Comments on: Could Obama Have Performed Better in Latin America?

By: Paul

Paul — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 15:24:23 +0000

It doesn’t weaken America just because Obama shook hands with that tyrant Hugo Chavez. If it does weaken us how strong were we to begin with? I think Obama knows how to deal with Chavez-Chavez may be in for a shock.

By: kranky kritter

kranky kritter — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:10:03 +0000

Well, after shaking Chavez’s hand he managed to let slip to the media that Venezuela has one six hundredth the military force that we do.

So if Venezuela was listening, it should be clear both to them and to us where we each stand in our relationship. For the opaque, take notice that Obama pointed out that we are big and powerful, and Venezuela is not. Everyone got that?

By: Rick

Rick — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 05:11:14 +0000

There’s another video of Obama lecturing Chavez. Ya didn’t do your research my friend.

By: Azhrie139

Azhrie139 — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 04:12:07 +0000

Apparently, Alan Stewart Carl didn’t do any research for this post since the moment he describes seems to have happened if in semi-private. Look it up, I know you can be a good researcher. Or alternatively, see this evenings Daily Show.

By: mike mcEachran

mike mcEachran — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 02:07:27 +0000

The picture of Obama’s handshake and smile with Chavez says about as much about his position and policy related to Venuzuela as the family Christmas picture of me with my mouth open and eyes closed says about how much I love my mother.

By: michael reynolds

michael reynolds — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 23:45:39 +0000

I have a theory of Obama.

It is that he is one of these people who sees a bright clear line from where he is to where he wants to be. All of his work-related behavior is about that line. I sometimes shorthand it as ruthlessness, but that word is too fraught.

Venezuela is essentially irrelevant to any Obama goal. Nicaragua even less relevant. In fact, with the exception of Mexico, none of the countries at the summit has much relevance to anything on Obama’s plate. He had to go because skipping it would have been an insult, but the entire thing was probably a waste of time and effort from Obama’s point of view. It doesn’t matter how we react to Chavez because Chavez doesn’t matter: he’s background noise.

Obama wasn’t being too nice or too compliant, I think he was dismissing Chavez and Ortega as irrelevancies. Which is what they are.