So you wanted us to think of ways the Dems might defend Obama, but you don’t want this to become a thread defending Obama. I guess thats not exactly a contradiction, but its cutting it kinda fine.
The GOP already charges Obama with not being pro-Israel. It’s old news. Frankly, I just find it refreshing that two politicians actually told the truth about another one…
There aren’t going to be new “charges.” Romney and the other Republicans will assert they care more about Israel the same way Republicans have been doing for umpteen cycles, and I think Jewish voters will buy it at about the same rate- which is not very much.
It’s not a defense of Obama thread. It’s a “who the fuck cares?” thread.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been in situations where someone is bad-mouthing another person I have no ill-feelings towards, but I just kind of roll with it. I don’t explicitly agree with the comment by saying, “I know, girl! She gets on my nerves too!” Instead I might say, “Well, I have to deal with her all the time! I’ve got my own stories!”
Why do I do this? Because no one likes being scolded. And there is no way to do the “right” thing without scolding and shaming the other person just a tad. Being political means playing both sides sometimes. Many people if not everyone does this at least once in their lives. That Obama does this indicates he is a human being. I think even people who hate him can give him on a pass on this.
Mostly because Bibi is kind of a douche.
Fair enough!
Well I suppose I doubt that Dems will say, “This is a non issue. Netanyahu is a douche, anyway.”
Okay, okay. Attempt at thread failed. I get it. 
Also, I kinda detest when people make arguments like this. You want to attack Obama over this, but the case that this somehow makes Obama anti-Israel is so silly you can’t even bring yourself to make it. So instead you put it in the mouths of some hypothetical GOP operatives, and we’re supposed to basically debate against a case that no one actually participating in the thread is making.
I see the same thing a lot on cable news, when political operatives are trying to put a spin on something thats so silly they can’t even put it in their own mouths. Instead they say things like “some have argued”, or “its been said”.
If you want to argue that this event is some sort of evidence that Obama is anti-Israel, do it. If you don’t, then don’t. But stop hiding behind what you imagine someone else might say.
Why’s this in Elections anyway?
So do you agree with Bachman that Obama’s statement “makes it apparent that he is not committed to our ally Israel”? Because if you don’t, it seems kind of silly to expect us to imagine how the Dems might respond to an attack thats too silly for anyone in this thread to actually make.
No, I don’t agree. I still think Dems will have to answer for it (or feel like they do). I could be wrong. 'Scuse me.
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Why would Obama even have to come to the defense of Netanyahu? This is international diplomacy, not a school playground. Sarkozy is entitled to his opinion regardless of whether he was venting or sincere. Why is it US interests for Obama to convince Sarkozy otherwise?
I was reading some foreign press today (Guardian?) that said the reaction in Israel was a collective shrug. Mainly because they’ve know for months via the Wikileaks cables that no one in the Obama administration is particularly fond of Netanyahu.
The impression I got was that Obama didn’t feel it was worth it to get pissy with Sarkozy over a flippant remark made in a presumably private conversation, especially if they had other business to attend to.
Also, I’d like to know just what Obama has done that’s so evil, or even that much different from previous administrations, wrt Israel.
If the people in the country Netanyahu leads react with a collective “meh,” the issue is a “meh” issue. I’m still not clear why we, Obama, or even Netanyahu or Israel should care about this.
Was Obama criticizing Israel (making him a probable anti-semite in your book) or is criticizing Netenyahu the same thing as criticizing israel (therefore making Obama an anti-semite)?
There are Israelis that don’t like Netenyahu? That’s anti-Israel and that makes them anti-semites. Stupid antisemtic Israelis, we hateses them.
OK, then how’s this. Obama will lose proportionally less of the Jewish vote than he does of the general vote. He’s gonna lose votes across the board.
I think the world is showing restaint in criticizing israel because they don’t want to inflame too much anti-Israeli sentiment during a populist uprising in the middle east.
Because, some folks like Pained think that any criticism of Israel or its policies is anti-semitism. I guess he has extended that to crtiticism of Netenyahu.
Well, he certainly isn’t going to get the Jewish vote. 