75% agree that Obama should wait till he takes office to articulate his position on Gaza/Israel

[FrenchieCat]

Obama Should Stay on the Sidelines

Barack Obama has taken some political heat from both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute for not speaking out on the conflict -- both from pro-Arab groups that want him to condemn the killing of civilians by Israel, and from pro-Israel groups that want him to defend Israel's right to strike back at Hamas. Obama has demurred, saying it would not be appropriate for him, as president-elect, to inject his views on such a critical international matter.

Americans largely agree with Obama. Only 19% say he should announce a firm position on the conflict now, while 75% say he should wait until he takes office.



The views of Democrats and Republicans are virtually identical on this question, with only 19% of Democrats and 18% of Republicans saying Obama should announce his position now. The vast majority of both groups (as well as of political independents) say he should wait.



http://www.gallup.com/poll/113707/Americans-Pressing-Bigger-Role-Gaza-Conflict.aspx

[NYC_SKP]

1. Good catch, kicking for the common sense of it all.

A nice little "hello" to some of the concerned citizens.

In recognition of some of the comments on some of these boards, I would like to add:

DUh

:kick:

[FrenchieCat]

2. When Obama says, "he's got this"......

He obviously knows what he is talking about.

Cause a President Elect acting like he can't shut up, and causing confusion
on foreign policy ain't required. Enough confusion is already out there.

[ZombieHorde]

35. Did Obama really say that, or is your quote made up?

Does he really refer to himself in third person?

[LaPera]

3. BushCo wants Obama to take a position now so Bush can blame his foreign policy

mess on Obama, knowing full well that over time people forget the facts very quickly.

Bush wants to take no responsibility for another of his fuck ups. Obama is doing the right thing by NOT taking a position now.

Bush is still president for another ten days and it's Bush's screwed up policies that has allowed the ongoing tragedy in Gaza to occur.

[Kahuna]

16. DING DING DING DING DING! nt

[MadMaddie]

31. I also think if Obama came out with any of his plans

* would sabatoge those efforts. Why would Obama show his hand now and not have the power to back it up>

[JeffR]

4. NO, NO, NO, NO, NO

HE MUST ACT NOW, MUST SPEAK NOW, MUST FIX EVERYTHING NOW, EVEN THOUGH HE'S NOT THE PRESIDENT NOW

THIS IS NOT THE CHANGE I VOTED FOR!!!!!!!!!11111111111111111111111111

[FrenchieCat]

5. But he did bother to articulate his caring for Washington State's

Flood disaster....quietly and quickly, I might add!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=4801284&mesg_id=4801284

[JeffR]

7. Well, I'll grudgingly give him props for that, but otherwise

HE'D BETTER SATISFY ME AND EVERYTHING I CARE ABOUT RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111111111

[polmaven]

34. Well, I'm glad YOU'RE

willing to wait until NOW! I want him to FIX IT YESTERDAY!!!! Wassamatta with him????

[firedupdem]

6. Good Information. Thanks!! n/t

[davidpdx]

8. Frenchie, thanks for posting this

You would think it would be common sense that the PE wouldn't be able to say much until he takes office. This poll backs up exactly what should and must happen in any situation like this. You have people on DU spouting off saying, "Why hasn't Obama done this or that with regard to Gaza?" It's clear some of these people have either not taken American Government classes in high school or need a refresher course. We only have one leader at a time. During the transition, unfortunately that leader is still George W. Bush.

[FrenchieCat]

9. Some folks don't have that; common sense.

They just want the Prez Elect to do what they want done,
Kind of like a backseat driver.

[davidpdx]

13. Frenchie, now that's my kind of metaphore

:pals:

[thewiseguy]

10. But it is perfectly ok for the senate and congress to pass resolutions supporting Israel

Obama's position on Israel/Palestine conflict is no different from GWB.

[DCBob]

11. Obama is committed to advancing the peace process from day one.

Back in July, Obama told the pro-Israel AIPAC he would "not wait until the waning days of my presidency... I will take an active role, and make a personal commitment to do all I can to advance the cause of peace from the start of my administration."

[regnaD kciN]

29. Which is why...

...the Israeli government is doing all they can to make sure that, by 1/20/09, there's no peace process left to advance. :-(

[Tarheel_Dem]

12. Obama is neither a Senator, nor is he President. You think it wise for

Obama and Bush to be sending conflicting messages on this very sensitive issue? Whether the 19% like it or not, Obama has no constitutional authority whatsoever.

[thewiseguy]

52. Obama is no different from bush when it comes to the Israel/ Palestine conflict

The resolution to support Israel received unanimous support in the Senate. You think Obama would have been against it if he was still a senator?

You could look at his AIPAC speech or what he said in Israel as the Democratic nominee.

[Freddie Stubbs]

63. One President at a time -- One Congress at a time

The new Congress started last week.

[Hekate]

14. Frenchie, m'dear: a big ol' kick for good sense.

:kick:

Hekate

[Onlooker]

15. At one pont 75% of Americans supported the Iraq war.

But, some of us weren't lemmings.

[bahrbearian]

17. And Chimpy.

[Skwmom]

20. It doesn't take much to manipulate public opinion.

The problem is when you use polls to support your decisions it can really come back to bite you in the long run but public opinion can drastically change.

[FrenchieCat]

21. The difference of course that in 10 days, this poll will be moot.

That's agreat biggo difference, wouldn't you say?

[FrenchieCat]

24. 10 more fucking days.

and I can't fucking wait!

[firedupdem]

32. You search and search for anything negative you can find. I find

it odd that you are here since you evidently don't support the President Elect on anything. Not one positive post from you. I'm sure the poll would have been just fine for you had it been the opposite and 75% thought he should make a statement. You are so obviously totally against this guy. It's going to be a long 8 yrs for you.

[Skwmom]

18. Americans are constantly told there is only one president at a time,

etc... and surprise a poll is taken and the majority think that Obama should wait until he's in office.

Bush use to have great polls numbers. But eventually Americans catch on. It might take a while but they do catch on.


Using a poll of the American public to support anything IMHO is absurd.

[Jennicut]

25. Sorry, sometimes polls are right. No one is being manipulated. They understand the Constitution

Its not the American publics's fault that Shrub is such a tool.

[leftstreet]

26. You make a very good point

The M$M bombards us with select talking points and images, then trots out a poll.

Duh.

[EFerrari]

36. It overlooks the merits of both sides and goes for numbers.

That's what passes for "common sense" here sometimes. lol

[flpoljunkie]

19. Israel's Haarez: Obama aide denies report he will launch low-level contact with Hamas

(How is this any different from what Bush has said regarding Hamas.)

Obama aide denies report he will launch low-level contact with Hamas

By Haaretz Service

A spokesperson for U.S. president-elect Barack Obama on Friday denied a report that Obama is expected to engage Hamas in dialogue, after he takes office.

The U.K. newspaper The Guardian reported on Thursday quoted unnamed sources reportedly close to Obama's transition team, who said he has been urged by close advisors to launch low-level contact with Hamas.

"The President-elect has repeatedly stated that he believes that Hamas is a terrorist organization dedicated to Israel's destruction, and that we should not deal with them until they recognize Israel, renounce violence, and abide by past agreements," said Brooke Anderson, chief national security spokesperson for the Obama transition team.

"The President elect's repeated statements are accurate," added Anderson. "This unsourced story is not."

The article said though there hasn't been any talk of Obama being in favor of direct negotiations with Hamas, a growing number of voices in Washington are saying the policy of isolating Hamas is not productive.

Regardless of the level of engagement, if Obama decides to reach out to Hamas, it would represent a stark break from the Bush presidency's policy of isolating the group.

The article mentions advisors to Obama who are reportedly in favor of talks with Hamas, including Richard Haass, a diplomat who served under both Bush presidents and who a number of news outlets have named as Obama's choice for Middle East envoy.

U.S. President-elect Barack Obama, who has avoided commenting on foreign policy matters, said on Wednesday he will "engage immediately" in the situation in the Middle East when he becomes president.

Obama, who takes office on January 20, repeated that he was deeply concerned about the situation in Gaza but said he it would be imprudent to send signals that his incoming administration is running foreign policy.

Obama broke his silence about the violence in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, calling the loss of civilian lives in Gaza and in Israel a "source of deep concern for me."

The president-elect added he would adhere to his principle that only Bush should be the voice of U.S. foreign policy at this time but he would have plenty to say after his inauguration in two weeks.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1054008.html

[FrenchieCat]

22. Sure! Obama will be exactly like Bush in respect to the years old conflict

between the Palistinians and Israel. Just like Bush was just like Clinton! :eyes:

[flpoljunkie]

27. Bar for Hamas set awfully high, while Israel broke cease fire agreement in November.

Obama's spokesman: Obama 'believes Hamas is a terrorist organization dedicated to Israel's destruction, and that we should not deal with them until they recognize Israel, renounce violence, and abide by past agreements.'

Israel has knowingly made it infinitely harder for any possiblity of peace in the Middle East for the incoming Obama administration, but despite what his spokesman said above, I remain hopeful that Obama will be an honest broker in the Middle East, but like Helen Thomas, I am unsure that he will.

[regnaD kciN]

30. The "reality"of ME discussion...

...is that "the clock always starts" after a Palestinian attack, so that it's always a case of Palestinians being the aggressors and Israel merely "defending itself." :eyes:

[oberliner]

60. Cease fire agreement was broken in June

Rockets were fired into Israel in June just a few days after the cease fire agreement was reached.

In November, both Israel and Hamas broke the agreement (although neither side believed they were breaking it from their perspective). Israel attacked tunnels they believed were being used for a planned kidnapping of Israel soliders. Hamas responded by firing rockets randomly into Israel.

After both sides violated the agreement in November, they pretty much observed it until December when Hamas officially announced it would not renew the agreement and sent a barrage of rockets into Israel.

[camera obscura]

23. Interesting to see it cuts across party lines about the same. Thanks for posting.

[Bluenorthwest]

28. I'm with the 75% on that

It would be disaster to speak without power. And pretty much illegal as well. The situation there is very important to me, and I hope he does well with it, once he has standing to do anything at all.

[Boomerang Diddle]

33. K & R

[Runcible Spoon]

37. Yeah and 75% of them can't FIND Israel on a FUCKING MAP

oh...in case you think I made that up... :rofl:
http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/05/02/geog.test/index.html

"The study, which surveyed 510 young Americans from December 17 to January 20, showed that 88 percent of those questioned could not find Afghanistan on a map of Asia despite widespread coverage of the U.S.-led overthrow of the Taliban in 2001 and the political rebirth of the country.

In the Middle East, 63 percent could not find Iraq or Saudi Arabia on a map, and 75 percent could not point out Iran or Israel. Forty-four percent couldn't find any one of those four countries."

[FrenchieCat]

38. The OP that I posted doesn't have so much to do with finding Israel on a map,

as it is understanding that in the United States of America, we certainly only have on President at a time when it comes to commenting in the mids of an international crisis that is imflamatory and was most likely fabricated with the intent purpose of generating a reaction and a response from the incoming President; the one without the power to back his words.....yet.

[Runcible Spoon]

40. it means that the general populace is severely misinformed on these issues

and as such, whether or not the PE should or shouldn't comment on the situation is really not one of those things that should be gauged by public opinion. And no, with Bush in lame duck mode, Obama is essentially acting as President and has positioned his transition team as one of the quickest and most decisive in history.

[FrenchieCat]

41. I'm so glad I voted for Barack Obama and not you....

Till it ain't even funny!

[Runcible Spoon]

47. another worthless comment

If I were president, I wouldn't even put you in charge of tea service.

[FrenchieCat]

50. Just the fact that you can type...."If I were President....." was my point......

as you are not nor will you be. Anything else said after that just doesn't matter.

[AZBlue]

39. When he speaks now he's not expressing personal opinions, he setting American state policy.

And he can't do that until 1/20.

[hulka38]

42. This Obama supporter is calling BS on that. He articulated his economic policies

every day wrt to the financial crisis a month ago. He does not have to wait until 1/20 to weigh in on Gaza.

[AZBlue]

44. That's entirely different.

He spoke about what he proposed - nothing's been done yet on that either. He didn't set any policy with that conversation.

[hulka38]

48. At all those Hilton press conferences he spoke at length about his vision/policy/what he intended to

do as President. You've got a entirely semantic argument AZBlue. Obama can chose to state his policies as strong and clear or as ambiguously as he wants in order to get his message across. He's 50 times more powerful than Bush is politically right now and his capital is growing every day. Obama should tell Israel to stop the madness or they'll be hearing from him as CIC in a few days. They would stop. It would cause a serious political headache for him domestically before he even takes office but he could stop it. Lives are at stake. Who are you concerned about offending?

[elleng]

46. Foreign policy matters

are quite different from domestic matters, especially in this instance where his policies are likely to differ from those of w.

AND its a reason why his possible new policy re: Hamas has been leaked to the Guardian.

[ecstatic]

43. I think he's going to have to do a major speech directly to the people of

the Middle East and hopefully reach a consensus that way.

[thewiseguy]

53. Yes. A BIG speech will fix things.

:eyes:

[ecstatic]

55. It won't singlehandedly fix things. But the first step to reaching an agreement

is getting each side to see the opposing view point. :eyes:

[McCamy Taylor]

45. He has to wait. If he criticizes either side, that side will go ballistic trying to get some last

minute killing in before he pulls the plug. He has to let them assume it will be warfare as usual when he takes office and that he will not rock any boats or they will blow the whole thing up when he still does not have any power to do anything.

[hulka38]

49. He's the PE by a landslide and is going to be inaugurated in a few days.

Obama has huge power. He should pick up the phone but he won't.

Let's be realistic. The only side that's capable of doing mass killing is the Israeli side.

[FrenchieCat]

57. You and I don't know what phone he's picked up and who he has called.....

now do we?

No, we don't.

[LynneSin]

51. Why the hell do some DUers not get this - OBAMA IS NOT THE PRESIDENT YET

Let Bush do his fucking job

[thewiseguy]

54. That is a very stupid thing to say

Obama's stimulus package is already being discussed in the congress. I guess Bush is only president when it comes to issues you do not want to deal with.

[ecstatic]

56. for international situations that may affect war, yes, there can

only be one president at a time.

[FrenchieCat]

58. the Stimulus is a domestic issue. Foreign policy regarding Israel/Hamas

affect more folks who are not Americans FIRST. That's the big fucking difference.

If Bush and his foreign policy team are saying one thing to the UN, Israel, Hamas and the EU, and Barack Obama is stating something different....is there a point in anyone saying anything to anybody at all? It's not like Obama's UN representative is in the UN making proposals, or Obama's SOS is making calls, as neither have yet been confirmed.

If you don't see the difference between internal U.S. Policy and water's edge International policy, then you cannot be helped.

[grassfed]

59. He can't say anything.

The most historic and meaningful election, maybe ever, is held hostage, sabotaged and utterly demeaned by the racist far right in a foreign country.

Blankfort: Why did Israel break truce on our Election Night?

The world sees it as it is, and it is clear that only the US can stop the killing and it won't and it won't because Washington is Occupied Territory. It occurs to me that this war was also intended to not only crush the Palestinian resistance and restore Israel's tarnished macho image but to make sure Obama could not push the "peace process," as phony as that was, but that his support for Israel will quickly destroy his popularity throughout the world, something which would have given him, in the minds of the Israelis, a lever to exert pressure on them to actually withdraw from the West Bank and the Golan Heights. Israel is the only country in the world where George W is popular and the Israelis like it that way. However deep he is into the pockets of the Jewish establishment, I am sure Obama is steaming at them. That Israel broke the truce on the night of his election was their way of sending the message.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8080790

[oberliner]

61. This "Israel broke the truce first" meme is disingenuous

The truce was initial broken in June when rockets were fired into Israel, just a few days after the truce was agreed to.

In November, both sides broke the truce but then went back to observing it immediately thereafter (neither side felt their actions were in violation of the truce).

In any case, Hamas officially announced the end of the cease fire in December and followed that up with a barrage of rocket attacks on Israel (one of which killed two Palestinian children).

[cooolandrew]

62. It makes perfect sense to me the main thing Bush even acts on is foreign policy and 2 messages to>

the world is unprofessional and messy. Sure it would be great if he was president right now but only a week to go so we just have to be patient. To me it's far more complex than offering his new direction for the economy.

[flpoljunkie]

64. Political cartoonist Tony Auth's take on the futility of Israel's bombing of Gaza...