Obama Offers Assurance in Amman
22 July 2008 3:00 pm by Taylor Marsh
BY TAYLOR MARSH
Can one statement make you vote Democratic today? Maybe not. But anyone interested
in national security and world affairs would do well to listen
to Senator Obama’s presser in Amman, Jordon, which reveals a very confident,
steady hand when he simply had to deliver.
In this one statement alone (video offers other soundbites) Obama outlines
our biggest national security challenge, offered up in concise, recognizable
terms. Please note I said recognizable terms, which is key, especially for an
unknown quantity like Senator Obama.
“We went to Afghanistan first because it is the central front in the
war against terrorism. That is where the 9/11 attacks were planned and today
in Afghanistan, in the border region of Pakistan, Al Qaeda and the Taliban
are mounting a growing offensive against the security of the Afghan people
and increasingly the Pakistani people. They are plotting new attacks against
the United States. The situation in Afghanistan is perilous and urgent.”
– Senator Barack Obama
Obama replaces “war on terror” with “war against terrorism.”
But we’ve still got that damnable “central front.”
I still object to the “war” aspect, but at least we got rid of the
word “terror,” if not the notion that we still need to fear. But as
Gen. Hugh Shelton stated to the annoyance of WHIG, military means is not
the only way to fight our asymmetrical enemies. Yeah, that term sucks too. But Obama did do a gentle shift into reality with his rhetoric, while also giving Republicans nowhere to go, because he used their words
to get the message across.
Additionally, with Obama also using “plotting new attacks against the
United States”, he offers language that the American people want to hear,
for better or worse, that have come to signify that Senator Obama will protect
them as commander in chief. It gives average voters who don’t know him a way
in to what he’s talking about on foreign policy. A deft touch on difficult terrain.
On the whole, this statement brings everything full circle, back to Afghanistan,
where Bush started. It is a “perilous and urgent” situation, on which
many experts agree; a failed state to come if we don’t act. We all know that
movie all too well.
Foundation laid using language voters understand.
