Obama Says His Foreign Policy Resembles That of Elder Bush, Reagan, JFK
GREENSBURG, Pa. — Sen. Barack Obama said Friday he would return the country to the more “traditional” foreign policy efforts of past presidents, such as George H.W. Bush, John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan.
At a town hall event at a local high school gymnasium, Obama praised George H.W. Bush — father of the president — for the way he handled the Persian Gulf War: with a large coalition and carefully defined objectives.
Obama began a six-day bus tour through Pennsylvania, the largest remaining primary prize in the contest with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton for the Democratic nomination. Sen. John McCain is the Republican nominee-in-waiting.
“The truth is that my foreign policy is actually a return to the traditional bipartisan realistic policy of George Bush’s father, of John F. Kennedy, of, in some ways, Ronald Reagan, and it is George Bush that’s been naive and it’s people like John McCain and, unfortunately, some Democrats that have facilitated him acting in these naive ways that have caused us so much damage in our reputation around the world,” he said.
Obama faced criticism in January from Clinton and then-challenger John Edwards for saying Reagan had changed the trajectory of American politics — and that Republicans had been the party of ideas for the last decade or more.
In one of the more heated moments of the Democratic debates, Clinton challenged him directly on the topic, saying those GOP ideas were “bad for America, and I was fighting against those ideas.”
In his speech Friday night, the Illinois senator charged that Clinton, for all her criticism of the current President Bush, has too often gone along with his decisions.
“I do think that Sen. Clinton would understand that George Bush’s policies have failed, but in many ways she has been captive to the same politics that led her to vote for authorizing the war in Iraq,” he said. “Since 9/11 the conventional wisdom has been that you’ve got to look tough on foreign policy by voting and acting like the Republicans, and I disagree with that.”
McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds said Obama “represents an absolute departure” from Reagan and other presidents “whose strength in the face of an outspoken and determined enemy won the greater peace for a generation.”
Obama is dilusional. Using the names of patriotic Presidents who had the hearts and miNds of putting our country before themselves. They made sacrifices and put the people of our beloved country first and foremost. They did not use others to reach the goals they believed in What they did came from their hearts. They truly believed in GOD and Country. Barack Obama with only two years in Congress and a record that speaks for itself is not even worthy of using their names in his campain let aoLne standing on the ground that each of them did in service to our beloved UNITED STATES. GODBLESS OUR TROOPS AND TH UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
Boy, some of you guys must really be young. Kennedy WAS a democrat. You’re missing the point entirely. What he is saying is that America’s foreign policy under these three presidents was better for our country during their administrations BECAUSE we did not try to do everything ourselves. We worked with our allies and formed coalitions which is what he wants to do.
Why don’t you listen to what he is saying before you open your mouths. And, as far as him destroying the party - that couldn’t be further from the truth. Why do you think the ‘elders’ in the party are asking her to get out. Put the blame where it lies.
P.S. speaking of lies - jus listen to Hillary and you’ll get an earful.
Right. I believe with perfect faith that Obama would have deployed the nuclear Pershing II and Tomahawk cruise missile in Europe to counter Russia’s deployment of the SS-20, as Ronald Reagan did in a very un-populist move.
Yeah. Right.
Before people start jumping on Obama by saying he’s comparing HIMSELF to some former Presidents, read the above article carefully.
The article states that Obama simply articulated that one must have clearly defined objectives and a broad-based coalition in order to launch a successful military campaign that brings lasting stability. At the same time, he lumped Bush, Clinton, and McCain in the same camp — rushing to action without a clear plan and then trying to clean up the resulting mess. Politically, this argument is extremely clever: it’s a signal to independent-minded voters that Obama is independent-minded like them and receptive to a full spectrum of ideas.
No matter political affiliation, one must admit Obama has a nimble campaign!
Interesting this quote from Obama ““Since 9/11 the conventional wisdom has been that you’ve got to look tough on foreign policy by voting and acting like the Republicans, and I disagree with that.”
So does that mean that he would look weak on foreign policy by voting and acting like the Democrats ?
He seems to contradict himself in his talks. On the one hand he says he will be like former Presidents (of which two were Republicans) that looked very strong and decisive. But then he talks down the current people (even Democrats) for looking strong and decisive.
It is really difficult to follow his pretzel logic.
Obama still has yet to outline and tell us what he specifically will to with his foreign policy. All he does is name drop and says it will be “like”. What does that mean? They were men and he is a man himself. They are a “like” in that area, is that what he means? Still, he plays polititics and dodges the question.
Come on Fox, how can you let him get away with that? The headline is misleading. If you read into what his is saying, what he really says is that, if we cannot get a large coalition together and the UN’s blessing, then we will not do anything at all. Our current president was not able to get a UN blessing, but he does have a coalition. And Obama, Reagan envaded Granada alone. Granada had been an English colony and Regan did not even notify England prior to the invasion. Just like all the other liberals, Obama hates America and does not believe we have the right to stand up and defend ourselves, unless the UN gives their approval. You have to be careful w/this guy, he is a very smooth talker, a very good liar.
Only in his dreams and he is a legend in his own mind…what there is of it!
DO’NOT BE FOOLED, Obama is a walking bag of fertilizer dressed up in a three piece suit.
How do go from being one of THE most Liberal Senators in Congress to having a conservitive foreign poicy. IT”S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!!!!!
Again, Obama shows his admiration for Ronald Reagan. Maybe he should leave the party and join the “party of ideas”. Problem is that he would have to start again at the bottom of the line.