Biden Talks International Crisis, Opens Door for Republican Attacks
By Alan Stewart Carl | Related entries in 2008 Election, Barack, Biden, Foreign Policy
Joe Biden had been doing well on the campaign trail. But yesterday he made some odd comments which John McCain is jumping all over.
Here’s what Biden said:
Mark my words, it will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy … The world is watching. We’re about to elect a brilliant 47-year-old senator president of the United States of America. Remember I said it standing here if you don’t remember anything else I said. Watch, we’re gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy.
I can give you at least four or five scenarios from where it might originate … And he’s gonna need help. And the kind of help he’s gonna need is, he’s gonna need you – not financially to help him – we’re gonna need you to use your influence, your influence within the community, to stand with him. Because it’s not gonna be apparent initially, it’s not gonna be apparent that we’re right.
Huh? A vote for Obama is a vote for international crisis? “It’s not gonna be apparent that we’re right?†Why not? What kind of controversial response is Biden anticipating from Obama?
Obviously the next president is going to be tested by an international crisis at some point or another. All presidents are. But why would Biden say that the election of Obama would directly lead to that crisis? Isn’t an Obama presidency supposed to soothe the global unrest rather than give our adversaries an excuse to act up?
Biden’s mouth often moves faster than his brain and he may come out with a reasonable explanation for this quote. But this is not the kind of messaging Obama wants right now.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 21st, 2008 and is filed under 2008 Election, Barack, Biden, Foreign Policy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
October 21st, 2008 at 9:31 am
I find Biden’s statement to be refreshingly honest for this campaign. I would like him to list the “four or five scenarios” he is talking about so we can further the discusion.
The leaders of the muslim world, for whatever reason, see Obama as someone more amenable to their agendas. Watch for the Islamists in palestine to press, and the Iranians to hold-fast to their uranium enrichment. If Obama stands firmly on the side of Israel in armed conflict, or escalates the war in Afghanistan/Pakistan, as he has promised, then Obama will be called out as a traitor and may be hated even more than president Bush throughout the Muslim world.
Mark my words, some cleric is going to Fatwa Obama for being an apostate from Islam depending on how he responds to the coming international crisis in the middle east.
October 21st, 2008 at 9:41 am
Perhaps Joey B shouldn’t have said all that…
But this is just a comment on a website that maybe 100 people will read so I feel perfectly safe in saying no duh! As awkward as explaining away that comment will be, Biden is (as usual when he talks off the cuff) justified in being concerned.
Don’t get it? Let’s think about it. Given:
1) Over the last year America’s power in the world is decreased.
2) With America on its way down, there are quite a few countries on their way up with governments with a history of bullyish activities.
3) Despite his popularity, Obama still seems like somewhat of an unknown, especially in the face of an international crisis – something he has not previously had to face.
Let’s list the countries which might have an interest in testing an Obama administration with a semi-manufactured international crisis. Off the top of my head: Russia, Iran, China, Pakistan, North Korea, Venezuela.
What sort of incident do I expect? Maybe Russia will make some more moves on Georgia, or China will try to put up some military bases that are unpalatable to us. Maybe Pakistan will fire on US soldiers. Either way, I firmly believe in Barack’s judgment in upcoming troubles, that is part of why I like him so much.
Let me just also note that a McCain administration would likely face a similar crisis. Though we could reasonably expect the intensity to be somewhat less. After all, there’s already been plenty of elderly hawkish, conservative, white men in charge and the McCain temperament just doesn’t seem all that different.
October 21st, 2008 at 10:32 am
Does Binden remind anyone of the Bill Clinton? They both seem to want to look smarter / more experienced than their candidate. More ego than brains.
October 21st, 2008 at 10:36 am
I understand what Biden was trying to do here, but frankly, its inadvisable, cryptic, and just downright weird. Worst, there’s a bit of an implication that this is NOT something that would happen were McCain to win. You’re supposed to be helping the democratic party Joe, a-member?
But the possibility of this happening really doesn’t bother me very much. Who is there outside the US who might “test” Obama that many Americans would side with instead of our own President? So fine, maybe an incident crops up where Obama’s response riles up the radical left fringe, and as a result Obama loses the support of that group. This would be bad WHY?
IMO, the sooner a President Obama does something to deeply disappoint the leftmost fringe, the better. Then he can get around to governing for everyday folks, and leave the campaign rhetoric behind. Let the leftmost fringe support Nader in 2012, or Hugo Chavez’s american 2nd cousin or whatever.
October 21st, 2008 at 5:10 pm
It is ever thus! All the candidates are looking to tear apart every possible sentence their opponent makes. Biden did not say “if” Obama is elected, he said “when”. He did not say one way or the other what would happen if McCain is elected because his assumption is Obama will win. History does say that there is a strong likelihood that our new president will be tested…and reports say that our military experts are preparing for that eventuality. There is a difference in that McCain’s campaign is pretty much left with looking for any opening and running with it…so they pounce on one thing, then another, then another, then another. It is almost in a frenzy that takes away from any one message. Ayers, terrorist, socialist, ACORN, The Plumber, Spread the Wealth, campaign financing fraud, and now Biden’s comment. Plus the phone calls invading our privacy, and now they are consider bringing up Reverent Wright. Biden brings up Palin’s “pro-America” comment, and when she explains, Biden accepts her explanation. I have watched Palin bring up every single topic above, one after the other without taking a breath. It is exhausting to watch, and only seems to put out the fire they are trying to start. McCain makes a comparison of being tested because he was ready to take off an aircraft carrier while in the service during a crisis. He was a pilot waiting for orders….it is great and admirable that he was there…but he was not making any decisions. His judgement in making decisions that affect our nation’s future was was not being tested. It speaks to his bravery and willingness to go into harms way being tested, absolutely, but he is drawing a parallel that just is not there. McCain needs to get back to spelling out how exactly they plan to balance the budget in four years as they claim they will do. That would be something to listen to.
October 21st, 2008 at 8:16 pm
Joe Biden says the election of Obama may lead to a new conflict, terrorist attack, or a third war. A careful analysis of history says he may be correct.
http://strategicthought-charles77.blogspot.com/2008/10/can-we-afford-third-war-that-obama.html