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Born at the Crest of the Empire

Friday, July 18, 2008

Picture of the Day - 2




















Some people may say I'm (airquotes) "crotchety" or (airquotes) "doddering".....

(Senator John McCain addresses the LULAC convention at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC. (AFP/Tim Sloan))

5 Comments:

  • Some people say you look like something from Jurassic Park.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 8:15 AM  

  • They're feeling real pressure looking at the Obama trip.

    He's going to look both presidential and young/dynamic.

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 8:36 AM  

  • I think the Republican side is going to picture Obama as a naive foreign policy neophyte.

    By Blogger r8r, at 11:26 AM  

  • I think there is a significant chance that some Iraqi figures will take advantage of the visit as an opportunity to undermine Bush.
    I can easily imagine SCIRI, the Sadrists, the Dawas, or the Sahwa making some kind of major policy statement after one of their representatives meets with Obama, even if there is only a tangential discussion of the subject.

    Any party that would take advantage of this visit to "make progress", however false or ephemeral, would score points with the new Administration in advance.

    Obviously, it would make Obama look like a miracle-worker and make Bush look like a clown. Everybody wins, except Bush, and pretty much every party in Iraq knows where Bush wants to take the country.

    Simply by appearing deferential, attentive and supportive any party could make Obama look like the kind of guy they can work with. A respectful and engaged Obama would serve as a stark contrast to the bullying and demanding Administration. And if something flashy came out of it, it's pure gold for Obama.

    By Blogger Todd Dugdale , at 12:41 PM  

  • R8r, they're gonna try, but I really think the images coming out of that trip are going to be massive.

    Obama confidently shaking hands with Merkel, the huge crowds, the fawning press coverage, it's gonna be powerful.

    .....

    Todd, I've been wondering about that. You would think they'd much rather have an Obama president and they do hold alot of power levers, and it doesn't really have to be direct. Just positive statements about his understanding of the situation..... An affirmation that this is a guy they could work with....

    And yeah, sucking up to the next president is valuable. Watch the European leaders, too.

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 2:45 PM  

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