While true, this says little about him relative to the rest of the Democratic field.
Congratulations on winning the “Lowest Bar of 2015” award…
I’m not convinced Webb is better than Chafee on starting wars – I’d be much more worried about a Webb administration getting us back into a lose-lose ground war than Chafee.
That question is not the same as whether or not it should be taken down.
The question that is at hand is: “Given that a third of your fellow citizens and two thirds of your Black fellow citizens feel that the Confederate flag is a symbol of racism, should it fly from government buildings?”
It was not asked in that poll but I think the American mainstream answer would be that a symbol that offensive to that many should be taken down from government buildings whether they personally see it as offensive or not, whether they intend offense by it or not. It’s just manners.
He’s undoubtedly better than the “Democrat” Chafee and the faux-progressive O’Malley, and of course all Democratic candidates in terms of policy will be hampered by a Republican congress.
How so?
IIRC, his rhetoric has been pretty hawkish. Chafee’s has definitely not.
Again, it has to be remembered that Webb opposed the Iraq War in 2002 and has expressed similar opposition to most of America’s recent interventions in the Middle East. Additionally, Webb as a Vietnam veteran and former assistant Secretary of Defense naturally has more of a focus and thus speaks up more on foreign policy issues than Chafee. Chafee’s main unique foreign policy position seems to be abject submission to and appeasement of Putinist tyranny and aggression-if that is “not hawkish”, I’ll rather take the hawk.
“Putinist tyranny” is akin to a temper tantrum – I’ll take ignoring it over fighting it with force any day. Putin wants to be a world super-power – I’m not so sure we should give into his wish and treat him like one.
You mean the guy who got gay marriage, stricter gun control and environmental protection passed in Maryland, repealed the death penalty and commuted the sentences of the four remaining Death Row prisoners there, and has called for much stricter regulation of Wall Street? That O’Malley?
False dilemma, since nobody (least of all Webb or any other Democrat) is calling for war against Russia. Indeed, considering Putin’s entire strategic calculation rests on the hopes that the West will yield, a policy of strength must be asserted.
Exactly-most of the issues except stricter regulation of Wall Street (which he inevitably supports because of the zeitgeist) are purely cosmetic ones-hence we have the spectacle of O’Malley attacking Sanders for the latter’s modestly pro-Second Amendment stance.
Let’s not forget it was O’Malley who wrote this piece of Moderate Heroism with comrade-in-arms Harold Ford Jr.: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/06/AR2007080601158.html
Which we do if we acknowledge Russia’s right to a “sphere of influence”, something that only great powers have.
Plus it can only be ignored as long as a NATO ally isn’t threatened.
I agree on any NATO members – I just see the talk about “confronting Putin” as tough-talking but useless bluster.
Say it’s so, Joe! Rumors now run that Joe Biden will make a run.
Huh. You’ve got a funny definition of “purely cosmetic.”
I have no problems with his August 2007 Washington Post piece. Any winning Democrat can’t just appeal to the left and ignore the center - and Barack Obama didn’t, a year later.
So you disagree with the international response to Putin’s aggression in the Ukraine?
He’d be crazy not too. If Sanders can take a huge chunk out of Clinton’s lead and make Iowa and New Hampshire competitive, imagine what a candidate with Clinton’s level of name recognition minus her unlikeableness and dishonesty can accomplish.
No, in general I think it’s fine. I’m putting down the silly criticism that Obama has been ‘afraid to confront Putin’ and other McCain/Graham/Trump-esque hot air.
I agree (although I think we should be providing lethal weapons to the Ukrainians), but that isn’t what Chafee wants-rather he wants capitulation to Moscow’s aggression by ending the sanctions regime put into place by President Obama.
So since there are less than 10 major Democrats in the race, will all of them be in the debate? Clinton, Sanders, O’Malley, Chaffee, and Webb?
Sure, why not?