Tuesday, May 20, 2008

BARACK OBAMA

If Only Nixon Could Go To China, Who Could Go To Iran?

Tom Maguire raises a really good point as to why President Barack Obama traveling to Iran to meet with Ahmadinejad raises so many concerns.

As a bonus question, one might wonder what Obama thinks is meant by the phrase "Only Nixon could go to China"? Hints are offered at Wikipedia, among scholars, and even in the pop culture. Well, here is a spoiler from Wikipedia:

Because Nixon had an undisputed reputation of being a staunch anti-Communist, he was largely immune to any criticism of being "soft on Communism" by figures on the right of American politics. The phrase "Nixon going to China" is thus an analogy which refers to the unique ability that hardline politicians have to challenge political taboos and third rail issues. Only a proven hardline right-wing politician can succeed in challenging a conservative sacred cow, and vice versa for left-wingers.

I daresay Reagan had as solid an anti-Communist reputation as Nixon. Does Obama think he has foreign policy credibility and anti-terror credentials analogous to Nixon and Reagan? When did he acquire that credibility - was it as a schoolboy living in Indonesia, or later as a street organizer in Chicago? Or even later, as a colleague of unrepentant domestic terrorist Bill Ayers on the board of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge?

If Vice President Cheney shocked the world and said he was going to negotiate with Ahmadinejad, there would probably be a few people grumbling on the right... but there wouldn't be too much worry that Cheney would be taking a soft accomodationist stance. If Cheney came away from the meeting with a deal, it would be tough for his critics to argue, "well, what do you expect from such a dovish, instinctively compromising, squish?"

Similarly, perhaps only a Democratic president could sign welfare reform. Obama would have a freer hand to challenge long-held positions and orthodoxies on his side of the aisle... but apparently that just isn't in his instincts.

05/20 08:27 AMShare