Obama: Biden right about foreign 'test' (updated)

[ProSense]

Obama: Biden right about foreign 'test'

Posted October 22, 2008 12:44 PM

by Christi Parsons

RICHMOND, VA -- At his press conference in Richmond today, Sen. Barack Obama hit two interesting points: he answered the Joe Biden question about whether the world would test him if he were president, and he spoke to the economic points Sen. John McCain is raising in New Hampshire today.

"Sometimes Joe engages in rhetorical flourishes," Obama said of his vice presidential running mate. "But his core point was that the next administration is going to be tested, regardless of who it is. The next administration is going to inherit a whole host of really big problems... The president is going to be tested... the question is whether the next president will meet that test."

The second was an answer to McCain, and fits in the context of Obama's meeting with senior foreign policy advisors this morning. His message emerging from that meeting is that the economy is interlocked with national security, and that the first thing the next president should do to impove security is stop spending money in Iraq.

Edited to add:

"Joe sometimes engages in rhetorical floursihes, but i think hs core point was that the next administration is going to be tested, regardless of who it is," he said at the Richmond, VA event.

"I think the point that Joe made is actually very similar to the one that Secretary Chertoff made today or yesterday, which is that whoever is the next president is going to have to deal with a whole host of challenges internationally, and that a period of transition in a new administration is always one in which we have to be vigilant, we have to be careful, we have to be mindful that as we pass the baton in this democracy, that others don’t take advantage of it.," Obama said, stressing that either he or McCain would be tested.

Obama suggested the the tableau of Democratic foreign policy heavyweights around him demonstrated that he has "a team in place that is familiar with these issues, that understands the challenges, that is able to give me the best advice and will be able to navigate these challenges."

link

[Cha]

1. Good..that puts that to rest.

Thank you, Obama and Biden. They can handle it.

[ProSense]

2. Yup,

killed that spin.

[YvonneCa]

5. Focus and unity. I would add to that that WHEN our new president...

...is tested, we need to not 'splinter.' We who support him now need to stay united behind him...and focus on the test. :patriot:

[jillan]

3. I'm glad he addressed it - but -

I'm wondering if Joe should do the same.

Part of me says no - it might be a bad thing for him to bring it up again.
The other part of me would love to see Joe shut them up.

What do you think?

[FrenchieCat]

4. Back to the economic message like a laser beam.

Joe can link Foreign to the domestic economy, and go from there.

But it has got to be "It's the economy stupid".....

[ProSense]

6. Biden can handle it, and McCain

has already failed the test.

[1corona4u]

8. I think people need to drop it.

People are making way too much of it. As usual when Joe's name is attached.

[wildflower]

7. The Obama campaign knew he was "gaffe-prone" when they vetted him

They must have decided back then that it was manageable, and they had a plan for how they'd handle it. Otherwise they would have picked someone else.

I'm glad to see that they've indeed handled it just fine.

[1corona4u]

9. I'll be glad when they are in office...

so I don't have to see how 'gaffe prone' Joe Biden is anymore. :eyes:

[Cha]

10. Like Dean said.."A gaffe in D.C. is when

you tell the truth." And, Dean should know:)

[melonkali]

11. Obama is an "intelligent unknown"-- they already have McCain's number: snake-eyes

Biden called it straight, IMO.

The international community would be jerking McCain's chain from Day One. They'd play him like a puppet and lead the USA further down our current path to national (and international) disintegration.

It's not that the rest of the world is in some irrational irreversible "Destroy the USA" hate frenzy -- but we must realize that we have become a cancer in the international community, a cancer that has to be at least contained, perhaps eradicated, for the safety and wellbeing of the rest of the world.

I agree with Biden, they'd want to test Obama to figure him out. Can they safely deal with him, with us, in a reasonable and productive way? I believe Obama will pass their tests, address their concerns, answer their questions in a positive way -- and the USA will end up as a thriving, respected, healthy part of our world community.

In the international community, Obama is not just our best hope, he's our only hope.

[crossroads]

12. Excellent!