Not exactly the first of its kind …
posted at 1:40 pm on July 17, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
Jill Hazelbaker, communications director for the John McCain campaign, told Fox News today that Barack Obama intended on conducting unprecedented campaign rallies during his upcoming trip to Europe and the war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan. Hazelbaker seems to have forgotten a few foreign trips by McCain himself when making this charge:
Well, Senator Obama is visiting Iraq and Afghanistan. I found it interesting that he released his plan for the way forward in Iraq and Afghanistan prior to visiting the region or talking with any of the commanders on the ground. Let’s drop the pretense that this is a fact-finding trip and call it what it is: the first of its kind campaign rally overseas.
This may have been a great point to make — before McCain traveled to Canada, Mexico, and Colombia to make major policy speeches in the last few weeks. In fact, in Canada, McCain made the point of standing firmly behind NAFTA as a rebuke to Obama’s NAFTA dancing during the primaries. In Colombia, he spoke in support of the free-trade pact that Obama and the Democrats in Congress oppose. The visits in all three countries clearly related to his presidential campaign, just as Obama’s trip to Europe also does.
Perhaps the bigger complaint will be that Obama will be making public speeches in venues more suited for rallies. If so, that’s a pretty thin distinction. And complaining that Obama will be more popular in Europe and attract bigger crowds sounds more like sour grapes than a legitimate question about politicizing foreign relations abroad.
Maybe McCain’s campaign would do better by pointing out the hypocrisy of the supposedly objective media in their planned coverage for the Obama trip. Otherwise, this is sauce for the gander. If McCain can travel abroad to conduct his campaign, then they have little complaint about Obama following that precedent.
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Ed, don’t take this the wrong way–I love ya and all–but sometimes I find it very difficult to discern the topic of a post from what you put on the front page. :-)
DaveS on July 17, 2008 at 1:45 PM
The MSM wants to catch all the swooning Europeans kissing the feet of the Messiah
William Amos on July 17, 2008 at 1:45 PM
I’m sorry, did she say something?
/goes back to gazing…
flydiveski on July 17, 2008 at 1:46 PM
Oh leave her alone. She’s so cute.
Akzed on July 17, 2008 at 1:46 PM
Yeah, she’s very cute.
DaveS on July 17, 2008 at 1:49 PM
Every picture tells a story.
Angry Dumbo on July 17, 2008 at 1:50 PM
I’m sorry, what? I was too busy looking at the front page picture.
amerpundit on July 17, 2008 at 1:53 PM
Hm, suddenly a challenger appears to MKH!
j/k
MKH is very, very intelligent.
carbon_footprint on July 17, 2008 at 1:53 PM
I think that she was referring to Obama re-tooling his positions on Iraq and Afghanistan before visiting those war zones, and how he should assess the conditions on the ground before making any decisions. I believe the emphasis is placed more on Obama’s trip in the context of war.
MB007 on July 17, 2008 at 1:53 PM
Ed has this down now; just post the most beautiful conservative girls and watch the comments soar.
carbon_footprint on July 17, 2008 at 1:54 PM
Maybe Ed can get Jill on his show to have a chat some day.
L
letget on July 17, 2008 at 1:55 PM
Ditto!
Anita on July 17, 2008 at 1:56 PM
Well, at least Code Pinko won’t be there at the rallies. (I hope not anyway)
normsrevenge on July 17, 2008 at 1:56 PM
Do blogs have ratings weeks?
infidel on July 17, 2008 at 1:57 PM
Is it media bias to have the anchors follow Barack to the war zones?
or is it news?
I go with NEWS. The anchors should make a BIG DEAL out of the fact that Barack has been talking out his rear about something he’s NEVER EVEN SEEN.
How about a HISTORICAL event: Barack speaking the General Petraeus! Film at 11.
originalpechanga on July 17, 2008 at 1:58 PM
conservative women > lib women
trailortrash on July 17, 2008 at 1:58 PM
The difference is that Obama will ride Silky Pony through the air with stars and a rainbow shooting out its arse.
Speakup on July 17, 2008 at 2:00 PM
Obama will be flopping like a fish in the desert. Can’t wait to see how he spins all the progress made by our brave men and women.
infidel on July 17, 2008 at 2:01 PM
Is Drudge going on the Osama Obama Praise-a-Thon too? I just counted nine Obama stories he’s linking to on his page, versus zero for McCain.
Dang, Matt, I’m sure The Messiah makes your leg tingle too, but there’s need to be so overt about it.
Frees up a line on my bookmarks list, anyway. No room for the lazy, faux-”unbiased” and increasingly irrelevant there….
MrScribbler on July 17, 2008 at 2:05 PM
Bizare.
It is not a “Fact finding trip” and it is a campaign rally overseas.
McCain made a campaign rally overseas, and didn’t call it a “Fact finding trip.”
There is no problem with this – whatsoever. This is completely stupid of an issue to make.
wise_man on July 17, 2008 at 2:06 PM
Matt’s become annoying. He’s been sent stories about major Obama gaffes only to have them never show up. There was a time when Kerry’s campaign manager had an auto IM that said “Yes, I saw Drudge”, due to the number of negative stories Matt posted about Waffles.
America’s newsman, as they call him, is a self-described pro-life conservative who hates privacy invasion. So he jumps on the pro-choice liberal who’ll “never let you return to your normal lives”.
amerpundit on July 17, 2008 at 2:09 PM
That’s it exactly. The Obama trip is aimed at bringing the full weight of his popularity abroad to bear on the USA electorate. After the media showcases his mass rallies relentlessly, the inescapable perception will be the world wants Obama to be Prez and those who vote against him should feel guilty as they are the ugly Americans.
In the light of his massive Euro campaign rallies, his visit to Iraq will seem inconsequential.
petefrt on July 17, 2008 at 2:09 PM
Yeah, me too. I…uh…umm…what was I gonna say?…I forget.
CP on July 17, 2008 at 2:10 PM
Perhaps Obambo can just hold the DFL convention in Damascus while he is in the area. Hell, he would probably get just as many cheering fans as he would in Denver.
Bishop on July 17, 2008 at 2:11 PM
I’m sorry but why are either one of these two losers campaigning overseas? France get electoral votes these days as the 58th state?
highhopes on July 17, 2008 at 2:17 PM
If… and that’s a HUGE if, anyone in the McCain campaign has any brains, they’ll play jujitsu with the Messiah’s rallies in Europe. Do you think middle Americans give a flip who Europeans want as OUR president? If anything, adoring crowds overseas raises suspicions in our minds. It’s a fair bet that Obama’s crowds will be FILLED with America-haters. Get footage of that and air it in commercials in the Heartland. Let Obama run for President of the World. We need someone who has America as his first priority.
Sugar Land on July 17, 2008 at 2:18 PM
True, but he’s one gaffe away from incinerating his campaign.
I’m off to google this new face.
swami on July 17, 2008 at 2:18 PM
To appear “presidential” to the voters.
Even though they are not president yet, they both get presidential secret service protection, and they get presidential briefings so they can be up to speed if and when they are elected.
wise_man on July 17, 2008 at 2:20 PM
I happened to be in Canada when McCain made his speech at the economic conference there. The gathering was only 400 people because the fire marshall would only allow that many people in the room because of fire ordinances. The fee was $5,000 a head and the tickets sold out in 10 minutes. Organizers could’ve sold many times more tickets. Since the Canadians have gone the conservative way with their government, and have the liberals in disarray, they are very leery of American politicians with a liberal label. McCain was very warmly met. canada is more of an ally now that the conservatives are in power the there. The liberals , as all libs do, looked at the masses as a means to an end rather as fellow countrymen while they were in power there. Very much like the dims do here.
volsense on July 17, 2008 at 2:28 PM
Works great for Roger at Fox, why not for Ed at HA…?
J_Gocht on July 17, 2008 at 2:29 PM
True Ed.
And which one will Gibson, Couric, William ( ABC, NBC, CBS ) and the rest of the MSM be clinging to and photo opting.
Take a wild guess.
Texyank on July 17, 2008 at 2:29 PM
.
There may be a problem if the candidates are using taxpayer money for the travel and arrangements. Isn’t Obama traveling as a member of a Congressional delegation?
IIRC Senator McCain used a corporate jet (Cindy’s) for at least some of his trips.
News2Use on July 17, 2008 at 2:34 PM
Don’t forget those trips he made to Czechoslavakia, Formosa, and the Ottoman Empire.
ScottMcC on July 17, 2008 at 2:35 PM
Very hot! McCain may have finally got something right!
orlandocajun on July 17, 2008 at 2:36 PM
So who will be following Barry around that is NOT MSM so we can get an unbiased, unscrubbed, ‘clean articulate’ report of his whirlwind extravaganza? Ed, Allah, you going???
Brat on July 17, 2008 at 2:37 PM
Can’t agree with you here Ed. Obama’s trips seem designed as outright campaign rallies and obviously not fact finding trips. McCain’s trips each had a major point to deliver. The Columbia trip is a good example of joining with the leaders of that nation to show solidarity in maintaining our trade agreements. Obama is going to Iraq for what exactly? Dates and pomegranates? Why Germany? To look like Reagan and Kennedy so the MSM has SOMEthing to fawn over with Obama’s foreign policy?
The Germany trip could backfire in the same way the large stadium venue at the convention might. Could be the affair will look a lot like a Hitler rally. Is that a good message to send from Germany?
JonPrichard on July 17, 2008 at 2:41 PM
I defy any man to NOT click this link. It can not be done!
wccawa on July 17, 2008 at 2:42 PM
Yeah. I just the hottie’s phone number on the front page. After seeing that I found myself not caring much about the substance of Ed’s post :P
NotCoach on July 17, 2008 at 2:51 PM
I wasn’t objecting. :)
CP on July 17, 2008 at 2:57 PM
Jill Hazelbaker looks better in photos than on TV for some reason.
barry norris on July 17, 2008 at 3:08 PM
I’m watiing for the 10,000 word, twelve paragraph post from MB4 on Jill Hazelbaker’s looks…………. Hopefully with links.
Seven Percent Solution on July 17, 2008 at 3:22 PM
I enjoy speculating about Herself symbolically disembowelling Barry O at RatFest08 and grabbing the nomination. Is there any chance a better candidate can do the same to McCoot at the Republican convenetion or do we play by different rules?
GeneSmith on July 17, 2008 at 3:23 PM
I see your Kirsten Powers and raise you a Jill Hazelbaker.
All-in, indeed..
melkor on July 17, 2008 at 3:24 PM
Obama politicize the war?
Chakra Hammer on July 17, 2008 at 3:29 PM
Mmmmm…. Hazelbaker!
km on July 17, 2008 at 4:22 PM
S’cuse me for being late to the party, but why do we see so little of Michelle Malkin on Fox anymore? She was doing O’Reilly all the time. Was it the fallout of the Geraldo Rivera “spit on her” comment – did she win a moral victory, but lose the war vis-a-vis Rivera pulling strings to keep her off Fox?
John the Libertarian on July 17, 2008 at 4:41 PM
It would be worth all the adoring publicity for Obama in Europe if we could get an hour-long, nationally televised interview between Obama and General Petraeus, which would result in the greatest verbal butt-whooping in recent history.
Of course, on that day, the MSM will decide that the highest priority is continuous coverage of the Olympic decathlon from start to finish. No cameras allowed when Obama gets a one-way trip to the woodshed.
Steve Z on July 17, 2008 at 4:47 PM
Tony Patterson in Berlin:
LOL! As though the Germans don’t know that it was JFK’s puss that LET Kruschev build the Berlin Wall, INEFFECTIVE in face to face confrontation! At least the British know that it was JFK that let Kruschev have our missile technology and remove our missiles from Turkey in exchange for the USSR “backing down” removing the missile threat from Cuba. Everyone knows what a drug addict JFK was, so is THAT also the parallel Europeans swoon over for BHO? JFK may have had youth for show, but he was no great President in fact. BHO has the same youth and inexperience as JFK, but unlike JFK, BHO hasn’t a birth certificate to prove his candidacy’s legitimacy. So any comparison is mere rhetoric. What they share in common politically is definitely a moot point.
maverick muse on July 17, 2008 at 4:49 PM
I say let barry have big rally’s in europe. My bet is he does one of two things or maybe both; he makes campaign promises to europeans that are way out of line with presidential duties and responsibilities and/or he insults America. I think this could be his biggest mistake yet. Let all the news anchors who are following him around try to bury some outlandish statement. That may bury them once and for all as well.
peacenprosperity on July 17, 2008 at 4:57 PM
“The first of its kind campaign rally overseas” distinction between McCain and Obama?
1. McCain networked gathering intelligence and alliances pro-USA policies, and always observed international diplomatic protocol, never upstaging the leader of the country he visits. (Heck, McCain plays Mr. Nice Guy to Obamarx himself at his own expense since Obama hasn’t the etiquette to respond with proper decorum.)
2. Obama networks giving up intelligence selling out to the highest bidder, promoting anti-American policy, and has disregard for international protocol as he would dismiss Merkel in order to have his own way.
maverick muse on July 17, 2008 at 5:00 PM
whaaaa…?
/drool
urbancenturion on July 17, 2008 at 5:13 PM
Do you mean the “agreement” that Pelosi won’t even let come to the floor for a vote?
Like the interview with Wolfie Blitzer where Pelosi said off-shore drilling “was not in HER plans” to come to a floor vote, the democrats are sooooo out of touch with what this nation is demanding.
14% disaproval rating and they still blame Boooosh after two years in control. PATHETIC
Rovin on July 17, 2008 at 5:33 PM
Hey, this overseas campaign rally idea could work for Obama. After all, terrorists openly prefer him to McCain and say so in the book, “Schmoozing with Terrorists.”
Tantor on July 17, 2008 at 5:35 PM
He’s counting on that film. My money is on his having a skeptical and furrowed look on his face. I’ll bet there’s a fight in BHO’s war room – “I can take him! I’ll condemn the war to his face” “Sir, we think that may not be the…uh…best idea for you.”
There’s the real hoot. You can look for: “Andrea, could he look any better?…” “We can feel the thrill of the crowd all the way up here in the booth…” “I can’t help but be reminded of some of Churchill’s most stirring speeches…”
eeyore on July 17, 2008 at 8:27 PM
JonPrichard on July 17, 2008 at 2:41 PM
I’m afraid all is lost, forget Ed, forget Allah, forget most conservative pundits, they all shiver in fear for their own survival and will acquiesce by becoming part of the Obama-nation. Just like O’Reilly its time to bow to the new master and prostate oneself in the name of racial harmony. I will continue to observe, look/listen/feel and look forward to celebrating the inevitable capitulation to a bunch of leftist opportunist whores. Time to hunker down and get seriously ugly. I’ve enjoyed most of you and truly despised others, such was life in America! Michelle et al; please understand my frustration, you offer nothing tangible to defeat Obama and only criticism of McCain, how is this acceptable to so called conservative blog? F most of you, and to those I respect…good luck and may God have mercy on your soul.
Let the bodies hit the floor……………
dmann on July 17, 2008 at 10:41 PM
I heard the Senator was coming to a Base near me, Im not going got way too much work to do.
GREENTURTLE on July 18, 2008 at 2:45 AM