French President Wary of Obama’s Content-Free Policies
One of the things Obama supporters repeat ad nauseum about their candidate is that his election would restore our image abroad.
Today, ABC News reporter raises that very question, “Could an Obama Win Restore America’s Global Image?“ Her subhead answers the question in the affirmative. But, over at the Atlantic, a sensible blogger wonders if European leaders are worried about Obama.
A month ago, Victor Davis Hanson found that beneath the popular enthusiasm for Obama lay serious concerns about the Democrat’s policies.
Another reporter, ABC’s indispensable (and adorable) Jake Tapper links a report in Israeli newspaper Haaretz indicating that French President Nicolas Sarkozy “views the Democratic candidate’s stance on Iran as ‘utterly immature’ and comprised of ‘formulations empty of all content’:“
Following their July meeting, Sarkozy repeatedly expressed disappointment with Obama’s positions on Iran, concluding that they were “not crystallized, and therefore many issues remain open,” the Israeli source said. Advisors to the French president who held separate meetings with Obama’s advisors came away with similar impressions and expressed similar disappointment.
Sarkozy’s concerns are consistent with those raised this summer by European officials that Obama’s “campaign pledge to begin direct talks with Iran on its nuclear program without preconditions could potentially rupture U.S. relations with key European allies early in a potential Obama administration.“ Obama’s election might restore our image abroad, but at the cost of our relations with our allies. Our influence would thus be reduced.
Commenting on Sarkozy’s comments, Ed Morrissey calls Obama an “empty suit” who could “wind up being “more unilateral than George Bush in his foreign policy.”
Another sign that Obama’s change from the last eight years means a change for the worse.
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You know you’re in trouble when a Frenchman calls you a p-u-s-s-y.
Comment by V the K — October 28, 2008 @ 7:48 pm - October 28, 2008
Good grief, even the French can see the danger of an Obama presidency. Is the whole of Europe about to begin to turn to the political right?
Comment by Swampfox — October 28, 2008 @ 9:17 pm - October 28, 2008
#2: “Is the whole of Europe about to begin to turn to the political right?”
The better question is: why would Europe have to turn to the political right to be more conservative than Obama? If Chirac and Schroder were still in power, even they would look at Obama and say, “who’s this fuckin’ hippie?”
Comment by Sean A — October 28, 2008 @ 9:51 pm - October 28, 2008
I really believe that there is an underlying fear of in Europe of an Obama presidency, remember 9/11/01? There is a love/hate relation of our country. I found the following article by reading http://www.Instapundit.com, here is the link:
http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/10/provocation_of_the_day_is_euro.php
Comment by Swampfox — October 28, 2008 @ 9:58 pm - October 28, 2008
FYI–the comment filter is apparently awake and hungry…
Comment by Sean A — October 28, 2008 @ 10:24 pm - October 28, 2008
I keep wondering that if the much vaunted Europeans (whom we’re supposed to emmulate) couldn’t get anywhere with Iran, what makes Comrade Obama think he can?
Will Ahmadouchebag give a crap that he’s black? Americans are the ones riddled with White Guilt.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — October 28, 2008 @ 10:43 pm - October 28, 2008
Thank Goodness…. Looks like we can change our “freedom” fries back to “french” fries now.
Comment by James — October 28, 2008 @ 10:44 pm - October 28, 2008
The main thing Mad Jihad knows is that Obama is a naif who doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with people trying to blow up US soldiers to make a political statement.
Comment by North Dallas Thirty — October 29, 2008 @ 12:43 am - October 29, 2008
great post. I had seen the Haaretz piece, but not the others.
Comment by American Elephant — October 29, 2008 @ 3:31 am - October 29, 2008
Congress hasn’t had “freedom fries” since San Fran Nan snatched the gavel. I doubt the cafeteria even has french fries anymore, now it has :
I <3 liberal self-parody!
Comment by American Elephant — October 29, 2008 @ 3:45 am - October 29, 2008
FIE on your FILTER! >:(
Comment by American Elephant — October 29, 2008 @ 3:46 am - October 29, 2008
Thanks GPW
You’re the best
Comment by American Elephant — October 29, 2008 @ 7:35 am - October 29, 2008
As of next January, the President of France will be a (relatively) conservative capitalist, and the President of the USA will be a radical socialist.
The world’s gone quite mad.
Comment by V the K — October 29, 2008 @ 8:38 am - October 29, 2008
I am an American working in Europe and, although I plan to vote Republican, I am not deluded into thinking that Europeans don’t like and trust Obama. They do. The nonsense that Obama is a Socialist or that he doesn’t support the soldiers or that he will be soft on Iran, actually amuses them, as it does me. If we are to win this election we are going to have to do so with intelligent debate and solid policy, not neanderthal slurs. Lift the bar please.
Comment by Chris Vincent — October 29, 2008 @ 12:38 pm - October 29, 2008
CV, so when Obama laments that the US Constitution is “fundamentally flawed” because it does not allow the government to redistribute income, and when he judges that the Warren Court was insufficiently radical because it let itself be constrained by the Constitution… how is that *not* the position of a radical socialist?
Comment by V the K — October 29, 2008 @ 1:38 pm - October 29, 2008
It would be the irony of the new century if Europe made a conservative turn in foreign policy while America went the other way. I can’t bear the thought, frankly. How unenlightened (and dangerous) our leadership illuminati would appear to our formerly erstwhile allies in France.
Comment by Jay T — October 29, 2008 @ 2:57 pm - October 29, 2008
where on Earth are you getting your information? The Obama website? Every major influential figure in his life has been a socialist or communist and there is a clear record, despite his rhetoric, that he indeed supports socialism
Funny, it doesn’t amuse Sarkozy, he seems to agree with it.
Comment by American Elephant — October 30, 2008 @ 3:45 am - October 30, 2008
Why are us Republicans so hysterical about the concept of change? That’s exactly why we’re about to lose the election, because we don’t have a hopeful message and spend so much time living in fear of new ideas. Why does the concept of a fairer society, where there is less disparity between the obscenely rich and poor, have to be a democratic idea? For a party with a supposedly Christian base, we can be decidedly unChristian and greedy in our economic ideas. There is a vast difference between an economically fairer society and Socialism – “radical socialist” – don’t be so hysterical and calm yourself down. Just look at the man, his clothes and his lifestyle…he’s as capitalist as the next American. Sarkozy is not Europe and i get my ideas from the hundreds of Europeans i mix with in my line of business, most of whom are extremely well versed in international affairs and quite balanced and fair in their appraisal of our country.Once again, if we lift the standard of debate and stop regurgitating the hysteria of the extreme right Conservatives of our party, we might have ended up winning this election. Fingers crossed we still can.
Comment by Chris Vincent — October 30, 2008 @ 11:54 am - October 30, 2008
Just out of curiosity Chris, which people do you consider to be “extreme right Conservatives”? At the moment, I can’t think of any.
Comment by Vivian — October 30, 2008 @ 6:22 pm - October 30, 2008
Obama is an enemy of God; a vote for Obama would be another Holocaust for Jews; Obama is a Muslim; shouting out ‘drill baby drill’ in a speech at a solar energy firm to a flaberghasted crowd; Obama is a Socialist/Communist; Obama hangs out with PLO sorts. Any of these sentiments ring a bell? This is the sort of nonsense that we have been spewing out in an effort to scare people into voting Republican; our election strategy has been a bit like lashing out in the dark hoping to hit something. I look forward to 2012 when hopefully we will have some educated/informed/tactically aware individuals guiding our party to a sound victory based on real policy rather then silly, at times, quite nasty soundbites. Signing out of this forum…..saving my energy for voting day!
Comment by Chris Vincent — October 31, 2008 @ 10:28 am - October 31, 2008