<p>Maybe you should actually read the posts before posting. That statistic is relevant given the topic of discussion.</p>
<p>bz2010:</p>
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<p>Cute.</p>
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<p>Cute try, but it borders on ignorance. President Bush has attracted some crowds of comparable size; however, instead of being there to support him, they were there to protest him.</p>
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<p>Cute. Want to explain that baseless claim? At least Obama treated Merkel like she was a leader of a major country and greets were appropriately. Bush, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to take her and many other foreign leaders seriously. How else do you explain him greeting Merkel with a massage?</p>
<p>simba:</p>
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<p>Source? The first source I found saying that there was a possibility of there being a million Germans showing up is the Spiegel which predicted turn out to be “between 10,000 and a million.”</p>
<p>Also, instead of just criticizing Obama, why not actually promote your candidate? Is there nothing about him on his own that should make people actually vote for him as opposed to voting against someone else? Moreover, I’m not sure that saying that “only” 200,000 people showed up for Obama is a good line of attack because McCain cannot top, match, or even come close to that. McCain is having enough trouble filling up campaign rallies here in the states.</p>
<p>ilsa belter:</p>
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<p>Quit trying so hard… please.</p>
<p>Hard_Knocks:</p>
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<p>Cute. Makes sense if you don’t really think about what you just said though. But why would a popular band open up for a man who was not also popular? Moreover, why would a popular band risk its popularity to support someone or something that is not popular?</p>
<p>bellaro23:</p>
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<p>Or maybe you just don’t get that people disagree with you and that issues are actually complex? No, life is not as simple as George W. Bush once said it was. It’s not just “stay the course” vs. “cut n’ run.” It’s not just “for us” vs. “against us.” You get the idea? There is some gray. It seems as though many on the right–presumably because the conservative/Republican base is, overall, less educated–try to oversimplify the issues by ignoring complexities and effects.</p>
<p>BC:
I don’t much care about spiritual advisors (I’m agnostic). I think that Wright is more or less cancelled by Hagee, Parsley, Dobson et al…</p>
<p>I think that Obama has amply demonstrated on this trip that he is quite capable of holding his own with world leaders. True, no negotiations were involved, but as I’ve said, the real negotiations are handled by staff who are experts. I actually know some people who were involved in really tough negotiations in several administrations. </p>
<p>Bush is so comfortable with Putin that he’s ignored the human rights abuses, the incredible corruption, and in general Putin’s main mise on power. But hey, he can see in his heart.</p>
<p>marite: sorry, but I couldn’t resist. I have read that thing about half a dozen time from you. But the point being many are offended by the slightest criticism - as if their own child was attacked.</p>
<p>“I think that Obama has amply demonstrated on this trip that he is quite capable of holding his own with world leaders. True, no negotiations were involved, but as I’ve said, the real negotiations are handled by staff who are experts. I actually know some people who were involved in really tough negotiations in several administrations.”</p>
<p>Other leaders have been gracious. Personally I don’t think that plastering your campaign posters at the Wailing Wall constitutes holding his own.</p>
<p>“Bush is so comfortable with Putin that he’s ignored the human rights abuses, the incredible corruption, and in general Putin’s main mise on power. But hey, he can see in his heart.”</p>
<p>He has no choice. They’re a big oil producer. They’re a big natural gas producer too and are translating their economic weight into political muscle. And don’t forget nickel, platinum, gold and other mineral resources.</p>
<p>“I think that Obama has amply demonstrated on this trip that he is quite capable of holding his own with world leaders”</p>
<p>I see no such thing. This was a photo-op tour. World leaders met him with a courtesy and when there are no important issues to resolve why offend your guest?</p>
<p>I think McCain believed he’d set Obama up for a major misstep, and it backfired. The photo-op tour turned out to be significantly more than that, and McCain must be kicking himself in the sausage.</p>
<p>Maybe they were mad 'cause there weren’t a couple of free concerts beforehand!<br>
Do you have documentation regarding the number of protesters at Bush’s overseas appearances? I seriously doubt they were of “comparable size”.</p>
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<p>My pleasure! Ok - so maybe I got carried away, but I still think Obama is dangerous b/c he doesn’t seem to think he doesn’t know everything. His comments yesterday about how he’ll run the war himself just added to his air of… well… you know the word.</p>
I think it was particularly courteous of Al-Maliki to have his people reiterate their support of Obama’s timetable for troop withdrawal immediately after meeting with him, don’t you?</p>
<p>And Simba: That is why it is so important to have good advisors. But in the end, the buck stops with the leader. In this case, McCain got bad advice. And he chose to take it. No one forced him. </p>
<p>Yes, I see you could not resist. I did not accuse Clinton of anything awful; I acknowledged she is always well prepared and is a great debater. You did not like that?</p>
<p>^[1] In the “heartland of America” where the struggles, hopes and well-being of AMERICAN families are front & center.</p>
<p>I don’t think Obama accomplished all that much on this trip - except to further his image as a “POSER”.</p>
<p>Guess he cancelled his scheduled visit to injured trooops at Landstuhl & Ramstein… Apparently he couldn’t bring his own “photo-op” people w/ him and would’ve had to settle for military photogs. Too bad.</p>
<p>When Bush went to Germany in 2002 there were 10,000 Germans there protesting his presence in their country. I don’t understand how 10,000 is not comparable to 200,000. One is bigger than the other. ;)</p>
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<p>At least Obama was thinking about the troops. All McCain was thinking about was sausage.</p>
<p>Seriously, whose idea was it for McCain to go to a German restaurant? It was totally “cheesy”–like his other photo-op attempt. They could have at least tried to fill up the place. I find it funny that the place was as busy as normal despite the fact a presidential candidate was there.</p>
<p>Also, the Dalai Lama tomorrow? I don’t see that one going to well… Olympics… Tibet… China… Doesn’t seem like good timing for it. I think it’s pretty clear that most Americans don’t want to protest the Olympics. Heck, I was in Amnesty International in high school–pretty conservative chapter and religious-oriented chapter though–and I don’t want America to protest it.</p>
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<p>Funny thought, McCain might look older than the Dalai Lama! Seriously, what are they thinking?</p>
<p>I’ve been surprised at how increasingly negative McCain has gotten of late, after having vowed to run a clean campaign with substantive discussion on issues rather than mud-slinging. He’s had little to say about himself or his own accomplishments, while hurling plenty of invective Obama’s way. Not at all dignified–and definitely not the McCain I respected back in 2000. :(</p>