"I would like somebody who knows about a bunch of stuff that I'm not as expert on," he replied. "I think a lot of people assume that might be some kind of military thing to make me look more commander-in-chief-like. Ironically, this is an area -- foreign policy is the area where I am probably most confident that I know more and understand the world better than Senator Clinton or Senator McCain."

Um, yes, well.

He did dress up as a Kenyan once. And has doubtless been lauded at some DC restaurants, when he was in DC. Tres formidable!

But does anyone, for even a second, believe that he has more foreign policy experience than Hillary or McCain? This is utter fantasizing.

Bring it.

experience has been long the best way to keep doing what doesn't work.

Things are pretty sad and gloomy here on the fray when a poster has to write poast asking about Obama's foreign policy stature relative to McCain and Clinton :((

I mean, you could do better...but I guess you are trying to drum up the Obamacrats out from the woodwork.

Are you that bored?

Actually, Obama does have some kind of foreign policy experience, having talked much with his first cousin Prime Minister Raila Odinga of Kenya back in January 2008 during the New Hampshire primaries when the Luo tribe that both Obama and his cousin Prime Minister Raila Odinga belong to, were going about supposedly burning women and children up in churches and killed something like 1000 people in protest of the fact that Raila Odinga's run for the Presidential position in Kenya was lost...due to supposedly ballotbox stuffing by his opponent.Oh well...at least Raila Odinga ended up as Prime Minister...big deal.

The foreign policy comes into play because Obama DID have to make long distance calls and DID have to talk to a foreign national of another country, Kenya .

As long as he wasn't using an STU-3 phone, Obama probably thought it wasn't real real furrein policy.

Thanks...and I probably won't be around to respond.

Have a good day,...

These Puritan days, we are unfortunately unable to cite those qualifications.

Whilst I would agree that conventional diplomatic channels do not always yield fruit, the stick is as beneficial as the carrot.

Our stick, ie, a strong army, is necessary to maintain peace. Would you disagree, or would you join with some in decalring McCain a "war-monger" for increasing the armed forces?

between John McCain's foreign policy and that of George Bush other than the fact that McCain was once a strong advocate of global warming issues? The answer is no and I fully expect him to be even more reckless and can at the most inopportune times be the most undiplomatic character imaginable.

I won't argue against Hillary. It serves no purpose.

I made a long-distance call from Belize once. Damned expensive.

I wasn't the one who compared foreign policy stature. Obama explicitly said that he was more qualified than either Hillary or McCain.

Which, well, um.

If we don't downsize our military spending and reverse the economic trend (read: road to ruin) of GW's tenure, we can warmongor all we want ... in our heart (as the peanut farmer would say it) but we won't have any money to fight with.

reality check: the debt is eating us three new assholes and fast approaching our navel.

You mistake us for some banana republic. Not the Hope of the Western World.

Last I heard, our poverty level included cable-suscribers, and our foreclosure victims had two new cars in the driveway.

We can pay it. No country would dare foreclose, lest the whole world be brought down.

In 2007 the unified budget was something like 2.75 trillion; running a deficit of 400 billion, and that was the best of times for federal receipts; 2008 receipts will drop like a mill stone in a lake, and yet the prez wants to increase spending... there is no foreclosure on Treasuries; you either make good on the interest rate or you default; sink or swim.

but yes, really, to quibble. He didn't say that he had more foreign-policy experience, but rather that he had a deeper knowledge and better understanding of the world than did the other two. I'm not sure how directly that understanding will translate into foreign-policy success, but I don't have much doubt that his actual statement (not the one you crafted from its pieces) was true.

Our credit is good.

We just don't need any more of those entitlement expansions, like Dubya gave us, with the prescription drug horror.

We might just tread water, assuming there's no more of that one-election buy-off shit.

Restless leg syndrome. Viagra. The government should pay for this?

without the social skills.

Clearly, hanging out with world leaders and sipping herbal tea doesn't give you the full picture.

Neither does wandering in tourist enclaves and dressing up like a Kenyan.

I'm thinking, however, that Obama wasn't bumping around in a Hummer in Egypt, and that either Hillary or McCain has a better understanding.

Pfui! Gimme something. Anything.

a superior ideology and programme, rather than concrete foreign policy experience to date. He may believe---and may well be correct---that better than McCain and even Clinton he understands the advisability of trimming the horns of American national sovereignty in deference to collective global opinion and preference. He may also have the strongest commitment to worldwide redistribution of wealth and resources.