such identity who beat the war drum to a huge profit.

Yes he has done more in the first 100 days to bring our European allies back to the table and this was both necessary and smart.

Again he is a true leader not shucking off the blame but accepting it and giving credit when and where credit is due. As a Reconnaissance Marine NCO, I was required to lead using 14 leadership traits I believe that Mr. Obama is doing just that too!

Justice, Judgment, Dependability, Initiative, Decisiveness, Tact, Integrity, Enthusiasm, Bearing, Courage, Knowledge, Loyalty, Endurance

So I would ask that he and his administration be given a little longer to prove their metal especially after the last eight year debacle.

Semper fi delis
 
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Bbucko

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I propose that by wanting to open up Cuba to American investment interests, shaking hands with Chavez and by not walking back from talking with Iran, he's cut quite a different path for himself.

He also claims to have eliminated torture from our arsenal of tactics in the war on terrorism. But, as he continues in the footsteps of Clinton with rendition (who stared the practice) and Bush, we'll see. I personally don't see the difference between "America does not torture" and "we send POWs in the War on Terror to other countries where the torture is supervised by the CIA but actually executed by foreign nationals". It just shows the American penchant for outsourcing will survive indefinitely.
 

D_Ireonsyd_Colonrinse

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From the Associated Press, April 23:

"For the first time in years, more Americans than not say the country is headed in the right direction, a sign that Barack Obama has used the first 100 days of his presidency to lift the public's mood and inspire hopes for a brighter future."

Right track: 48%

Wrong track: 44%


This is terrific news. Yes, people are absolutely fearful about the economy and job loss and medical expenses and national debt.... but I believe this "right track" percentage reached an all-time low near the end of last year at 7%, during the waning weeks under George W. Bush.


Not that I'd dream of engaging in Bush bashing.
 

ihasaweewee

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Obama ran his campaign on one word, that word being "change" - more specifically, "change we can believe in." The problem is that the change never had to be defined specifically as to what and how change would occur. Many people simply jumped at the change being a racial change. While having a colored President is change and shows progress in America's racial image, I know that many people assumed there would be other changes. Perhaps though the slogan was simply mocking the populous in that they actually believed that there would be change. Obama still likely needs a wait and see approach for many people, but time will tell.
 

B_starinvestor

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From the Associated Press, April 23:

"For the first time in years, more Americans than not say the country is headed in the right direction, a sign that Barack Obama has used the first 100 days of his presidency to lift the public's mood and inspire hopes for a brighter future."

Right track: 48%

Wrong track: 44%


This is terrific news. Yes, people are absolutely fearful about the economy and job loss and medical expenses and national debt.... but I believe this "right track" percentage reached an all-time low near the end of last year at 7%, during the waning weeks under George W. Bush.


Not that I'd dream of engaging in Bush bashing.

Although the OP isn't addressing the 'general direction' of the country; but rather foreign policy initiatives where there seems to be a great many similarities.

Had McCain won the election and pursued the exact same foreign policy as Obama is, the libs would be screaming bloody murder and calling him Bush Jr.:mad:
 

Flashy

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He inherited a senseless war in Iraq and it would exasperate the problem unfortunately now pulling troops out to quickly. Although I am cautious on expantion in Afghanistan I do believe this is where the heart of the problem lies as well as an unstable Pakistan.
Indeed, he may have inherited a senseless war, but that does not change the fact, that leading is much different then campaigning, and as we can see now, and as you surely know as a serviceman, you cannot just simply pull troops out without there being severe consequences. He promised much mroe than he could deliver on that front, and our troops will be there for quite a while.

I think that Obama has done virtually nothing thus far, in the most important area, which is Pakistan...which is now sliding towards complete chaos...the Taliban is now 65 miles from Islamabad, and i do not think anyone needs to be told the dangers inherent in the Taliban gaining control of a country with nuclear weapons.

that is on the verge o happening.

frankly, in the grand scheme of things, Afghanistan is totally unimportant and strategically insignificant...Pakistan is where the vital interest is, and Obama had better get a grip on this *FAST*.

between Pakistan and Iran, these two situations are more dangerous than anywhere else...

and so far, he has done zero on either.


North Korea has been a thorn in our side for sometime we must utilize the Chinese better to stifle their rhetoric and work to reunite the two Koreas once the North’s Leadership is gone.
easier said then done. whose rhetoric will be stifled? the NOrth Koreans? When will their leadership be gone? That is not happening any time soon. How do you propose we rid North Korea of their leadership, and military upper echelons who control the country in order to reunite the two Koreas?

we are in no position to stifle their rhetoric, we couldn't even get them officially condemned at the UN because of the Chinese and the Russians.

As for Guantanamo, having served there I must remind you again he inherited this mess from the previous administration who not since the escalation of the Vietnam Crisis did more to help line the pockets of their political and financial cronies than any other time in our history. Halliburton is just one such identity who beat the war drum to a huge profit.
as for Guantanamo, i would hardly consider it a "a mess" in the grand scheme of things. It is certainly not comparable to major interests around the world.

Yes he has done more in the first 100 days to bring our European allies back to the table and this was both necessary and smart.
what exactly has he done to "bring our european allies back to the table" though?

NATO was not going to dissolve.

Neither the french or the germans were particularly enamoured of his ideas...just because they are fawning over him, does not mean they will do what we want.

so far, France and germany have balked at his economic ideas, and when he said that Turkey should belong to the EU, the French told him to keep his nose out of their business.

he can be nice and charming, but that does not change the facts, that it is his responsiblity to advance AMERICAN interests...not European ones. Europe is enamoured of him because they believe they will be able to get him to do what THEY want from the USA...not what we want from them.

Bush may have been an idiot, but it is the job of the president of the united states to advance American interests...not european ones, not south american ones and not asian ones, unless those interests align with ours and help to advance ours.

Frankly, I do not care about European security anymore, or missile defense in Europe.

let them handle it. If they don't want to be in Iranian missile range eventually, let them handle it.

all our troops should be brought home from Europe, Asia, the Middle East etc. let the rest of the world handle its problems.

american troops should defend america and nobody else anymore. It is not worth it, financially andm ore importantly in the lives of americans lost.

Again he is a true leader not shucking off the blame but accepting it and giving credit when and where credit is due. As a Reconnaissance Marine NCO, I was required to lead using 14 leadership traits I believe that Mr. Obama is doing just that too!

Justice, Judgment, Dependability, Initiative, Decisiveness, Tact, Integrity, Enthusiasm, Bearing, Courage, Knowledge, Loyalty, Endurance
while i certainly admire your service in Force Recon, and laud your efforts and appreciate them, i don't see Obama using all those at all in terms of his foreign policy...

some? yes, perhaps? all...can't really agree on that.

I have not seen any Dependability, Judgment, Initiative, Decisiveness, Tact, Bearing, Courage, Loyalty or Endurance...just yet, in terms of major foreign policy.

aside from some overseas visits and photo ops, i have seen very little to suggest any types of major breakthroughs.


So I would ask that he and his administration be given a little longer to prove their metal especially after the last eight year debacle.

Semper fi delis
just as an aside, one must "prove their mettle" not their "metal" (mettle means courage and fortitude, spirit, or inherent quality of character)

once again, thanks for your service, regardless of opinions or disagreements :smile:
 

B_Nick8

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I can’t disagree more for the first time in over 12 years if not longer we have a leader not a wimp or a politician hiding behind his staff or pointing the blame on someone else.

He inherited a senseless war in Iraq and it would exasperate the problem unfortunately now pulling troops out to quickly. Although I am cautious on expantion in Afghanistan I do believe this is where the heart of the problem lies as well as an unstable Pakistan. North Korea has been a thorn in our side for sometime we must utilize the Chinese better to stifle their rhetoric and work to reunite the two Koreas once the North’s Leadership is gone. As for Guantanamo, having served there I must remind you again he inherited this mess from the previous administration who not since the escalation of the Vietnam Crisis did more to help line the pockets of their political and financial cronies than any other time in our history. Halliburton is just one such identity who beat the war drum to a huge profit.

Yes he has done more in the first 100 days to bring our European allies back to the table and this was both necessary and smart.

Again he is a true leader not shucking off the blame but accepting it and giving credit when and where credit is due. As a Reconnaissance Marine NCO, I was required to lead using 14 leadership traits I believe that Mr. Obama is doing just that too!

Justice, Judgment, Dependability, Initiative, Decisiveness, Tact, Integrity, Enthusiasm, Bearing, Courage, Knowledge, Loyalty, Endurance

So I would ask that he and his administration be given a little longer to prove their metal especially after the last eight year debacle.

Semper fi delis

Your post, sir, was a pleasure to read.

And you, star, are sometimes such an utterly simplistic fool it's amazing. To make such a ridiculous assessment after less than 100 days is laughable. Talk to me in a year or so when the man has had a chance to actually get something of substance done. It would be nice to think that having Obama at the helm will keep the Titanic from hitting the iceberg (this time), no thanks to Captain Bush, who set the course in the first place.
 

Flashy

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From the Associated Press, April 23:

"For the first time in years, more Americans than not say the country is headed in the right direction, a sign that Barack Obama has used the first 100 days of his presidency to lift the public's mood and inspire hopes for a brighter future."

Right track: 48%

Wrong track: 44%


This is terrific news. Yes, people are absolutely fearful about the economy and job loss and medical expenses and national debt.... but I believe this "right track" percentage reached an all-time low near the end of last year at 7%, during the waning weeks under George W. Bush.


Not that I'd dream of engaging in Bush bashing.


fascinating...WT in yet another unabashedly biased pro-Obama post.

so tell me, since you never respond when confronted...how exactly is it possible for you to take the results of one poll, and portray them as the mood of the country, and ignore ten other polls that say far less?

over the last three weeks, the average of 7 polls, including the brand new AP poll you just cited states that:

only

36.6% say the country is headed in the right direction

while

56.75 say the country is going in the wrong direction...

those were the averages of these polls (including the one you cited):

Associated Press/GFK (48%)
Daily Kos/R2000 (43%)
Ipsos/McClatchy (45%)
Pew...................(23%)
CBS News/NYTimes (39%)
Rasmussen (36%)
Newsweek (22%)



Obviously, you will ignore this post, i am sure, since it actually examines all the facts, not just the cherrypicked ones.
 

D_Tully Tunnelrat

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Obama is not BushIII. Just look at this photo of him shaking hands with Hughito. That never would have happened with Bush. He talking with Iran. Because of those talks, Ahmadinejad, as much of a puppet as he is, took out of his UN speech a denial of The Holocaust. That also never would have happened with Bush.

Sgt. Rock has it right. A leader leads by example, and in those actions, he demonstrates qualities that validate the trust put in him. Obama is taking that path. We can only judge those actions once they have had some time to take root. Thanks for your service Sgt. Rock!

Flashy, as usual, raises some interesting points. I too agree that Pakistan is a potential huge powder keg. Giving up the Swat Valley was an enormous tactical mistake by Islamabad. An ever bigger mistake was the unrestricted billions of financial aide BushII gave to Pakistan. That our money has helped reform those who have been in opposition to the US, is not only stupid, but a key point of divergence between BushII and Obama.

And on that last point, the US can no longer afford give unrestricted financial aide, and to have bases or personnel in 150 countries around the globe. Each nation will have to take more financial and physical responsibility for their own safety. That includes Europe and NATO. So, even though Europe likes Obama, they won't like the bills that will come due because of his leadership.

Even though I disagree with your pov Star, I am glad you have greater confidence in Obama. Whether you agree with his policies, or not, and there are several where I do not, he is fundamentally changing the tone, and direction of the country, and that's a very good beginning.
 

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D_Ireonsyd_Colonrinse

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Since Flashy doesn't seem to like when I report "a" poll, a single poll, "cherry-pick" my intelligence (as George W. Bush did with the intel to make his case pushing for a war with Iraq), I will be broader.

Real Clear Politics gives me an average of recent polls on the president's approval rating.

This should give us some indication of how the country feels about Obama's first 100 days.

Let's take a look, shall we?...hmmm... very curious how my country feels about our president as we near the 100 Day point (I believe we're around the 94th day or so).

Approve: 61.8%

Disapprove: 32.3%

Wow. Let's just round up a bit and say that two-thirds of the country approves of our president while one-third disapproves.

RealClearPolitics - Election Other - President Obama Job Approval


All of Rush's and Sean's and Hugh Hewitt's and Glenn Beck's and Laura Ingrham's and Joe Scarborough's and Bill O'Reilly's and Fox News' daily attacks on the president are not shifting the numbers.

It's just hot air.

Rush Limbaugh + microphone = hot air.
 

Flashy

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Since Flashy doesn't seem to like when I report "a" poll, a single poll, "cherry-pick" my intelligence (as George W. Bush did with the intel to make his case pushing for a war with Iraq), I will be broader.

Real Clear Politics gives me an average of recent polls on the president's approval rating.

This should give us some indication of how the country feels about Obama's first 100 days.

Let's take a look, shall we?...hmmm... very curious how my country feels about our president as we near the 100 Day point (I believe we're around the 94th day or so).

Approve: 61.8%

Disapprove: 32.3%

Wow. Let's just round up a bit and say that two-thirds of the country approves of our president while one-third disapproves.

RealClearPolitics - Election Other - President Obama Job Approval


All of Rush's and Sean's and Hugh Hewitt's and Glenn Beck's and Laura Ingrham's and Joe Scarborough's and Bill O'Reilly's and Fox News' daily attacks on the president are not shifting the numbers.

It's just hot air.

Rush Limbaugh + microphone = hot air.

frankly, i do not care about Limbaugh or any of those idiots.
'
but it is about time that you actually acknowledged all sides...
it is about time you actually used the real clear politicis average, instead of cherry-picking only those polls you like.

and if i may...where exactly do you get off with saying " Let's just round up a bit and say that two-thirds of the country approves of our president while one-third disapproves."

so you round him upwards, with no reason given, from 61.8 to a full 66.6% to say that "two-thirds of the country approves of our president" but you of course leave the disapproval at "1/3rd" or 32.3%.

Just FYI...32.3 is only 1% point away from 1/3rd...61.8 is 4.8% points from two thirds.

how exactly did you manage to move his approval gap by increasing it nearly 5 times higher with no reason to as his disapproval gap? you just randomly gave him an extra 4.8 points of approval...

that, is the dumbest thing i have heard...because two thirds DO NOT approve of him...61.8% approve...that is quite a difference. moving someone's numbers up for no reason, arbitrarily?

that is truly interesting...how exactly did you reason that out?

let's go the other way, shall we?

61.8% approve of Obama, so let us round him down for no reason, by the same 5 percentage points...now it shows that only 56.7% of Americans approve of our president...

so tell me, WT...does that look right? Of course not, because, like your bizarre twist, it is a lie and is inaccurate. because you cannot just add nearly 5 percentage points cause you like the way they sound...

his approval was 61.8%...*NOT* two/thirds...in fact, he is far closer to three/fifths then to two/thirds

I really find it perplexing that you have an almost obsessive need to lie about his numbers.

you are just as bad as folks like Limbaugh et. al, who are willing to twist a fact as far as it will go, and then bend it into the realm of making things up to support your guy no matter what.

If his approval rating goes to 66.66666% or very close to it, *THEN* he will have two thirds approval.

the closest he came to that was back in february, when he briefly touched 65.5%

he does not have it now, just cause you give him a extra near 5 percentage points to attempt to make a "point"..which is not much of a point when it is based on a deliberate falsehood.

that, my friend, is what is known as "lying".
 

SlickWilly

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Interesting discussion...

Personally, I don't expect Obama to solve all of our problems, foreign or domestic. He'll need to pick his battles wisely. I think his greatest strengths as a President are his eloquence as a speaker, and his down-to-earth accessibility. I consider him a figurehead... the face (and voice) of America, with some influence, but not all-powerful. Anything he accomplishes is gravy... (and he doesn't make me cringe every time he opens his mouth like GW did)

As much as I hate the fact that we went into Iraq to begin with, I agree with what Colin Powell said: "you break it, you bought it". We're stuck with it for the time being. I think we went into Iraq because the administration thought we all demanded revenge after 9/11. Our arrogance in thinking it would be another 3 week Gulf war has cost many lives.

My big wish is that the US would start taking a back seat in world politics. We've become an international bully... using our military and economic influence to get what we want- regardless of what a given country has in mind. I'd like to see us lay low for a while & let the rest of the world take a crack at sorting out their problems... intervening only when/if asked. Our way is not the ONLY way...

I guess you could say I'm somewhat of an isolationist. I think we stick our collective nose into FAR too many places where it's not wanted... rattling our sabre for our own desires. The American ego, such as it is, could stand to be taken down a peg or two, in my opinion. I'd like to see us become citizens OF the world, instead of citizens OVER the rest of the world. And on the homefront, I'd like to see greater self-sufficiency. We have the workforce and the natural resources to be a great nation. But we devote so much time & resources to maintaining the rest of the world.

That said, I do applaud our armed forces for placing themselves in harm's way. Being inherently selfish, I could never imagine placing the lives of others ahead of my own. Their altruism is commendable.

But whatever... I'm just babbling...

end of rant.
 

D_Ireonsyd_Colonrinse

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Flashy, I was just showing a little optimism for our relatively new president.

Showing a little love. Looking on the bright side.

So sue me.


I want this decent, rigorously intelligent and thoughtful man to succeed.

Posters like faceking and starinvestor want this president to fail - presumably, so they can help install that whackjob Sarah Palin into the White House in 2012.

Fine. Obama's presidential approval rating stands at 61.8%

His disapproval rating is at slightly less than a third.

Duly noted.