Big Bird, Binders, Bayonets: Who Sank Whose Battleship?
It was the foreign policy debate that just quite… wasn’t.
President Obama and Mitt Romney had agreed that the final debate of their series would be seated before moderator Bob Schieffer on a stage in Boca Raton, Fla., fielding questions on foreign policy.
In the early questions, Romney didn’t go after the administration’s double-speak, video-blaming, and preparedness in the Benghazi attack. The challengers then agreed against military intervention in Syria. Pundits were quickly calling this matchup the “big hug” compared to last week’s rumble on Long Island.
Then the last debate in this uncomfortably tight race soon veered into teachers’ unions, balancing the budget, encouraging small business, ObamaCare, and the auto bailout.
With one last televised showdown before Election Day, the former Massachusetts governor seemed eager to turn the conversation back toward his comfort zone — and voters’ priority issue — of the economy. Obama complied, leaving Schieffer to suggest multiple times — in what seemed more like a Sunday morning episode of Face the Nation than a potentially make-or-break national debate — that they turn back to foreign policy.
Mali got nearly as many mentions as China. Middle East watchers got more than their share of the questions that actually stayed on topic.
“This debate is a mess right now,” tweeted NBC White House correspondent Chuck Todd.
Romney’s Libya answer, when asked about policy failures and whether the White House attempted to mislead the public on what happened, was a broader take on the need to deal with Islamic radicalism.
“We can’t kill our way out of this mess,” he said. “We’re going to have to put in place a very comprehensive and robust strategy to help the — the world of Islam and other parts of the world, reject this radical violent extremism, which is — it’s certainly not on the run.”
“Governor Romney, I’m glad that you agree that we have been successful in going after Al Qaida, but I have to tell you that, you know, your strategy previously has been one that has been all over the map and is not designed to keep Americans safe or to build on the opportunities that exist in the Middle East,” Obama said.
A sterner Obama stared at Romney during his answers, and Romney looked at Obama with a slight smile during the president’s time.
Vladimir Putin even made a brief — very brief — appearance.
“Governor Romney, I’m glad that you recognize that Al Qaida is a threat, because a few months ago when you were asked what’s the biggest geopolitical threat facing America, you said Russia, not Al Qaida; you said Russia, in the 1980s, they’re now calling to ask for their foreign policy back because, you know, the Cold War’s been over for 20 years,” Obama said.
“I have clear eyes on this. I’m not going to wear rose-colored glasses when it comes to Russia, or Mr. Putin. And I’m certainly not going to say to him, I’ll give you more flexibility after the election. After the election, he’ll get more backbone,” Romney fired back, chiding the president that “attacking me is not an agenda.”
Romney and Obama came closer again when the governor reiterated his agreement with how the White House handled the Tahrir Square revolution and overthrow of Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak.
Romney said the greatest national security threat the U.S. faces is a weakened economy, providing the evening’s segue into domestic issues.
“In order to be able to fulfill our role in the world, America must be strong. America must lead. And for that to happen, we have to strengthen our economy here at home. You can’t have 23 million people struggling to get a job. You can’t have an economy that over the last three years keeps slowing down its growth rate. You can’t have kids coming out of college, half of them can’t find a job today, or a job that’s commensurate with their college degree. We have to get our economy going,” he said.
This led to the candidates trading barbs over unemployment numbers, Bush-era policies, new business formation, and education reform.
“The kinds of budget proposals that you’ve put forward, when we don’t ask either you or me to pay a dime more in terms of reducing the deficit, but instead we slash support for education, that’s undermining our long-term competitiveness,” Obama said. “That is not good for America’s position in the world, and the world notices.”
Schieffer finally cut in and said he wanted to shift things back to foreign policy, “because we have heard some of this in the other debates.”
Romney noted that the Navy is smaller now than at any time since 1917, and the Air Force “is older and smaller than at any time since it was founded in 1947.”
“And I will not cut our military budget by a trillion dollars, which is a combination of the budget cuts the president has, as well as the sequestration cuts,” he said.
The first debate was Big Bird, the second was binders, and the tweet-words from the last face-off were Battleship and bayonets.
“You mentioned the Navy, for example, and that we have fewer ships than we did in 1916. Well, Governor, we also have fewer horses and bayonets, because the nature of our military’s changed. We have these things called aircraft carriers, where planes land on them. We have these ships that go underwater, nuclear submarines,” Obama said.
“And so the question is not a game of Battleship, where we’re counting slips,” the president sniped. “It’s what are our capabilities.”
Turning to Israel, Romney called out Obama for “apology tour” and not having visited the ally since being elected.
“And I think that when the president said he was going to create daylight between ourselves and Israel, that they noticed that as well,” Romney said. “All of these things suggested, I think, to the Iranian mullahs that, hey, you know, we can keep on pushing along here, we can keep talks going on, we’re just going to keep on spinning centrifuges.”
“Nothing Governor Romney just said is true, starting with this notion of me apologizing. This has been probably the biggest whopper that’s been told during the course of this campaign. And every fact checker and every reporter who’s looked at it, Governor, has said this is not true,” Obama retorted.
“And by the way, they noticed that you skipped Israel. And then in those nations, and on Arabic TV, you said that America had been dismissive and derisive. You said that on occasion America had dictated to other nations,” Romney pressed. “Mr. President, America has not dictated to other nations. We have freed other nations from dictators.”
“When I went to Israel as a candidate, I didn’t take donors. I didn’t attend fundraisers. I went to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum there, to remind myself the nature of evil and why our bond with Israel will be unbreakable,” Obama replied. “And then I went down to the border towns of Sderot, which had experienced missiles raining down from Hamas. And I saw families there who showed me there where missiles had come down near their children’s bedrooms. And I was reminded of what that would mean if those were my kids. Which is why as president, we funded an Iron Dome program to stop those missiles.”
Romney, however, wouldn’t “go into hypotheticals” from Schieffer about what he’d do or say if the prime minister of Israel called him to say that the bombers were on their way to Iran.
“Our relationship with Israel, my relationship with the prime minister of Israel is such that we would not get a call saying our bombers are on the way, or their fighters are on the way,” he said. “This is the kind of thing that would have been discussed and thoroughly evaluated well before that.”
“Governor, the problem is, is that on a whole range of issues, whether it’s the Middle East, whether it’s Afghanistan, whether it’s Iraq, whether it’s now Iran, you’ve been all over the map,” Obama said.
Through other talking points about Pakistan — Romney said he wouldn’t “divorce a nation on Earth that has 100 nuclear weapons” — and the greatest threat to national security — “I think it will continue to be terrorist networks,” said Obama — the candidates veered again to domestic policy and again found their strides, including Romney accusing Obama of “the height of silliness” in an exchange over positions on the auto bailout.
In short, Solyndra made it into the evening, while Sudan did not.
The last line before the closing statements? “I think we all love teachers,” Schieffer quipped to wrap a tangle about outsourced jobs, food stamps, and the federal role in schools.
With one last shot to make their cases in the debate forums, both presidential hopefuls turned the focus back home.
“We’ve been through tough times but we always bounce back because of our character, because we pull together, and if I have the privilege of being your president for another four years, I promise you I will always listen to your voices,” Obama said. “I will fight for your families and I will work every single day to make sure that America continues to be the greatest nation on earth.”
“America’s going to come back, and for that to happen, we’re going to have to have a president who can work across the aisle,” Romney said. “I was in a state where my legislature was 87 percent Democrat. I learned how to get along on the other side of the aisle. We’ve got to do that in Washington.”
CNN’s post-debate poll showed 48 percent picking Obama as the winner and 40 percent favoring Romney — like last week’s town hall debate, with no clear winner.
This debate may have dropped more viewers than the previous exchanges. Lawmakers from around the District, though, hung in through the hour and a half to share their thoughts.
“I’m with Pres Obama, you have to be clear about where you stand Gov Romney. Quite frankly, Gov Romney has been all over the place. #flipflop,” tweeted D.C. Councilman Marion Barry. “Hunting ain’t fun when the rabbit has the gun! #Obama2012″
“Obama was not presidential in his sniping at romney,” tweeted Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa). “Obama was burdened during debate bc of lack of accplishment last 4yrs. And no agenda for nxt terms.”
Yeah, horses, they have nothing to do with today’s conflicts. It’s not like the NY Times had a story on the unveiling of a statue honoring Special Forces who rode into Afghanistan in 2001 on horses. Just 3 days ago…
“Several Army Special Forces soldiers who rode horses into battle in Afghanistan after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks gathered at ground zero on Friday for the unveiling of a statue commemorating their service.”
As my military husband points out, the Marine Corps still uses bayonets. They’re very effective when killing those guys who are trying to kill you gets all “up close and personal.”
In the real world of warfare, killing often NEEDS TO BE up close and personal. Someone might want to mention that to President Drone.
Marion Barry; always nice to have a criminal and an unflinching racist in your corner. Obama has a lot of that. Wonder what percentage of men in prison would vote Obama if they could vote.
Fail Burton, no one needs to wonder who hearts with The One, even from as far away as Russia, nearer to U.S. shores in Venezuela, and even closer by in Cuba.
In fact, a who’s who of serial human rights violators, thugs and goons also have his back. As to felons, surely he will not tolerate expunging them from the voter rolls. Illegal aliens, no problem, they have his back too.
Therefore, is it any wonder – http://adinakutnicki.com/2012/10/22/world-leaders-openly-endorsing-the-radical-in-chief-are-the-most-vile-dregs-in-the-international-arena-why-are-they-simpatico-to-dear-leader-commentary-by-adina-kutnicki/, and has there ever been a time in U.S. history where so many vile reprobates championed a POTUS’s reelection?
Never. And herein lies the crux of his soul mates.
BRAVO! You very words sing with rightness.
Yeah, The Wohn knows everything about US ships.
This is why the DNC convention showed *Russian* ships.
The Wohn is such a genius.
If he had been paying attention to his briefings these last four years he’d know that in the US Navy if it goes under the water it is called a boat rather than a ship.
As a thing most revealing, this, for me, is the high point section of the debate:
“We have these things called aircraft carriers, where planes land on them. We have these ships that go underwater, . . .”?
If in a sad way, to reduce the level of thought in discussion to that of his own pathetic capacity—and perhaps, as kind of comical—constrained by his native ability, Obama must needs have attempted argument as his own familiar usage allowed—showing the puerile sarcastic efforts of the TV educated adolescent and those who are incomplete in mind and training. And in that way, as hearing a little child begin to use language, I would marvel to know of any of whole mind who have not heard—maybe their own teenager—attempt argument in that way; “They have these things called ships, . . . “, and so forth. Yeah, I had t’give a little laugh, . . . it took me back some years, . . . but to hear it from The President of the United States of America, . . . wow!
But, . . . we just don’t have enough of the right kind of people, to keep people like “The O” out of elected offices, . . .
Also, “the O” forms what should be entertained only as strange and arbitrary contractions, clipping both his vowels and his consonants, . . .
I had someone point out to me that “Ships that go under water” are called sunk. Submarines are for some reason called boats.
Milk shot out my nose.
A Navy depends on tradition as much as men or ships. Naval tradition is that a boat is something small enough to fit on a ship. The first subs were small enough to be carried on a ship, which is why they called boats. It became a tradition and now there are subs bigger then cruisers that are still called boats.
Naval nomenclature is in a twilight zone right now. The advent of guided Missiles made the old practice of naming ship types by gun size ( The Bigger the gun, the bigger the ship needed to carry it) obsolete. Frigate was a small (under 50 guns) 3 masted vessels that served as scouts for the fleet, which was composed of Ships of the Line. The seldom displaced more the 500 tons. A Modern Frigate is between 1,000 and 3,000 tons displacement. The most common WW2 destroyer was the Fletcher class, which was a bit over 2,000 tons. Modern Destroyers displace 10,000 tons or more. IIRC the First American Battleship displaced 14,000 tons.
Today’s Navy is perfectly willing to call a ship what ever a politician wants, so long as he will vote to pay for it.
“Oh, people can come up with statistics to prove anything, Kent. Forty percent of all people know that.” — Homer Simpson
The reduction in naval capcity is truly frightening. And O either clearly doesn’t understand or more likely doesn’t care about it. His line about “nation building” at home is frightening, as it is he who has increased the deficit by >$1T per year for 4 years and now he wants to do more? $1T in welfare is not enough — a >30% increase in his years. Truly, he spends on an expanding war on poverty — which is an oxymoron — he spends on an expanding promotion of poverty.
Indeed.
The moderator asked Romney how he would pay for his plans for the military but he never asked Obama how he would pay for all the extra spending that Obama said he wanted to do.
No one, in any of the debates, asked how come there has not been a budget passed since Obama took office.
I understand Romney’s strategy in this debate, but feel like he was a little too forgiving on certain topcs, such as:
- Obama’s feckless non-response to the Green Revolution – he raised it in passing, and Obama ignored it (again.)
- describing the Afghan surge as a success, when Obama hemmed and hawed for months before arbitrarily reducing the size of the force sent, and wasted a year’s worth of the fighting season
- not contesting the use of drones as a completel abandonment of the capture of militants, depriving us of vital intelligence
- allowing Obama to continue to mischaracterize Romney’s position on the GM bailout, and not skrwering him for the arguably illegal political interference in the bankruptcy process, and the many people that were hurt by it.
- gave him a pass on the Benghazi cover-up – and speaking of fund-raisers …
- not calling Obama on his claim that he organized the Libya coalition – France led that effort.
I’m a dependant in the USAF, My husband is about to retire in December. Believe me when I say that our planes are old and barely holding together. Money has not been used to replace them. We’ve been treated like some phariah by this administration and yet they expect us to meet their goals with piss poor equipment and piss poor management. There is no leadership and most people in the military hold Obama in the highest contempt.
You know I really wanted to see Romney smash Obama over Benghazi tonight and I was a little disappointed, but upon reflection I think Romney executed a perfect debate. If he had come on too strong or muffed it in any way, the media would be all over him for the next two weeks. He didn’t! He did what he intended to do, showed himself to be completely adequate to the task of being CinC, informed on the issues and far more presidential than our petulant boy president. Obama was trying to pick a fight and he failed. He can’t hide the contempt he feels for Romney with that smug little smirk of his. Romney has a great poker face, he doesn’t display any tells when listening to a tirade against him. He was the guy tonight. He WILL be our next president and I predict a landslide, Obama’s support is collapsing and he has nothing left!
It was a great head fake. For the last week or two everyone was talking about Benghazi — taking it apart, analyzing everything the Feds did, etc. Every blogger, commentator, and talking head had an opinion on how Romney should attack Obama on this issue. Who wants to bet that Obama had zingers ready for all possible ways that Romney could attack him on Benghazi? Must have been disconcerting for O when the attack never came. Imagine having to sit there for 90 minutes waiting for it to come. Psych!
^ ^ THAT ^ ^ !
I agree – Romney’s strategy was to show Obama up, as liar-in-chief, and as angry sourpuss who was shown to be unable to run on his record.
Getting him to talk about what he did as candidate, visiting Israel, was perfect. That showed that Obama had nothing with which to counter Romney’s statement about his ‘apology tour’, not visiting Israel when he was President.
There were more of these instances.
Obama may have ‘won’ the debate in the eyes of his adoring followers, Romney won the election in the eyes of America with this debate.
The Romney campaign is smart – really smart, and disciplined. If Romney wins this election, and I think he will, he will put together an administration as smart as his campaign has been. I was not a big Romney supporter,although I would always have supported him over Obama; but the man is winning me over in a big way.
Fewer horses and bayonets?
But, but, what about the unicorns Obama promised us?
Heh.
The unicorns? Why, they’re being ridden by Obama’s corpsemen. And there’s also a herd of pegasi waiting in the wings.
Corpsemen? Oh, yeah – the same ones who vote in Chicago elections.
Well, at least ONE of them is going to vote right here in San Diego.
– Spike, wife of “Corpseman”
Obama looked small and utterly unschooled in business as he continued to claim that without “me” the US auto industry would have ceased to exist!
Somehow when GM and Chrysler go through an Obama administered bankruptcy that favors the UAW (an Obama special interest) all is well in America. When Romney purposes that the companies go through regular bankrutcy and even have government backed loans when they exit the proceedings it would all end in the shuttering of both companies.
Any “fact checker” would call Obama’s claims complete lies! This should really come back to bite the president in his backside!
To me, the sourest note was when he said that the private sector doesn’t do research, and never did.
Does that idiot realize that most of today’s technology came out of Bell Labs and Xerox PARC? Thomas Edison didn’t patent over 1000 inventions in Obamaland.
And if I hear “roads, bridges, and schools” one more time, I’m going to throw something.
What in the world is the man who as commander in chief called a Navy Corpsmen “a corpsemen” doing talking about his in depth knowledge of the US Navy?
Hint to Obama, Mr President when reading from a telepromter not every word can be phonetically pronounced. You need some basic knowledge of the US Navy. The Navy never has seen fit to label their medics “corpsemen.”
I served a hitch in the Navy way back before Vietnam. The Navy I hear about now sounds like it is being run by a bunch of wussies, politically correct, green fuels BS and all. Put the ladies and the girlie men ashore, and get some admirals who know how to fight a dam war on the water. President Romney, do this.
Obama bringing up “capability” in regards the naval capability sounds like a kid who just heard the word and concept for the first time. I can just imagine some poor junior officers sitting there with powerpoint presentations trying to educate Obama before his attention wanders off.
We have carriers and subs. So do they, Mr. Resident. That’s why Russia is a bigger geopolitical threat than all the Islamic goat farmers in the world added together. To our benefit it is *Russia* now, in the 1980s it was the USSR. You can Google it. Still many similarities, but don’t you just bet that Mr. Romney and the Russian oligarchs (Google that too) might not talk each other’s langugage better than they could even with a red diaper baby like you.
Actually, we are the only country with a major carrier force. The Royal Navy might have a small one again, if the new carrier program doesn’t get white-papered to death like the last two did.
France has three carriers- that tactically equal about one of ours.
As for Russia, they sold their one actual flattop to China. Which is making it the centerpiece of an undersized “show-the-flag” group that will, in actual combat, probably last about the duration of a single Harpoon salvo… against the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force, one of the most effective “cruiser navies” in the world today.
So yes, the President was correct; we do have the only effective carrier navy around, these days.
But his remark about not needing as many hulls as we had in 1916 is arrant nonsense. While ten carriers are no doubt more effective than twenty pre-dreadnought battleships, they can only be in half as many places at once, whether singly or as part of a CVBG. Meaning, if you need to conduct air ops over AFPAK, but at the same time you need those decks off Formosa to keep the Red Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) honest, you’ve got what we used to call a “throw-weight” problem. I.e., not enough of it to go around if two or more sets of bad actors decide to get proddy at the same time.
(BTW, PLAAF is a Hell of a lot bigger and more serious naval threat anywhere in WESPAC than the People’s Liberation Army Navy is, or has any hope of being.)
This once more shows that The One tends to substitute rhetorical hot air for facts. Probably because (conceited, incurious egotist that he is) he’s never bothered to look the facts up.
As for his “I’m Commander in Chief and you’re not” shtick- it’s a bad idea to come on like Chevy Chase on SNL in a Presidential debate.
People might get the idea that that you don’t take your job seriously enough. Or are too petulant to be trusted with that much power.
Or both.
clear ether
eon
Actually, the Russians kept their one effective CV – Kuznetsov – even though they cannot afford to operate her, and lack the aircraft and pilots to give her a complete air group. She’s a prestige ship. So long as they have a carrier they’re entitled to sit at the grownup’s table.
The one they sold to China was Kuznetsov’s incomplete sister, which the Chinese took over a decade to make operational (in the sense that she can steam under her own power). They are training the airwing but she is in no sense an operational CV and probably will never be. Rather, she’s a training platform and proof of concept.
The Indians have one old CV and are building a medium sized one,a s well as awaiting the “good deal” on another they got snookered into by the Russians.
So while there are a few carriers out there, none of them have the flexibility and capability of even one of our CVNs, let alone the eleven we currently have, plus their associated strike groups. SO yes, the USN is presently the only carrier navy, which represents a power few people can really appreciate. The reason we have not had a general naval war since 1945 is that nobody – nobody – is in our league.
That being said, we’re still stretched thin. The USN does need some urgent attention to do the job we so unthinking give it.
I think Romney’s favorability ratings will continue to go up. Hint to Obama: the reason that women are running away from you in droves is your lack of decorum. The constant interruptions, snarky remarks, and unpleasantness do not convey strength. And are tiresome.
Even so, I’d still bet on our Seawolf Class SSNs plus one carrier battle group against the entire Chinese Navy.
Obama talking nice of Israel.. Romney could have pounced.
From Uhbama’s NOT visiting Israel during his ENTIRE Presidency, to Uhbama NOT meeting with Netanyahu when he’d visited the U.S. going as far as telling Uhbama he can meet in NY or D.C. – nope Uhbama met with MB’s Morsi instead, visited, to Uhbama’s commenting to then-French President Sarkozy badmouthing Netanyahu, to the ‘odd’ hidden Khalidi tape, to Uhbama’s 1st M E interview provided to Al Jazeera, to Uhbama’s apology tour (there is NO other descriptor. The Grifter-in-Chief can try to spin it as something different but come on..).. do we need to go into early 2011, 2010 and 2009 as well?
Uhbama is SO out of his depth re: Russia, not the U.S.S.R. (dunderhead) it’s scary.
Uhbama and his, ‘..long term public education competitiveness..’ gibberish. What planet does this welfare-like lifetime government employee live on? The Federally controlled public education system has been in decline because it is indeed Federally controlled! . The public education system continues to reach new lows.
The biggest insult to injury for me was UHbama, the ‘composite’ man in so many ways other than his nonsensical ahem, ‘autobiographies’ is calling ANYONE else’s decisions, ‘all over the map’.
Uhbama = epic pinhead.
Romney did pounce!
” Bob, let’s not go into hypotheticals of that nature. Our relationship with Israel, my relationship with the prime minister of Israel is such that we would not get a call saying our bombers are on the way, or their fighters are on the way”
“the president received a letter from 38 Democrat senators saying the tensions with Israel were a real problem. They asked him, please repair the tension — Democrat senators — please repair the tension…”
“You look at the record of the last four years and say is Iran closer to a bomb? Yes. Is the Middle East in tumult? Yes. Is — is Al Qaeda on the run, on its heels? No. Is — are Israel and the Palestinians closer to reaching a peace agreement? No, they haven’t had talks in two years. We have not seen the progress we need to have”
The best takeaway home from the debate:
ROMNEY: We’re four years closer to a nuclear Iran. We’re four years closer to a nuclear Iran. And — and — we should not have wasted these four years to the extent they — they continue to be able to spin these centrifuges and get that much closer. That’s number one.
Number two, Mr. President, the reason I call it an apology tour is because you went to the Middle East and you flew to Egypt and to Saudi Arabia and to Turkey and Iraq. And by the way, you skipped Israel, our closest friend in the region, but you went to the other nations.
And by the way, they noticed that you skipped Israel. And then in those nations, and on Arabic TV, you said that America had been dismissive and derisive. You said that on occasion America had dictated to other nations.
Mr. President, America has not dictated to other nations. We have freed other nations from dictators.”
“The best takeaway home from the debate:
ROMNEY: We’re four years closer to a nuclear Iran. We’re four years closer to a nuclear Iran.”
This is a logical fallacy and one of those numerous times that Romney was counting on his audience being dumb. The development of nuclear material is not merely contingent on time, it is contingent upon the ability of Iranian nuclear scientists to have the capacity, technology and material to complete a nuclear weapon. To say “we are four years away from X” is completely meaningless, because in reality we are four years closer to literally anything that hasn’t happened yet. We are four years closer to cloning dinosaurs. We are four years closer to developing faster-than-light travel. We are also four years closer to terraforming Jupiter.
While I understand and appreciate your comment, I think you’re only looking at the surface of Romney’s comment, respectively.
Iran is giving the finger to the West (ceasing oil sales to the French, Brits for starters) and the nonsensical ‘sanctions’.
Ahmadinejad and his entourage wined and dined in the U.S. again recently. I.A.E.A were allowed a NY minute into Iran’s ‘energy’ confines yet not a full inspection.
Not to mention Putin STILL has Iran’s back. And getting more and more cozy with all that sweet, sweet Iran oil.
I believe Romney’s adamant talk regarding Putin, Russia is keeping them i check and thus Iran in the process.
Jmo.
Clueless. There is a finite amount of time required to develop nuclear weapons, No valid comparison between events that are impossible and events that are inevitable works.
The wording was poor but it is still a fact that Iran is working on building nuclear weapons and they are closer to that event now then when the Obumbler took office. You will point out there is no hard evidence that Iran is working on an Atomic bomb and I will point out the only hard evidence possible is a weapon detonating.
Obama shares responsibility here. Bush and Clinton are just as guilty of kicking the can down the road as the Obumbler.
If you are one of the fools that thinks religious fanatics can follow a MAD program like the Soviets did then my question for you is if Iran having a bomb is OK, why don’t we sell them one?
PBUH- Place Bomb Under Hood?
That Navy and bayonet comment show that Obama, even after nearly 4 years in office, couldn’t be bothered to try to understand our military’s capabilities and requirements. And he did it in such a condescending way, too.
We still use bayonets. I don’t think those will ever go away. And although we have Aircraft Carriers and Submarines, we still need a basic number of capable surface ships to defend the CVSGs and ESGs, at a minimum. The President ignored out of hand his own Admirals’ recommendations merely to prove a childish and irellevant point.
Irrelevant. Sorry, didn’t catch that before posting.
Nonsense. Romney, like always, was counting on his audience being too dumb to understand the difference between a leaner navy with a weaker navy. And Obama smacked him down for it, and embarrassed him. Sometimes people deserve to be condescended to when they act foolish. This was one of those times.
Obama constantly whips up his audiences with false claims, even outright lies, about Romney.
Barack and sidekick Joe both rely on the stupidity of the faithful.
Steve P, put down the kool-aid. It may be arsenic by now.
A ‘leaner Navy’ – tell that to the Army for whom has HAD to tap into ANG, Reserves who’ve been on 2, 3 4 or more tdy’s to the sand box. Need we go into the escalating # of military suicides?
Not to mention the MANY military personnel with critical career fields NOT being able to retire/ complete they term in their assigned departure date.
FYI: Ships, planes, boots on the ground etc., their PRESENCE in #’s is what shakes one’s boots.
Do you think the Cold War would have come to a close if Reagan threatened then-U.S.S.R. with a ‘lean military’? No! U.S.S.R. went belly up and we needn’t fired a shot.
Come on, man. Critical thinking, rational thought IS a good thing. I highly recommend it.
True, there’s a difference between a “leaner” and a “weaker” Navy–but when Romney said the *NAVY* is requesting 313 ships, and we are nowhere near that number, and are going *down*, I think it’s fair to say that our “lean” Navy is also weaker.
Obama was petty and condescending. Only kool-aid drinkers such as yourself mistake that for being Presidential.
Despite Obama’s newfound enthusiasm for being everybody’s President he’s still only playing to his base. He didn’t win over any undecided voters by being the high school smartass.
…chiding the president that “attacking me is not an agenda.”
As in his stump speeches, Obama, who has few to no positives to brag about after 4 years in office, seems to be running on Romney’s imagined negatives.
True. Also, The One regards merely disagreeing with Him as a personal attack. I suspect mainly because that’s His usual method of “disagreeing” with anybody else. (“Police acted stupidly”,”bitter clingers”, etc.)
In his universe, you are either “With The Lightworker”, or you are wrong. And probably evil into the bargain. It’s a common fault amongst the self-styled “enlightened elite’”, but he has one of the worst cases on record.
clear ether
eon
Apparently it’s Obama’s universe, he just lets the rest of us squat in it. For the time being. Clueless and narcissistic – yeah, we need four more years of that, right? Time to send Obama back to the fantasy world inside his own head.
Yes, the President went to Israel as a candidate. And, I don’t think he’s been back. Hardly rolled out the red carpet at 1600 Penn Ave for Bibi either, has he?
And, the “Apology Tour” seemed to be exactly that. How do you think it got that nifty nickname from the press?
Obambi kept saying the military wasn’t asking for more money. Why ask if you already know the answer is going to be no. Every ship of the line has a specific purpose. Sure many of them can do double or even triple duty but it is not what they were designed for. If they are tied up doing someone else’s duty they are not doing what they were made for. You can only repair ships or planes so many times before they need either complete overhaul or replacement. The ships we have are going to sea in actual unsafe condition because they have neither the parts nor the time they need to bring them up to seaworthy condition. Our Airforce is facing the same problems. Our ground troops are a little better off but they are still being run into the ground because there are not enough of them and the rules of engagement they have to follow is literally killing them. Yeah Mr. Obambi we are doing REALLL good.
What You Can’t Say by Walter E. Williams
http://lewrockwell.com/williams-w/w-williams143.html
Published on Aug 23, 2012
William Binney is among a group of N.S.A. whistle-blowers, including Thomas A. Drake, who have each risked everything — their freedom, livelihoods and personal relationships — to warn Americans about the dangers of N.S.A. domestic spying; A top-secret program he says is broadly collecting Americans’ personal data.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OemwW60VxDY&feature=plcp
Zero supports education in order to make the US more competitive? In what? The number of government employees?
General Motors is becoming China Motors
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lvl5Gan69Wo