Barack Obama Verbrechen Of The Week

Anything a candidate does, whether in the US or on foreign soil, is campaigning. McCain, to bolster his own foreign policy experience, claimed as part of his campaign that Obama hadn't traveled enough overseas and called for Obama to go overseas. If McCain didn't want Obama to go overseas during his campaign, then McCain should not have challenged him. It was really a short-sighted political ploy of McCain (who seems to be making a lot of short-sighted political ploys) as everyone nkows how popular Obama is, including overseas.

If you challenge a rock star to go overseas then you should expect that he'll draw large crowds.

On the one hand I'm happy that Obama is drawing large crowds overseas, but on the other hand I'm not especially happy that the event is so overtly a campaign event. An overseas trip by candidates requires a delicate balancing act so it doesn't became a campaign event on overseas soil, while giving audiences a chance to see you. I think Obama is tipping the wrong way on this one. Though consdering all the mistakes a candidate can make, this would probably land Obama in the second circle of Hell in Dante's Inferno... There are far worse sins...

An overseas trip by candidates requires a delicate balancing act so it doesn't became a campaign event on overseas soil, while giving audiences a chance to see you.

Why does it require a delicate balancing act? Americans should be proud and happy that the leading candidate is popular overseas. This entire controversy sounds like more contrived conventional wisdom to me.

Chris -

Despite the wet dreams of people like you, this is a sovereign nation. We elect our leaders. It is beyond just bad protocol to campaign overseas. It is not a question of him being popular there. However, I am sure that is lost on you.

Any problems with him taking foreign donations?

Austin-puhleaazzzz

Actually Obama's popularity overseas is an important factor in his candidacy. After years of having our nation's leader despised by the populations of our democratic allies (where popularity matters, if only to the local pols), don't you think having a popular US president might make US/European relations a tad bit easier?

And hey, with over 270,000 American voters in Germany alone, what politician wouldn't want to visit?

PC and debased celebrity culture is not limited to this nation but includes Europe and everywhere else it is fashionable to bash Bush or be envious and resentful of the USA.

Obama should just engage in moderation. He's already being worshipped for this trip no matter what the details or facts about it are. For the record, I don't consider this trip to be the same as the Pelosi and Company deliberate undermining of the foreign policy of the USA that the more demented Democrats had in mind months earlier.

"Any problems with him taking foreign donations?"

Some would be aghast if he got any Jewish liberal Democratic donations that in any way were associated with Israel, but would have no problem if he got money from people known to have given money also to Hamas or Hizballah.

Austin, wake up and smell the world, it's not the 19th century anymore.

DLS, Bush "bashing" doesn't occur because it's "fashionable", but because the man has been an incompetent and deeply morally flawed "leader".

Faux outrage indeed Shaun, and false dichotomies, and hot air as well. I suppose the same folks who are upset by Obama being a hit overseas are the same ones who thought there was merit in Bush acting as though he didn't give a crap about what the rest of the world thought. Go figure...

CK - sorry if I wasn't clear. I have zero issue with his popularity abroad. I have zero issue with a trip abroad by him, and even meeting with world leaders.

But I draw a great big fat line on campaigning overseas. Name one other time a candidate has done that. You cannot, cause it has never been done.

Hell, Bush caught serious flack during the last election cycle for comments made during an official visit overseas that were considered to 'electioneering' by our (not) left-liberal press.

But Obama goes over, throws a campaign rally in Germany, and that is OK?

JSpencer, it isn't the 20th century either, it was not acceptable then, or now.

It is only acceptable when Lord High Jesus Mohammad Dalai Lama Obama does it.

McCain would be (rightfully) crucified if he had done such a cheap stunt.

"Any problems with him taking foreign donations?"

A) Um, I'm fairly sure O's camp is aware of campaign finance laws forbidding such, any reason not to think so?

Further, does the McCain camp really get into a discussion of donor ethics?

"DLS, Bush 'bashing' doesn't occur because it's 'fashionable[,"] but because the man has been an incompetent and deeply morally flawed "\'leader[.']"

It typically occurs because it's fashionable, just as is US-bashing overseas (and here at home by some of the most notorious Bush-bashers, which is no surprise).

[dusting hands] Next issue...

Austin-thanks for the clarification.

But I still disagree on the campaigning overseas thing. It may be unprecedented (I'm taking your word on that), then again, with America's standing at all-time (I'm guessing) lows, I see Obama's overseas popularity as a valid campaign issue.

To paraphrase Arianna, wouldn't it be nice to see our President cheered rather than mocked?

"To paraphrase Arianna, wouldn't it be nice to see our President cheered rather than mocked?"

Given the nature of so many people and of politics since the 1960s, intelligent people respond: what matters more is _why_.

We're still awaiting the cheers for Obama from that scummy zoo called the UN General Assembly. Who knows, Chavez may revisit the UN to stump for Obama.

"It is only acceptable when Lord High Jesus Mohammad Dalai Lama Obama does it. "

Wow, it's going to be a long tough year for ya Austin. Here's hoping you find better ways to deal with the strain.

Actually, I may trademark that!

Funnier than ChimpyMcBushHitlerHalliburton, IMHO.

Hey, Chris- the required balancing act I was referring to was meant to mean a balancing act between campaigning on foreign soil (which I don't particularly like- since he is running for president here- and aren't all the candidates prevented from accepting campaign donations from foreigners) and for giving speeches. I'm really happy that he's popular overseas, I just don't think it's appropriate that he overtly campaign on foreign soil.

"McCain would be (rightfully) crucified if he had done such a cheap stunt."

I actually don't think McCain would have been crucified. He wouldn't have drawn large crowds and no one would have made an issue of McCain's campaigning overseas (regardless of teh crowd size). The press gives McCain a free pass on a lot of stuff and the Obama campaign would not have said anything.

Austin,
How is this campaigning overseas? You could view his entire trip as campaigning overseas in a sense, but how is this speech alone count as campaigning overseas. There are no votes in Europe for Obama. He isn't taking foreign money or planning to move the White House to Bucharest. He's a US Senator running for President and giving a high-profile speech on transatlantic relations. US politicians give speeches overseas all the time - including those running for office. Is the problem the flier? Is it that the speech is open to the public?

I don't get all the concern about this. Unless he bashes America, what's the problem with him giving a good speech in front of our allies?

Elrod -

"A candidate for the American Presidency is using flyers printed in German to turn people out for his campaign rally in Berlin on Thursday. This flyer can be found on a bilingual page on BarackObama.com advertising the event … The German flyers bear Obama’s campaign logo and say “Paid for by Obama for America.” …

So, this isn’t just some sober, high-minded foreign policy speech, part of a foreign trip occurring under the auspices of his official Senate office. It is a campaign rally occuring on foreign soil."

DLS, I think there's still some dust on your hands. ;-)

OK, this is more related to a now buried thread about media bias (does it exist? HA HA): http://www.ibdeditorial.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id...

One thing that REALLY jumped out at me - look at the Fox donations to the Republican Party!

I don't understand why he shouldn't be allowed to campaign (a.k.a. create good election PR) overseas.

Who here has such delicate sensibilities that they are actually outraged by this nonsense?

I'm guessing most of you are just bleating because you don't like Obama :-)