Conservatives: Obama Kowtows To America Haters
Earlier today, Josh flagged Andrea Mitchell bringing the supposed controversy over Barack Obama's brief handshake with Venezuela's Hugo Chavez into the mainstream. As ridiculous as this all is--and Josh lays out the reasons nicely--she's had a lot of help in the last few days from many of her colleagues.
But there was a small problem with her segment. She said "the analogy [conservatives and Republicans] are making is when John F. Kennedy went to Vienna, Kruschev sized him up and realized or thought that he was weak, and what we had then was the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Berlin Wall, and a series of East-West conflicts."
That's not really the point Newt Gingrich made on the Today Show during the segment Mitchell was referring to. Here's Gingrich:
Everywhere in Latin America, enemies of America are going to use the picture of Chavez smiling and being with the President as proof that Chavez is now legitimate, that he's acceptable.... How do you mend relationships with somebody who hates your country, who actively calls for the destruction of your country, and who wants to undermine you.... We didn't rush over, smile and greet Russian dictators.
Whatever Gingrich is saying there, he's certainly not making a comparison between Obama and Kennedy. He's saying that Obama has failed to live up to the standards past presidents set when dealing with America's enemies. This, of course, is deeply ahistorical, but it's representative of the tenor of the backlash coming from the right.
Tonight on Hardball, Pat Buchanan went on a bit of a tirade, saying "Bush and Cheney would have done a far better job of defending their country.... This guy is not a leader. This guy went down there and virtually groveled to these characters, Chris. I mean what is the matter with people." Watch:
Dick Cheney added some thoughts of his own and his hagiographer, Stephen Hayes, took his cues and chimed in for himself on CNN:
I can tell you from having spoken to a number of those Republicans that there is considerable uncomfortability [sic], at least on the right, with the handshake. With I think the warm embrace between Barack Obama and Hugo Chavez, getting more disturbing than just shaking hands. He seemed to actually be enjoying it. And as you say, you know, this is somebody with a very long past of making comments, disparaging to the United States.
And, of course, high profile conservatives like Rush Limbaugh and bloggers at Red State weren't about to let an opportunity like this pass them by. The rhetoric thus far has been somewhat mild compared to some of the stuff we heard last week, but with an issue like this, it could easily veer into ugly territory. Keep your ears peeled.
Josh
Matt
Eric
Jed Lewison over as Kos has this meme already nailed - http://www.dailykostv.com/w/001198/
April 20, 2009 6:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
What warm embrace? Huh? Are they aware that there's video of this out there? Hello? Am I living in some freaking alternative universe?
It started on Drudge, and the MSM carries the water for Drudge. This is beyond stupid.
Jesus Mary and Joseph. MAKE IT STOP.
April 20, 2009 7:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Who but the lunatic fringe even cares about this? It's just a huge distraction from the concerns of ordinary people. How do you go from the tea bags to contrived concern about how Obama shakes hands or smiles with a guy most Americans wouldn't recognize?
Obama's real failure is his inability to connect with the concerns of Americans about their economic future.
Sheesh, I'm hearing all this hype over Texans wanting to secede. Do I ever wish Minnesota could secede and join Canada -- solid banks, universal health care, and no insane obsession with interfering with every nation on the planet regardless of the costs and regardless of the lack of benefits.
April 20, 2009 7:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
The lunatic fringe and MSM cares about it, blue.
But no worries. As Josh points out, Obama also shook hands with a Golden Retriever on this particular trip.
I'm expecting Katie Couric to get the exclusive with the retriever.
April 20, 2009 7:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
>>Obama's real failure is his inability to connect with the concerns of Americans about their economic future. >>
Yeah, right. That's why an overwhelming majority of the population says they trust Obama on economic issues and support his policies. (recent polls.)
I wish folks like you would stop trying to tell us how upset we are at the president because he has failed and betrayed us. Of course you're not happy, which proves that the universe is following its normal course.
April 20, 2009 8:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Methinks the retriever will do a better job with Katie interviewing than Gov Palin did.
April 20, 2009 7:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Dammit!
Now I gotta clean the soda off my monitor.
Totally worth it though, thanks.
April 21, 2009 12:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think this "issue" will only hurt the Republicans. They've gone absolutely apoplectic over a handshake! It's laughable. Most people see this as a simple common courtesy. If someone extends their hand to you, you don't ignore it. Furthermore, it's not like this was unexpected. Obama has always maintained that he wanted to engage Chavez. Voters may see this as a step toward the fulfillment of a campaign promise to reach out to enemies.
On a larger scale, how do you think it plays among the electorate that Republicans react so violently and derisively to EVERYTHING that Obama does? People can only stand so much incessant droning on about how "bad" everything is that Obama does; after a certain point they'll tune them out.
I think we are approaching, if we haven't already reached, that point. The right-wing is offering nothing more than a wall of criticism and cynicism... It's sound and fury signifying nothing.
To be effective and credible, criticism has to be meted out. If it's unabating, people start to believe that problem may lie with the criticizer (i.e., chip on the shoulder; sore loser; racist, etc.) and not with the one being critiqued.
April 20, 2009 7:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think you have it exactly right. Poll after poll shows the American people rejecting the "don't talk with our enemies" approach of Bush and Cheney. The R's have become completely knee-jerk (or just plain jerks) and people are seeing through it. If Obama came out for motherhood and apple pie, the R's would find a way to be against it.
April 20, 2009 8:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Totally agree. The right is going overboard with this incessant, hyperbolic criticism of everything Obama does. They are only shreding what little credibility they have left.
They should back off and selective criticize Obama. But they have no self-control.
April 20, 2009 8:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Cheney weighing in was a bad mistake by the Republicans. Cheney is hated by both Democrats and Independents.
What ever he says people don't believe.
April 20, 2009 7:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Republicans don't make mistakes. Just ask one.
April 20, 2009 8:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Republicans ought to stop digging.
They should cancel all interviews and other press appearances for six months.
Can they possibly make bigger fools of themselves
Tune in tomorrow
April 20, 2009 7:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
I simply can't listen to them anymore. There is not one reasoned thought among them and their responses are beyond pathetic. I agree with CT Voter--make it go away!
April 20, 2009 7:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is why people don't watch the MSM anymore. By catering to 28% of the country, they ensure that they will only ever attract 28% of their potential viewers. Their loss.
April 20, 2009 8:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
Seems to be working...We haven't been attached in 90 days he has been President!
April 20, 2009 8:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Remember during the campaign when the right tried to compare Obama to Neville Chamberlain, and Chris Matthews grilled whomever about what Chamberlain did wrong and the person couldn't even say what it was? I suspect they are being just as historically knowledgeable now.
April 20, 2009 8:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
We didn't rush over, smile and greet Russian dictators.
Really, Newtie? What about Shrubbie's Love Moment with Putin when he declared that he 'looked into his eyes and saw his soul?'
April 20, 2009 8:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
It would be funny if they weren't dead serious, and part of the apparatus of government.
April 20, 2009 9:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe Chavez should have thrown a shoe to Obama. I mean, thats how we communicate with our enemies, Oh wait, Iraqis are our friends, Bush even got shoed by Canadians, never mind
April 20, 2009 9:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
My God, if I had not seen the video I would have thought Obama and Chavez were making out.
April 20, 2009 10:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
I guess they wanted Obama to turn away, horrified. These guys sound like sissies.
I can't believe even they think this is playing well.
April 21, 2009 12:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
The big question is why is Andrea Mitchell, supposedly a bastion of sensible, centrist Washington*, going out of her way to carry water for these lunatics?
David Shuster showed pictures of Reagan laughing with Gorbachev at their first summit, Kennedy and Kruschev (not the best example to avoid wingnut hyperventilation, but still) and, as somebody brought up here, Dubya looking into Putin's soul.
Why does utter idiocy get broadcast 24/7, and treated with total respect, just because it comes from the mouth of a Republican?
*I know, I know - the sensible center is about at the same ideological point as Rush Limbaugh and Drudge. But you'd think that someone who seems to value her journalistic integrity (Mitchell) would treat this nonsense with a shred of skepticism. It's absolutely infuriating, in case my feelings weren't already apparent.
April 21, 2009 12:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
You do know she is married to Alan Greenspan right?
April 21, 2009 2:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
This angle of attack has been etched into the GOP playbook since before the election of President Obama. Everyone knew his foreign policy posturing would not be that of the chest-pounding Bush; that he would offer an open hand and -- gasp -- actually speak with our adversaries. It was good enough for FDR and JFK, he argued. So this was on the Republican "must do" list from the beginning. Completely predictable and equally dismissable.
April 21, 2009 8:27 AM | Reply | Permalink
I agree that it's "completely dismissable." That begs the question of why the MSM keeps putting these bogus charges at the top of their newscasts.
April 21, 2009 10:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
Just an extension of the Bill Ayers frenzy. Barack is now palling around with a dictator(sic).
Oh, and let's not dignify these nuts by calling them "conservatives." They are just rightwing loonies.
April 21, 2009 8:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
How insecure are these people? Demanding that the President respond forcefully to Daniel Ortega, the President of a country with the GDP of Missouri, or to Hugo Chavez, whose military strength is ranked behind Denmark and Norway...
This is not the same thing as facing down Kruschev or Stalin, for goodness sakes.
April 21, 2009 1:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
The modern-day Repub-, er I mean, Confederate Party is so obsessed with this kind of "Playground Politics". You know, reducing all international relations to some weird transference to how things operate in freakin' grade school. "Obama shoulda shoved Chavez and then turned his nose up at him instead of shaking his hand!"
Seriously, if Obama hadn't shaken his hand and been gracious, the Confeds would have found something else to complain about. It's not exactly news anymore that the Confeds don't like Obama, so I don't get why the news orgs continue to lap it up.
April 21, 2009 1:55 PM | Reply | Permalink