Blustering, bullying can bring trouble
At their first debate, Sen. McCain scoffed at the notion of sitting across the table from Iranian President Ahmadinejad, referencing Ahmadinejad's quote that "Israel should be wiped off the map." What does McCain think of his own diplomatic worthiness - as the one who sang "Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran" in tune to the Beach-Boys' "Barbara Ann?"
Don't get me wrong - between the two I think Ahmadinejad is the less sane, but does McCain really expect our country - or for that matter, the rest of the world - to respect him as a leader and representative with that hypocrisy?
What McCain "doesn't understand" is that in any talks with Ahmadinejad, we will not be just talking to Ahmadinejad, we would really be talking to the Iranian people. And I don't believe every Iranian has a wish to wipe Israel off the map any more than I think every American wishes to "bomb bomb Iran." Opening talks with Iran will show not just the Iranian people, but also the rest of the world, that we are willing to get a dialogue going and not just blowing off diplomacy and making a rush to war. Been there, done that. Didn't work out.
We need to make a choice of who we'd rather have sitting at the table representing America - not just with Iran - but with potential allies whose support we will desperately need in the war on terror, the Iranian question and other issues. Right now I think Obama will get a lot more respect than a maverick curmudgeon who sings "bomb bomb Iran" and then stubbornly refuses to talk with another leader for saying nearly the same thing.
There are many factors to consider in one's vote for president. Obama certainly has domestic policy stances with which I disagree. Fortunately, we have a system of checks and balances - Congress and the Senate - to prevent unilateral decisions on such things. However, with foreign policy - as Bush has shown - one person's blustering and bullying can bring us a heap of trouble costing us exponentially more than any tax increase ever did.
Jim Horton
Naperville