Should President Elect Obama make a public statement in support of

[EFerrari]

the U.S., the EU and the UN's call for a cease fire in the Gaza Strip?

[billyoc]

1. Appoint a Palestinian-American to the cabinet, with no statement whatsoever.

Let them suck on THAT for a while.

[EFerrari]

4. I hadn't thought of that. That would be a very clear signal. n/t

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

32. That is a really good idea

If there are no qualified Palestinian-Americans for the jobs left open, consider any qualified Muslim.

[mckara]

2. Not Until the 20th of January!

One president at a time, as Obama says often!

[NYC_SKP]

3. No. (As if they would suddenly stop if he did)

"During this transition period, we are not engaging in any action that could send confusing signals to the world about who speaks on behalf of the United States."

POLITICS, DIPLOMACY

Domestic politics and international diplomacy could be factors in Obama's silence. He may hope the crisis will reach a turning point where a new president, untarnished by previous comments, can make a difference with a fresh start.

He also knows any statement is fraught with traps.

"If I were Obama, I wouldn't want to talk about it either. Frankly, it's a lot more comfortable to let this one hang on the president," said Edward Walker Jr., who served as U.S. ambassador to Israel from 1997 to 1999.

"I don't think he wants to be tagged at this point with either advocating the Israeli response or condemning it because our (U.S.) interests are sort of torn on this one," added Walker, an analyst with the Middle East Institute think tank.

Pro-Israeli comments by Obama risk upsetting the Arab world even before he takes office. Comments that seem critical of Israel would anger its American supporters.


http://www.reuters.com/article/vcCandidateFeed1/idUSN04349245

[DevonRex]

6. Excellent piece. Thanks. nt

[EFerrari]

8. Maybe you should go look up the leadership and funding

of the Middle East Institute.

[NYC_SKP]

12. It wouldn't change my mind about whether or not Obama should speak at this time...

...or whether I think such statement would have any significant effect.

If I thought it would, I might answer differently.

[EFerrari]

14. Well if you choose to post material from right wing think tanks

and also decide not to own it, that's your choice.

[NYC_SKP]

18. Huh? It's a Reuters article. Didja read it???

I chose to copy and paste what I found to be the sensible part that supported my "NO" vote.

Here's some more from the article, the other point of view.

It sounds kind of whiney to me:

Morton Klein, president of the pro-Israel Zionist Organization of America, noted that Obama spoke out on Mumbai.

"And he's acting almost as if he's president when it comes to the economy, right? He's not screaming 'there's only one president' when he's talking about the economic stimulus package," Klein said.

[EFerrari]

20. The Reuters article is built around the MEI's statement.

Did YOU read?

[NYC_SKP]

51. Well, yes, but the source mean it doesn't make sense.

You know, even a clock is right twice a day.

I think you and I are just going to have to disagree on this one, sfexpat2000. :thumbsup:

[JuniperLea]

5. No...

It would be a horribly dangerous mistake to step on the toes of the Chimperor so close to the end of his reign! Besides, this is no one's business except for seated world leaders. I have a big problem with the MAYOR of New York butting in too. Senators, sure. A mayor? Please.

[EFerrari]

10. People all over the world are speaking up. I notice Bloomberg

had no problem speaking up.

[JuniperLea]

37. I think Obama is being very careful of Bushie and his idiot ways

And rightfully so. Plus, this is foreign policy... I don't think a lot of the people who are speaking up should be. This is a terribly sensitive and deadly serious situation.

[EFerrari]

38. I guess I disgree. I don't think enough people are speaking up.

:(

[JuniperLea]

39. If Obama was already sworn in...

I'd be screaming for others to speak up! But this is delicate work during a time when we can't afford to have the home-front boat rocked. I won't feel safe in that regard until 1/21/09.

[EFerrari]

40. What can they do to us that isn't already in progress?

[JuniperLea]

47. I don't trust them farther than I can throw them...

And I don't think we can risk thinking in terms of what has happened before or what is legal. There have been so many things they have done that begged the question: Why the hell are they allowed to get away with this?

I blame Bush and Cheney for my cynicism.

[Joe the Revelator]

46. Its really funny to watch you keep overestimating the support that Palestine has in the real world

Hilarious even.

[JuniperLea]

48. You really think it's laughable?

Have you seen the protests all over the world? Any up close and personal?

I think you are fooling yourself.

[DevonRex]

7. So, the US, the EU and the UN have all called for a ceasefire, but it's Obama's

generic supporting statement that would make the difference?

[EFerrari]

9. How did you come to that conclusion?

But to take it up, why would the incoming American president's opinion make any difference at all in this situation? :sarcasm:

[DevonRex]

17. If Bill Clinton couldn't bring peace to the region after 8 long years of working hard to do it,

then I fail to see what Obama would accomplish with a generic statement. They haven't listened to liberals. They haven't listened to conservatives. So, I see no reason for Obama to rush in with some generic statement just to make you FEEL good.

I hope like Hell that Obama will make some real progress in the ME. I want everybody over there to just STOP IT. But me saying that won't make it so. Obama's saying that won't make it so. And Obama getting involved right now could even make the Israelis escalate. Yes, I said escalate. If he signals clearly what he wants them to do, and they don't like it, they might just decide to do as much damage as they can in the 2 weeks they have left of GWB.

[Name removed]

19. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Runcible Spoon]

33. you've got it backwards...

they might escalate in the more probable case that Obama supports the invasion. And that's exactly what it is. In any case, silence seems to be consent...

[TahitiNut]

11. There's no other topic where the language would be parsed to death as much as I/P.

It's beyond belief. Every word and every punctuation mark and every alternative is parsed and analyzed and regurgitated and parsed over and over again for hidden meanings and implications ... probably with the assistance of chicken entrails. Even then, there's no way to meet with acceptance of more than 20% of the audience while the other 80% tear each other up to see who can make the most noise.

[EFerrari]

15. So, is that a no?

:rofl:

:hi:

[Uzybone]

21. You got that right. n/t

[Gregory1230]

13. No.

This is very silly question. Come on. He is not president yet.

[EFerrari]

16. There are many people all over the world who are not president

and who are speaking up in support of a cease fire. :)

[Skip Intro]

22. If it could have the effect of possibly stemming the killing, hell yes.

And I don't see how it couldn't.

[stillcool]

23. No. He should be..

talking behind the scenes, rather than in front of the camera, to his cabinet members, his foreign policy advisors, and other leaders. It would be nice if some in the United States Congress, would come out with statements. Maybe people will call them and pressure them to do so after the newbies are sworn in. Or not.

[EFerrari]

24. I've pretty much gvien up calling Congress with their 98% return rate

but, that's just my bad attitude. :(

[stillcool]

45. I really don't think anything will be..

any different..unless a decent amount of the American people get involved in their government. Why should Congress do anything different, when there is not sufficient pressure put on them to do the right thing? We can't even get our State governments to provide us with secure elections. The 300 million + of us have no voice, because we don't use our voice. The one thing Obama was right about is that change only comes from the bottom up, but the bottom is fractured... too busy either fighting with each other over bullshit, or stressed out by the demands of staying afloat in this society. I have no idea how it is we can wrest power and control from the juggernaut that is our global presence, to benefit the health of the nation, but I do know that no person is capable. Obama needs a populace army, and I don't think he is going to have one.

[Jamastiene]

25. Not until January 20th. n/t

[Occam Bandage]

26. No. He should support one as soon as he is sworn in, if the war is still going on.

[EFerrari]

28. I hope when he's sworn in that he'll do more than support someone else's policy.

[BeFree]

27. I dunno

"That's above my pay grade" bwahahaha

At this time "no statement" gets people talking about it while leaving the outcome undecided.
Keeps everyone guessing, eh?

This is politics, politics with great consequences. It calls for being careful.

But as for me? Well, i am anti-war the whole way.

[EFerrari]

29. The forum seems about evenly split.

:)

[Runcible Spoon]

31. Careful? I'd be extremely surprised if Obama hasn't already formed an opinion on the situation

It's not like this crisis popped overnight. The whole silence thing smacks of political calculation, which is not comforting to me. He already has a position, I'm sure, and probably a detailed policy...he's just parsing it over with the image team to see how it will "play". It's not like he's going to come out against Israel any time soon, anyway. He might as well just let the Palestinians know that he's going to continue the policy of every single US president in recent history and they should consider getting the fuck out if they can (and they really can't) or at least digging more bomb shelters. :evilfrown:

[BeFree]

35. Well, farce

I can see you've made up your mind.
That you know his mind, before he even makes an official statement.

I dunno. If he is as smart as most of us feel he may be, then reading his mind tells us that he will bring change to the situation.

He'd better.
Too many innocent lives hang on his words. He knows that.

[Runcible Spoon]

36. Rove was smart, too.

Didn't make him some champion of peace and freedom. And no, I'm not equating the two, I'm just saying that intelligence isn't some guarantee against taking positions that support Israel's invasion with cash, weapons, and PR.

I'm sorry, but if you expect any grand departure from standard US policy, you're going to be disappointed. Obama has never said or indicated that he would go beyond any of the other administrations of the past. I don't have to read his mind, all I did to come to that conclusion is watch his campaign, press coverage, and probably most illuminating, his choices for SoS and other cabinet picks who have influence in foreign affairs.

[BeFree]

41. Well, farce

I already am dis-appointed in the standard US policy, and I doubt I am going to be more disappointed.

In fact, I am sure I will be appointed (sic) by the Obama policy as concerns Israel.
As sure of that as you are assured of your added dis-appointment.

All I can do is hope you are as appointed as me.

[Runcible Spoon]

42. ummm...ok

have at it BeFree. You seem like a nice enough person, I hope things go better for us all.

[BeFree]

44. I try

Lets hope it gets better for the Palestinians, and they have years of peace.
And vow that we can always push for more peace.

Ya know, we Americans are living in relative peace.
And for that we should all be thankful.

Now, in a change from b-double-ew-sh, lets hope we really can spread our peace.

[JuniperLea]

43. I see it more as him not wanting to rock the Bushie Boat right now...

I do expect a lot of fireworks on 1/21, howsomever:)

[Hippo_Tron]

53. You're focused only on domestic politics, there are international politics at play here as well

Obama is going to be heavily involved in negotiating a settlement between Israel and Palestine that hopefully prevent this from happening again, at least for a while. For Obama to make a statement now would be to show the other players at the table his hand before the first round of betting even takes place.

[leftstreet]

30. Has he even said anything about his 'heart going out to the families of victims' blah

blah blah.

:shrug:

They usually manage to do that at the very least.

[TheKentuckian]

34. I don't see the upside of saying squat

and when he says something it should be to demand a ceasefire that both sides abide to. The only unilateral peace is that of the grave.

[Seldona]

49. I don't believe it would be wise, no.

It certainly cannot help. He is not even a sitting Senator atm. However like others have mentioned, it could anger either side prematurely and unnecessarily before he has any power to do anything about it.

Besides the fluidity of the situation means one can hardly tell where this will actually be on the 20th. A statement made now may be entirely irrelevant by the time he takes office anyway. It does suck, but there is only one prez at a time imo.

[cbc5g]

50. Yes

He's going to be president soon, we need to know where he stands.

[Hippo_Tron]

52. Statements are meaningless unless you have the tools to back them up

And unfortunately those tools are still in the hands of Bush until January 21st. In the meantime Obama should keep his mouth shut in order to keep our adversaries guessing.

[AtomicKitten]

54. I really want him to but understand why he can't yet.

[janet118]

55. Not until he's sworn in.

I can't friggin' wait.

[Laughing Mirror]

56. The world expects him to make a statement

The president of France can go to Israel, the king of Spain can say stop it, but none of them carry much weight in their supporting roles in the eyes of the world. The star is Obama. The international audience is wondering why Obama hasn't come on the stage to say his part. Why he is still in the wings?

I wonder if most people outside of the US probably think he already is the president. Call it Bush fatigue maybe, but I think the world has forgotten Bush by now or think he's gone. If they know anything about January 20, I imagine they think of it as some sort of formal ceremony to celebrate Obama, the man they already think of as the US president. They wonder why he's not saying anything.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

57. thoughout the campaign he has made a clear policy for the ME conflict

think back