Barry Hussein's first interview

[RedskinsDave]

President Barack Obama gave his first formal television interview as president to an Arabic cable TV network, telling Al-Arabiya that when it comes to Middle East matters "all too often the United States starts by dictating."

With an Arabic station and insults prior U.S. actions. Awesome.

[CNYSkinFan]

I guess that he is a secret muslim afterall

Nothing he said in that interview is anything close to being offensive.

[Ibleedburgundy]

It seems Dubya unintentionally built up a lot of international political capital simply by being an unbelievable jerkwad. When Obama reverses policy, he needs to do so in a way that receives as much consideration as possible. He might be able to make lemonade out of our tainted world standing simply by contrasting himself with Dubya.

[shally]

troubling. but not completely unexpected... i have no problem reaching out to more moderate arab states, but the reality is that those who would want to destroy us, or at least hurt us badly, will not be appeased by rhetoric alone.

[akhhorus]

troubling. but not completely unexpected... i have no problem reaching out to more moderate arab states, but the reality is that those who would want to destroy us, or at least hurt us badly, will not be appeased by rhetoric alone.

Considering that he did the interview with the Saudi Satellite network, and not Al-Jazeera, I think thats exactly what his intent was: to reach out to the moderate arab states. No matter what any American President could say on any media organ, Al Queda and the rest of the radicals won't listen(they don't even listen to fellow radicals, an egyptian terrorist leader is calling for a cease fire against the US). The point is to keep them from getting any wisp of legitimacy in the mainstream arab world. I wish he would have continued his comments about how the leadership on both sides in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict have failed, but Marc Lynch(one of the more prominent scholars of US-Arab relations) was raving over the interview.

[Ibleedburgundy]

troubling. but not completely unexpected... i have no problem reaching out to more moderate arab states, but the reality is that those who would want to destroy us, or at least hurt us badly, will not be appeased by rhetoric alone.

Nobody is appeased by rhetoric alone. But I don't think the intent is to impress committed terrorists. The point is to reach out to mainstream Muslims and even to those sitting on the fence.

I'm pretty sure Obama will take more of an even-handed approach to certain conflicts, but he will have his limits. There is no satisfying the extremists, but hopefully the relative moderates recognize the effort.

[shally]

Nobody is appeased by rhetoric alone. But I don't think the intent is to impress committed terrorists. The point is to reach out to mainstream Muslims and even to those sitting on the fence.

I'm pretty sure Obama will take more of an even-handed approach to certain conflicts, but he will have his limits. There is no satisfying the extremists, but hopefully the relative moderates recognize the effort.

the question will be whether those moderates see it in their own interests to push back against some of the more radical elements in the middle east, or whether they just shrug and say there is little they can do for us, and it is our problem based upon our support of israel, and past grievences which we have caused.. ultimately, the saudis and the egyptians have much more to fear from the radical islamists than we do..

[3644Skins]

Does anybody else have a problem with the name of this thread? It is not my intention to bring tension to a thread that already has enough of it but I thought just maybe we were done with trying to use his name like this? I know it's his name but I think a simple "Obama's first interview" would have sufficed.

[Ibleedburgundy]

Does anybody else have a problem with the name of this thread? It is not my intention to bring tension to a thread that already has enough of it but I thought just maybe we were done with trying to use his name like this? I know it's his name but I think a simple "Obama's first interview" would have sufficed.

I think YankeeDave is just going for full disclosure regarding his objectivity.

[BurgundyNGold]

I think YankeeDave is just going for full disclosure regarding his objectivity.
In all fairness, when the Dems were (completely) out of power in 2005 and 2006, the then-moderators of the forum, who were Dems, did little different in hiding their disdain for the other side. Right now, Dave is in the minority regarding his view of Obama. But, as my previous example illustrates, the winds can change rather quickly. He might not be so alone in his sentiment before too long. And you've got to hand it to him for sticking to his principles.

[3644Skins]

In all fairness, when the Dems were (completely) out of power in 2005 and 2006, the then-moderators of the forum, who were Dems, did little different in hiding their disdain for the other side. Right now, Dave is in the minority regarding his view of Obama. But, as my previous example illustrates, the winds can change rather quickly. He might not be so alone in his sentiment before too long. And you've got to hand it to him for sticking to his principles.

I definitley give it to him for being honest about how he feels, I can't get anyone in NC to even talk about any thing dealing with politics right now. A lot of NC is still in the recovery stage right now. While Dave's honesty is refreshing I just don't like the connection that's usually made when his middle name is used. Good point BNG.

[NCskinsfanatic]

Does anybody else have a problem with the name of this thread? It is not my intention to bring tension to a thread that already has enough of it but I thought just maybe we were done with trying to use his name like this? I know it's his name but I think a simple "Obama's first interview" would have sufficed.

completely off topic but I love that pic in your avatar...now back to your regular scheduled thread.

[BurgundyNGold]

I definitley give it to him for being honest about how he feels, I can't get anyone in NC to even talk about any thing dealing with politics right now. A lot of NC is still in the recovery stage right now. While Dave's honesty is refreshing I just don't like the connection that's usually made when his middle name is used. Good point BNG.
Thanks. "Barry" is the name that Obama went by in going to school. I guess Barrack sounded too "foreign" so he went with Barry. And technically, his middle name is "Hussein". I can undertand why he doesn't advertise that one. When I think Hussein, I think of a scraggly guy getting yanked out of a spider hole lol.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/SaddamSpiderHole.jpg

[akhhorus]

Since he used his middle name in his oath of office, I don't think that saying his middle name is as inflammatory as it was.

[PyroGenic]

Since he used his middle name in his oath of office, I don't think that saying his middle name is as inflammatory as it was.

It's still making a statement through omission.

[RedskinsDave]

I think YankeeDave is just going for full disclosure regarding his objectivity.

Coming from someone as objective as yourself, this is funny. I don't think there is a poster on the forum as idiotically one-sided as you are. Stop making comments about me from your glass house.