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Obama sees little political benefit from trip abroad
Kansas City Star ^ | Sat, Jul. 26, 2008 01:39 PM | MARGARET TALEV McClatchy Newspapers

Posted on 07/26/2008 12:19:04 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach

Heading home from an overseas trip aimed at strengthening his foreign policy credentials, Sen. Barack Obama said Saturday he's not counting on an immediate political boost and thinks it's just as likely he'll experience a short-term dip in polls simply because he's been out of the country for nine days.

"The reason that I thought this trip was important was I am convinced that many of the issues that we face at home are not going to be solved as effectively unless we have strong partners abroad," Obama said, speaking outside 10 Downing Street after his private meeting with Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

He acknowledged, however, that Americans are mainly focused on issues like gas prices and home foreclosures.

On the Brown-Obama agenda Saturday: terrorism, troops for Iraq and Afghanistan, troubled financial markets, climate change and Mideast peace.

Britain, the United States' closest ally, was the Democratic candidate's final stop after an ambitious run through Afghanistan, Iraq, Jordan, Israel, the West Bank, Germany and France.

Throughout the trip, Obama was pummeled by his Republican presidential opponent, Sen. John McCain, who depicted him as lacking foreign policy experience as well as judgment. In his Saturday radio address, McCain accused Obama of taking "multiple positions on the surge in Iraq" and, in a mocking tone, said he wonders "how he can deny that the surge in Iraq has succeeded, while at the same time announcing that a surge is just what we need in Afghanistan."

(Excerpt) Read more at kansascity.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2008; downingstreet; obama; obamasbigadventure; obamavisit
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1 posted on 07/26/2008 12:19:07 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

“...in a mocking tone, said he [McCain] wonders “how he can deny that the surge in Iraq has succeeded, while at the same time announcing that a surge is just what we need in Afghanistan.”

Ooh, BURN!

I’m glad to see McCain’s taking the gloves off when dealing with Obama, at least on this issue.


2 posted on 07/26/2008 12:23:19 PM PDT by DemforBush
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To: All
I agree with Tom...see his comments:

Comments at the KC Star

3 posted on 07/26/2008 12:23:58 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (No Burkas for my Grandaughters!)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

so their internal polling shows the trip hurt instead
of helping ...


4 posted on 07/26/2008 12:24:09 PM PDT by RED SOUTH
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
Obama sees little political benefit from trip abroad

That's nonsense and he knows it. He wanted to look as presidential as possible, he brought over 20 or so advisors to tell him how to stand and what to say and who knows how many advance men to set things up. It was all a dog and pony show to make him look presidential.

5 posted on 07/26/2008 12:24:30 PM PDT by flyfree
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
The fact that he even thinks that a rock-star tour and photo op would "strengthen his foreign policy credentials" is absolute proof of what an empty suit he is.
6 posted on 07/26/2008 12:25:12 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Public policy should never become the captive of a scientific-technological elite. -- Ike Eisenhower)
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To: DemforBush

Yes,...McCain is getting in some decent Licks.


7 posted on 07/26/2008 12:25:24 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (No Burkas for my Grandaughters!)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

I agree too. This egomaniac should never have been a candidate in the first place.


8 posted on 07/26/2008 12:25:38 PM PDT by freekitty (Give me back my conservative vote.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

I can’t wait until his next tour and he sings the blues.. ;-)


9 posted on 07/26/2008 12:26:35 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Godspeed ... ICE toll-free tip hotline 1-866-DHS-2-ICE ... 9/11 .. Never FoRget!!!)
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To: RED SOUTH

Either that, or he’s playing the expectations game. I think he’s probably trying to depress expectations so that when the polls show a modest 5 point bump, he can say its a great bounce since they ‘expected’ a drop in the polls.


10 posted on 07/26/2008 12:27:10 PM PDT by VOR78
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

I agree with Tom too, IMHO, Obama is lying. But here is what Tom said:

Okay, now even the Democrats should admit something here. Obama says he expects to possibly have a “dip” in the polls because he’s been out of the country for nine days. He must think we are totally ignorant, or he is so arrogant he literally can’t see straight. He is fully aware that we here in America have just been inundated with minute by minute coverage in the largest media blitz for a candidate ever. Being out of the country has resulted in him being pushed into nearly every home more than if he’d been here and he knows it. His absence has given him many times more publicity than if he’d been here.

His comments clearly reveal either one of two things: One, he is simply lying to our faces. Nearly every step he’s taken and every word he’s said has been broadcast, or two, he is being revealed as every bit the incompetent and naive person that many are claiming him to be. If he doesn’t know what everybody else clearly knows, then he is even more inept than many are saying.

http://pod01.prospero.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?msg=36415.1&nav=messages&webtag=kr-kctm


11 posted on 07/26/2008 12:27:11 PM PDT by flyfree
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To: flyfree

The Obama strategists are looking back at previous campaigns and are getting more than a little bit nervous. In late July of ‘84 Mondale was way ahead of Reagan. And in ‘04 Kerry was up big over Bush. To be in a near dead heat with McCain in mid-summer, especially after the Magical Mystery Tour is very bad news.


12 posted on 07/26/2008 12:29:18 PM PDT by COBOL2Java ("It's not my fault if McCain loses - it's his own damn fault!" - Mark Levin)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

I hope he spent a “Boat Load” of campaign funds!


13 posted on 07/26/2008 12:31:07 PM PDT by mylife (People That Blindly Follow Obama Are Barack "Suckers")
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Barack Hussein Obama, Jr., the charismatic, messianic Magic Negro, sees “little benefit” for his trip?

Well, he should have thought of that BEFORE he went on his “victory lap”.

First you have to WIN the victory.

A niggling (adjective: petty; also : bothersome or persistent especially in a petty or tiresome way) little detail, to be sure, albeit an important one.


14 posted on 07/26/2008 12:33:27 PM PDT by alloysteel (Are Democrats truly "better angels"? They are lousy stewards for America.)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
Down play expectations then when he gets a slight bounce he can claim that demonstrates an overwhelming approval.
15 posted on 07/26/2008 12:35:07 PM PDT by Libertarianize the GOP (Make all taxes truly voluntary)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

“Sen. Barack Obama said Saturday he’s not counting on an immediate political boost and thinks it’s just as likely he’ll experience a short-term dip in polls simply because he’s been out of the country for nine days.”

Yea right. Short term dip because he didn’t grace us with his presence for nine days.

Hey Obama, how about a dip because people are beginning to wise up to you just being full of sh*t?


16 posted on 07/26/2008 12:36:40 PM PDT by vietvet67
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Are we sure Barama is of Kenyan descent?

Coz he sure comes off as a “Noobian” L0L


17 posted on 07/26/2008 12:36:46 PM PDT by mylife (People That Blindly Follow Obama Are Barack "Suckers")
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
The reason that I thought this trip was important was I am convinced that many of the issues that we face at home are not going to be solved as effectively unless we have strong partners abroad," Obama said, speaking outside 10 Downing Street after his private meeting with Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

There isn't any way Obama has a staff of advisors. All he can possibly have is eunuchs. Someone HAS to tell him the closer he gets to the election the more important it becomes for him to try to sounds at least moderately intellegent.

18 posted on 07/26/2008 12:39:09 PM PDT by stevem
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To: DemforBush

“in a mocking tone...”

“Obama was pummeled by his Republican presidential opponent,”

McCain speaks the truth about obama and it’s “an attack”, “a pummeling”, or McCain using a “mocking tone”.


19 posted on 07/26/2008 12:40:26 PM PDT by Need4Truth
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

The dip in the polls isn’t because he was out of the country and not campaigning, but because he was out of the country, and proving to the world his incompetence.


20 posted on 07/26/2008 12:40:56 PM PDT by Redleg Duke ("All gave some, and some gave all!")
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