Obama's Foreign Trip: Yes, He Should

[babylonsister]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-ridley/obamas-foreign-trip-yes-h_b_113644.html

John Ridley

Obama's Foreign Trip: Yes, He Should

Posted July 18, 2008 | 03:00 PM (EST)


snip//

But to the point, why shouldn't Barack Obama take a "political" trip overseas? According to FairVote.Org, there are anywhere between three and seven million U.S. citizens living abroad at any one time. Yeah, the vast majority of people who turn out to see Obama will be nationals of those countries. But doesn't Obama -- or any other candidate for that matter -- have the right to engage Americans wherever they may live?

And doesn't a guy who is essentially running for the office of leader of the free world have a right and responsibility to engage the world? If Obama -- as we've seen him do in black churches -- doesn't just tell the world what it wants to hear, but what it needs to know (not solely what we will do for them, but our expectations of their responsibility in our new partnership) than the trip will be well worthwhile.

The Right can't have it both ways on this one; they can't hector Obama about not traveling the world, then carp when he does. They certainly can't refer to a politician's travels as being political. That label is as obvious as it is inaccurate. What the trip is, is necessary.

We need to see Obama on the world stage before the election, the world needs to see what kind of leader America will have after the election. Should Obama take the trip?

Yes, he should.

[Captain Hilts]

1. It's completely appropriate given what the current prez has done to our reputation overseas...nt

[ErinBerin84]

2. heh, John Ridley should tell that to his friends on Morning Joe.

[babylonsister]

4. I don't like Ridley at all, but he's right on this,

so I thought I'd post it.

[ErinBerin84]

5. oh no, I thought it was a very good article!

And I actually have seen John Ridley give a talking to to Joe a couple of times when he got out of hand during Wright-gate, so I appreciated that.


Andrea Mitchell sure is doing her darndist to shit on the Obama trip on Hardball with her "Petraeus concerns", lol

[babylonsister]

6. I have them on babbling in the background. They have their

marching orders; same as every other day. Rip Obama to shreds while building McSame up. But I have newz for them; it's not working.

[IntravenousDemilo]

3. Obama travelled more in his first ten years than Dubya did in his first forty. n/m

[On the Road]

7. I Think It's a Great Move

Shows confidence and a chance to display his skills, optimism, and the acclaim that is sure to accompany him.

Obama has never made the campaign about himself, but the campaign ends up being about him. That is not by accidnent.