Saguaro
06-02-2008, 03:41 PM
The Nation -- John McCain continues to attack Barack Obama for daring to suggest a meeting with the government of Iran, most recently in a speech before AIPAC this morning. Hillary Clinton did the same thing not so long ago and Obama won that round, proving that committing to negotiating with people we don't like is not only smart diplomacy but can also be smart politics, signaling a clear break from the "failed policies" of the Bush era.
Yet Obama has generally been on the defensive against the likes of McCain, "clarifying" his position on Iran and suggesting that he wouldn't necessarily meet with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
It's unfortunate that Obama's started backtracking, because the public is firmly on his side. The latest Gallup poll shows that "6 in 10 Americans (59%) think it would be a good idea for the president of the United States to meet with the president of Iran. This includes about half of Republicans, a majority of independents, and most Democrats."
Moreover, an even larger majority of Americans, 67 percent, back Obama's stance on negotiating with rogue leaders, saying that "the president of the United States should meet with the leaders of countries that are considered enemies of the United States."
Here's Gallup's conclusion:
McCain may eventually persuade more Americans that there is nothing for the president of the United States to discuss with hostile foreign leaders like Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and that to do so only undermines U.S. efforts to destabilize such regimes.
However, for now, whether it's the leader of an "enemy" country, generally, or the president of Iran, specifically, Americans think it's a good idea for the president of the United States to meet directly with the nation's adversaries.
As we formally enter the general election, public opinion on this issue--like so many others--favors Obama, not McCain.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20080602/cm_thenation/45325723_1
Yet Obama has generally been on the defensive against the likes of McCain, "clarifying" his position on Iran and suggesting that he wouldn't necessarily meet with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
It's unfortunate that Obama's started backtracking, because the public is firmly on his side. The latest Gallup poll shows that "6 in 10 Americans (59%) think it would be a good idea for the president of the United States to meet with the president of Iran. This includes about half of Republicans, a majority of independents, and most Democrats."
Moreover, an even larger majority of Americans, 67 percent, back Obama's stance on negotiating with rogue leaders, saying that "the president of the United States should meet with the leaders of countries that are considered enemies of the United States."
Here's Gallup's conclusion:
McCain may eventually persuade more Americans that there is nothing for the president of the United States to discuss with hostile foreign leaders like Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and that to do so only undermines U.S. efforts to destabilize such regimes.
However, for now, whether it's the leader of an "enemy" country, generally, or the president of Iran, specifically, Americans think it's a good idea for the president of the United States to meet directly with the nation's adversaries.
As we formally enter the general election, public opinion on this issue--like so many others--favors Obama, not McCain.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20080602/cm_thenation/45325723_1