Front Row Washington
Tracking U.S. politics
Could ‘No Drama Obama’ lead in a crisis?
CHICAGO – Is White House hopeful Barack Obama ready to be the U.S. commander in chief?
His rival, Hillary Clinton, insists he is not. But a key supporter says “No Drama Obama” has a steady demeanor that would equip him well in any foreign policy crisis.
“It’s this matter of temperament,” said Gen. Merrill “Tony” McPeak, who has been campaigning for the Illinois senator for months and labeled him “steady, reliable, ‘No Shock Barack,’ ‘No Drama Obama.’”
It was the latest in the back-and-forth between Obama and Clinton, a New York senator and former first lady, who have been sparring over who is most qualified to take charge of U.S. foreign policy. The two are locked in a fight to become the Democratic nominee to vie in November against Republican John McCain.
McCain has joined Clinton in arguing that the first-term Illinois senator lacks enough seasoning in world affairs.
Clinton’s campaign has run a television commercial depicting sleeping children and a ringing telephone at the White House to raise doubts about Obama’s credentials to handle a “3 a.m.” crisis phone call.
McPeak, who was chief of the U.S. Air Force during the first Gulf War in 1991, touted Obama’s foreign policy abilities at a news conference in Chicago where the candidate was flanked by several generals and admirals who support him.
McPeak drew from the experiences of the campaign trail to make his point that Obama would be a steady hand in a crisis.
“We’ve seen this so often in this campaign — good news and bad — when Senator Obama was up Iowa but not so up in New Hampshire, he was the same Barack Obama on the one day as the other,” McPeak said. “Whenever that phone rings at 3 a.m. you want a guy with this kind of temperament to answer that.”
Clinton, who has also been holding events with top U.S. military officials to suggest she has gravitas on foreign policy, says her time in the White House as wife to former President Bill Clinton has given her understanding of diplomacy and what it takes to manage a crisis.
Asked if he thought Clinton was experienced enough to answer that 3 a.m. phone call, Obama replied: “Yes, as I believe Senator McCain is, and as I believe I am.”
Photo credit: Reuters/Frank Polich (Obama delivers a speech at the Chicago History Museum)
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I would much rather have Barack than Hillary.
The black population of America is about 14%. This is no where near enough to elect Barrack Obama. After what America heard this week from Wright, Obama doesn’t stand a chance. I find it strange that after months of reading about Obama’s church theology, we get to listen first hand to the most disgusting “sermon” I have ever heard. The content of was no surprise. The hatred was a shock.
Ask Obama just how many jobs did the U.S. lose to Canada from NAFTA? Verses Cambodia, Vietnam (huge Nike factory) India, Bangladesh, China Etc. I did not know they were in NAFTA .LOL why is he using Nafta instead of talking straight to the American people. Not very bright..Americans’ privileged access to Canada’s massive oil and gas reserves could be disrupted if Washington cancels the NAFTA accord Notice he never stated how he will handle that . Canada ships down to the u.s. 50% of the energy to the Midwest and more to come�Yeah then he calls them names!!!if he does that to our friends what will he do to our enemies???..Canada could probably make more money from china as our dollar goes down!!
Knowledgeable observers would have to take note of the fact that Canada is the largest supplier of energy to the United States, and NAFTA has been kind of a foundation of integrating the North American energy market.
When people get below the rhetoric and start picking away at the details, you are going to find that it’s not such a slam-dunk proposition
if Senator Obama does not make promises he doesn’t intend to keep we are in for big trouble. with a man that has no clue and who sent a top advisor who did not even take the time to study Nafta and had to be informed by another country!!!
Osama can wine all he wants but he opened up this can of worms long before the memo yet he has not apologized for telling people the meeting never happened and then when it hit the papers in Canada with a copy of the notes he said he had been told that there was no meeting sounds like another Mr. Bush
Mr.Obama what will you do if Bear Stearns cave
and our banking system falls apart, what will you do about derivatives and off shore accounts,tell us about important things
I do not want more jargon .I do not need to hear another slogan like “change”… facts and I need them now..To make a choice..
It is an insult to all women reagarding the erratic behavior of Hillary Clinton. Who wants her to answer the phone when she Lies and cheats and is certainly dividing the American people. she has the More than “The 3 Faces Of Eve,” No one knows which personality will emerge or which button she”d push. She is too unstable. Her desparation is causing her lie and cheat at every turn. Will she do the same to our allies and enemies alike? to cause more chaos than we are already facing as a nation? It has already been proven that she had nothing to with Ireland nor did she have anything to do with the Health Program for children that was sponsores by other Congressional Personnel. What Planet is she living on? She also flip-flopped on Nafta.
I cannot support anyone so erratic.
Clinton constantly tries to cast a shadow upon Barack’s character and his talents. The News Media has now jumped on her bandwagon by bringing the tapes and words of Barrack’s Minister into play. Barack did not utter those words. Even if heard them a million times in the past 20 years. There is no evidence that he even feels that way about America. It is just a ruse to put doubt in the minds of voter’s. The news media keep perpetuating his Minister’s words over and over.(What the Heck are they afraid of?) Now the world sees first-hand how racial insensive and negative we all can be. Rev. Wright is from the “Older Generation”, and he has lived through the inequities that he cited, I do not agree with the tone of and delivery of his words,nor would I ever ask God to Damn the U.S. where I was born and live, or any other country. We are proud because this Nation was built by the back-breaking toil of African Americans Slaves, my ancestors. Obama deserves a chance to bring about Change. All people are equal in the Eyes of God. Our Forfathers were correct, there should be “Separation of Church and State. Note: When the opposition couldn’t make the Muslim tag stick, then they attack his Minister after they learned he was a Christian. You go figure!
None of the Candidates are qualified to Run the Country because neither of them has ever been President. Any Moron knows that the President selects the most qualified persons to advise them when serving in their cabinet. No Hillary you are not ready. Long Live Barack Obama.
Could a father that sits in a church listening to a hate monger lead, No. Could a father that allows his innocent children listen to hate mongering be allowed to lead our country, No, of course not.
He is a person that admits to poor bonehead decisions in the past, continues to be ill equipped to decide what is right for his own family, let alone what is right for us.
I cannot imagine a worse scenario. U.S. Citizens that do love their country, why would we ever entertain a terrible suggestion.
No, American citizens know the person we should all be enthusiastically helping to elect is Hillary Rodham Clilnton.
Axelrod knows it, John Kerry knows it, Ted Kennedy knows it, Tom Daschle knows it, Tom Hayden knows it. All the backers of Oboma need to step forward and do what is right for our country. Nip this travesty in the bud, do it now.
It is quite obvious that MOST, not all just most, of you who post on these forums, no matter which side of an issue or which candidate or party you support have made only the MINIMUM amount of effort in seeking the facts of whatever issue it is that you happen to flapping your lips at — the tried, true and trusted Cliff Notes Encyclopedia of the Important Issues of the Early 21st Century — some resource, any resource, that can verify your point of view and do it in 50 words or less.
No wonder the Republic elcted GWB, TWICE!
I thought he was, but now I’m not so sure.
It seems as though his judgement is not that good.
If he can go 20 yrs and not see truth in front of him, then I’m not willing to take a chance. I won’t vote either way.
Hey Obama bloggers – you are just as hypocritical as your candidate. You go on and on about how Hillary is a monster and how your candidate will bring in an era of cooperation and civility when you can’t even back up his rhetoric. But then again he can’t either. Rezco & the “Reverend” backed this guy up for 18 years but he’s the candidate wearing a halo. Give me a break upscale liberals.
How can a person who wants to lead this country sit Sunday after Sunday and here this rage against the US and white, and not say or do anything!
He sat there for over 20 years and never once heard this nut job spout his venom…I do not believe that!
I was going to vote Obama, but not after this. He comes from both Black and White parents, but sadly, he seems to only sees one color. I don’t think it is right for him to continue to be associated with a church that is racist to the extreme!
Obama bloggers. Please give me a break. There is a trend here. The wife said America is mean and I am for the first time proud of being an American. Their Pastor is anti America and anti everything except for black.Obama is kind of wishy washy on his stance towards his patriotisim. I still find it very difficult for him to be a uniter because now he is runing as a black person. His wife is so bitter to be a first lady. She has so much hate to look for the interest of the country versus the interest of here people. Wake up! I would rather live under the corruption of Hillary if McCain loses
I have zero confidence in Senator Obama during critical times. His pat answer always seems to be, in regard to Rezko, Reverend Wright, NAFTA-Canadians, “I didn’t know.”
I for one need someone who “knows” and can act on it.
Senator Obama would be a disaster for this country.
I don’t think so. I now believe there are serious trust issues with Mr. Obama and I also would not want a First Lady representing the United States that isn’t Proud of her Country! For all of you that are unaware there is a thing called reverse discrimination and it happens everyday!!! I’m white and I’m not rich……..I’ve never received a scholarship or have gone to Harvard or lived in a Mansion!!!
That was not a red telephone in the Clinton ad – it was this year’s reddest herring. It is a monument to business-as-usual politics to spin this issue out of all proportion. Why does Mrs. Clinton think she is better prepared to answer the 3 am call? Did Bill maker her get up and answer the red phone when he was president? Why does our culture, largerly relying on media hype, think that presidents are supermen/women? You would think that the last eight years would have certainly laid that notion to rest.
Presidents are CEOs. They do not have to have all the answers. They have to orchestrate a staff that has all the answers. I would hope that if the telephone rang in the middle of the night giving the president bad news that he or she would not start barking orders half awake and playing lone cowboy / cowgirl as Dick Cheney as for these past eight years.
If you have the moxy to launch a national campaign and go head to head in one of the tightest national primary battles in history, there are two things that are virtually certain about you: 1)you have the brains and the guts to handle the heat and 2)you have an army of staffers and strategists that are doing something right. Both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have more than enough juice to handle the 3 am telephone call.
The problem for Hillary is that in all likelihood the call will come from her husband.
Clinton has experience as wife of a president, no more credentials than this. Are these strong credentials to challenge Obama as she does? No.
Senator Barack Obama is not ready to lead this country. He believes his own social construction.
Bill Clinton is now questioning Obama’s patriotism, but he should! Most Americans by now know about Obma’s 20 year courtship with his lunetic racist uncle Rev. Wright.
Of course, anything anyone says is questioned by the Obama people! Frankly, Obama is immune to questioning. Rather, he talks around issues>
For one, he did not answer any questions at his “empty speech” last week. Also, he did not repudiate the lunetic racist Rev. Wright’s disgusting and anti-American rhetorics!
Come on, American people are not stupid and can see right through Obama!
I’m in for Hillary and will fight till the last drop of blood. If he is selected to become the nominee, I will convert to a McCain supporter and will continue to expose Obama for what he is.
So, here is what I like most about Obama and his secrets. Read the ObamaUnveiled site to find out:
http://votersusa.blogspot.com/
Cap. George M.
USMC Ret. (Iraq Vet)
Leaders are born. There are very few of them and Barack Obama is one of them. He is a born leader and has merely responded to the wishes of the American People. It’s all because he cares about America and whole world. The world cannot afford without the a born leader from America. At 46 (very young age) to be managing these complex issues, what more does the Americans and the world want. I am sure more Americans are going to state their case in Pennsylvania and let’s give them a chance to help declare the true leader. Good wishes to both Barack and Hillary. Noko