McCain ad: “Preconditions”
posted at 5:10 pm on October 29, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
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The McCain campaign finally connected the dots in a clear and direct manner on Barack Obama’s “no preconditions” pledge. Their new ad notes that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has a few preconditions of his own. Is Barack Obama prepared to meet them in order to meet Mahmoud?
ANNCR: Remember when Barack Obama said he’d sit down and talk with Iran without preconditions?
YOUTUBE QUESTIONER: Would you be willing to meet separately without precondition within the first year of your administration in Washington or anywhere else with the leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea?
CNN’S ANDERSON COOPER: Senator Obama?
BARACK OBAMA: I would.
ANNCR: Maybe Obama doesn’t have preconditions but Iran does. Iran, whose President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said “Israel must be wiped off the map.”
Iran demands: That the U.S. must cease its support of Israel. And that all U.S. military forces must leave the Middle East. Meaning we abandon Iraq, Turkey and Kuwait.
What will Obama do? Will he admit he was wrong or will he accept Iran’s demands?
Tough question.
This points out the absurdity of Obama’s initial position, and the continuing absurdity of his defense of it. Why should we meet with Iran while their nation supports terrorism and wants to destroy one of our closest allies? What possible common ground would we have with the Iranian mullahcracy? We know what they want; they want Israel destroyed and hegemony over the region, enforced by their proxy terrorist militias Hamas and Hezbollah.
Obama has tried to back out of this pledge in every way imaginable other than admitting he made a mistake (and compounded it by recommitting to it two months later). He’s tried to say that “no preconditions” allows for “preparations”, which is laughable. No one presumed that he would hop into Air Force One and tell the pilot to go to Tehran for a drop-in visit with Moudy. He insisted in July 2007 that he would meet with Ahmadinejad and four other leaders of rogue nations in the first year of his presidency without any of them making any concessions before Obama met with them.
Now we see that other world leaders have their own ideas about preconditions, too. What will Obama do? What, indeed?
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Consult with his 300 advisors at Invesco Field before flipping a coin.
Duh.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on October 29, 2008 at 5:12 PM
*See added amendment Thursday Morning titled, “Good-Bye Dinner”
Editor on October 29, 2008 at 5:13 PM
He hasn’t backed down:
http://origin.barackobama.com/issues/foreign_policy/#iran
Abby Adams on October 29, 2008 at 5:14 PM
Now we see that other world leaders have their own ideas about preconditions, too.
Iran’s preconditions would consist of Obarfy doing nothing while Israel is nuked into oblivion.
He would of course comply.
Bishop on October 29, 2008 at 5:15 PM
Yikes! Jittery! Effective!
Was it supposed to be all jittery?
hawkdriver on October 29, 2008 at 5:15 PM
Too bad this can show before and after the BIG SHOW tonight.
Adds a little urgency to getting our hands on that video the LA Times has too.
ctmom on October 29, 2008 at 5:15 PM
What possible common ground would we have with the Iranian mullahcracy?
EVERYTHING, if we’re not careful!
Tony737 on October 29, 2008 at 5:16 PM
this ad is MUCH better. and hilarious
lodge on October 29, 2008 at 5:16 PM
He’s a liar.
I approve of this message.
fogw on October 29, 2008 at 5:21 PM
Even with preconditions, what is there to talk to Iran about?
BL@KBIRD on October 29, 2008 at 5:21 PM
Why the hell does Team McCain’s finish out with these lame conclusions? These are not catchy… It’s way better to leave it off to set up a dialectic and let the person subconsciously resolve it themselves…
Here’s a better ad…
ninjapirate on October 29, 2008 at 5:21 PM
Great ad.
jencab on October 29, 2008 at 5:22 PM
Maybe he’ll just do another stupid little dance with Ellen DeGeneres…
D2Boston on October 29, 2008 at 5:24 PM
Really cool psychodelic theme, that’s entertainment!
Aristotle on October 29, 2008 at 5:25 PM
That ad is racist…
ninjapirate on October 29, 2008 at 5:25 PM
Dramatic. Factual. Erie music. Dangerous players. Excellent.
I hope a lot of people get to see it.
Mr_Magoo on October 29, 2008 at 5:26 PM
connect this ad to the Khalidi tape hopefully about to drop
jp on October 29, 2008 at 5:27 PM
They should have really stirred things up and at the end faded into that pic of Barry and Michelle at the table (she has that orange outfit). Libtards heads would be exploding everywhere.
Mr_Magoo on October 29, 2008 at 5:29 PM
OUCH! That’s going to leave a mark!!
ConservativePartyNow on October 29, 2008 at 5:31 PM
Just like everything else in this campaign ;)
*eats*
Grue in the Attic on October 29, 2008 at 5:35 PM
That ad is racist…
ninjapirate on October 29, 2008 at 5:25 PM
I agree, then again I liked it so I’m a racist too.
Bishop on October 29, 2008 at 5:35 PM
He will do absolutely nothing…He will let Iran go about their business…and get a nuke!
Too scary! He must be stopped.
coloradoranchhand on October 29, 2008 at 5:39 PM
Ahmadinejad did not call for israel to be ‘wiped off the map’.
Everbody else in the world knows this,even experts in farsi in Israel have addressed this.
He was quoting Ayatollah khomeni in the 80’s,when he made these comments no-body saw it as a threat.
He said the regime occupying Jerusalem(zionists) will vanish from the page of time/vanish from history.
When we wan’t to get rid of communism in the USSR,that did not mean we wanted to kill all Russians.The same with nazism ,it’s the ideology.
Aparthied in South Africa has vanished from time.George Bush’s regime has passed into history.
There is no farsi word for ‘wipe off’ it’s a western term,he didn’t say Israel and he didn’t use the word map.
Iran has not attacked any country in 300yrs ,unlike Israel and America.
I really encourage everyone on this site to research and learn about Iran.
It’s the least you can do when the U.S/Israel are threatening to wipe Iran off the map.
mags on October 29, 2008 at 5:39 PM
I notice whenever they have a picture of Obama, they make him look black…is that on purpose, are they racists?
right2bright on October 29, 2008 at 5:40 PM
Tough questions are above his pay grade
Kevin in Washington State on October 29, 2008 at 5:47 PM
What’s with the video effect at the beginning?
someone on October 29, 2008 at 5:49 PM
Mags does not understand “war by proxy” it seems. Who needs to learn here may I ask?
Kevin in Washington State on October 29, 2008 at 5:50 PM
We don’t get many of this type here.
So, you are conceding that Iran does want Israel not to exist; and to destroy the government of Israel; but it does not want to murder all the jews living in Israel in the process.
We call that nuance.
lorien1973 on October 29, 2008 at 5:52 PM
Yes, but this is a waste of time folks, this line of argument. The left believes that it’s okay to meet with heads of evil empires over tea and snacks. The independents are concerned about their pocketbooks at the moment, not world peace. To harp on and on about this topic is moot. Sure, maybe a few of the Jewish votes will swing right but otherwise….
Stay on the redistribution of wealth and ‘zero accomplishments’ theme. This pied piper plays a mean tune and is surely proficient at leading the lambs to slaughter…or off a cliff. We’ve got to keep screaming ‘wolf’ and get the lambs to lift their heads up and take a look around!
Biffstir on October 29, 2008 at 5:54 PM
You’re so right, mags. And I’m sure Mad Mahmoud would be certain to “erase” only those dirty Zionists, and not touch so much as the hair on the head of an innocent Israeli Jew….
Sometimes the apologists for the lunatic fringe go far beyond ridiculous, off into some fantasy world of their own.
This makes even ninjapirate sound almost sensible.
BTW — the ad is damn good. I think it might be cut to a :30 without losing its punch. That’d make it right for extensive broadcast use.
MrScribbler on October 29, 2008 at 5:57 PM
It’s McCain. Deal with what he hands out. Hate to say it; but it’s all we got.
lorien1973 on October 29, 2008 at 5:59 PM
Ahmadinejad’s not even the leader of Iran! /Obama
Seixon on October 29, 2008 at 6:01 PM
When I first read the accounts of Iran’s pre-conditions, I wondered if the McCain camp would get on Obama over it. When they didn’t do it right away, I have to admit I was completely baffled as to why they would not.
Now I guess I have my answer. It will certainly be more effective 6 days out than it would have been a month ago. I guess that is why I sit behind a computer and his advisers are making the big bucks on the front line.
csdeven on October 29, 2008 at 6:03 PM
I’m no historian, but I seem to recall Iran attacking ships flying the flags of non-aligned nations during the Iraq-Iran War in the 1980s.
.
I seem to also recall a more recent incident where Iran attacked and captured a group of British sailors. Although they did end up changing their initial story to claim the UK boat was in Iranian waters.
malclave on October 29, 2008 at 6:09 PM
Check this out — from the tape (apparently — this was on Free Republic and Hillbuzz):
Saw a clip from the tape. Reason we can’t release it is because statements Obama said to rile audience up during toast. He congratulates Khalidi for his work saying “Israel has no God-given right to occupy Palestine” plus there’s been “genocide against the Palestinian people by Israelis.”
It would be really controversial if it got out. Tha’s why they will not even let a transcript get out.
This fits with what we heard Obama did at that dinner. It’s consistent with what Obama bundlers here in Chicago said was on that tape from the Khalidi dinner. This was the second big punch these bundlers said would hit Obama — after the socialist punch. That leaves one punch left to go in what these bundlers were afraid of.
Seems to us the LA Times should really release the tape they are holding to disprove the claims on FreeRepublic that Obama said these vile, antisemitic things about Israel.
Here’s the link: http://directorblue.blogspot.com/2008/10/red-alert-tip-why-times-wont-release.html
Republican on October 29, 2008 at 6:11 PM
I have been sending links to these videos to people that were voting for Obama. They have been very effective in having them change their minds. It’s amazing how many people just spew the lines they hear on Obama commercials as facts. At least with these videos they get to hear something else.
Hening on October 29, 2008 at 6:13 PM
There are only 6 days left. No sense in hoarding campaign cash–run this on TV as is. If Obama can afford 30 minutes, Mac can afford one.
Steve Z on October 29, 2008 at 6:15 PM
My guess — and it’s only a guess, based on the way we’ve seen Osama Obama operate — is that video editors are working on cleaning up the tape even now, excising anything that might (justifiably) embarrass The Messiah.
As soon as Obama approves it (figure Nov. 5th) it’ll be on the Times’s website.
MrScribbler on October 29, 2008 at 6:22 PM
I’ll see your racism and raise you one bitter gun clinger.
ManlyRash on October 29, 2008 at 6:25 PM
Very well done. But the conclusions of McCain ads could always be so much more powerful as has been said repeatedly.
End with “Tough Question.” But why not hammer the point home by adding “No answers” with a photo of angry Obama or “Confused answers” with the classic photo of a perplexed Obama?
econavenger on October 29, 2008 at 6:25 PM
Kevin,
I think the U.S knows more about ‘war by proxy’. Have you any idea of U.S foreign policy?
Do you know how many dictators the U.S has supported?
Funding and supporting Israel to bomb countries is war by proxy.
Who needs to learn? You all do.
mags on October 29, 2008 at 6:31 PM
ROFTL
Seriously?
So acts of war against America, Israel and Lebanon don’t count?
Hint: Storming an embassy and taking everyone hostage is an act of war. It is an attack on the sovereign territory of another nation.
Hint: Funding, training, and arming a “political party” to conquer another nation and wage war against a third is also an act of war. It is an attack on two countries.
ClintACK on October 29, 2008 at 6:37 PM
The best part is, Bambi probably won’t be able to answer it on his 1/2 hour tonight.
CrazyFool on October 29, 2008 at 6:40 PM
McScribbler,
If they want to kill all jews ,why don’t they kill iranian jews.
These communities are represented in parliment,there are churchs and synogues in Iran.
During the cold war Kruschev said he wanted to ‘crush America’ and destroy it,did you think that was a huge threat against you?
mags on October 29, 2008 at 6:48 PM
This is just Obama’s ego. He thinks that everyone wants to grovel at his feet, even Iranian madmen. He is wrong.
Terrye on October 29, 2008 at 6:57 PM
Mcclare,
The U.S supported Saddam when he invaded Iran,including chemical weapons that were used against iranian civilians
Other countries as well ignored there plight,they had every reason to be pissed of with the world.
mags on October 29, 2008 at 6:58 PM
Lets also not forget Iran wants to destroy the “big satan” too, and that would be the US!
Liberty or Death on October 29, 2008 at 7:04 PM
He literally said “Israel disappear from the page of time.” He did not say Zionism will disappear from the pages of time. A distinction that the leftist apologist Juan Cole who started this nonsense didn’t address.
Your arguments differentiating between Zionism/Israel as compared to USSR/Russia and Nazism/Germany are artful but the Iranian Government have made no such clarification. They chant “Death to Israel” at rallies.
It far likelier the Guardian Council have in mind the Crusader Kingdom of the Early Middle Ages which occupied some of the same territory and completely disappeared after two centuries.
The dictates of Islam state that land that once belonged to Muslims must be reclaimed. That is why Osama Bin Laden is driven crazy by the “tragedy of al-Andlus” and so many in MME are so anxious to destroy Israel.
aengus on October 29, 2008 at 7:12 PM
I would think so. There wouldn’t be much need for a Cold War otherwise. Ever heard of the Cuban Missile Crisis, M.A.D., the film Dr. Strangelove?
aengus on October 29, 2008 at 7:13 PM
On inauguration day we will see multiple attacks by Russia and its friends. Obambi will do NOTHING in response but think strongly about it.
We’re screwed ‘08.
Mojave Mark on October 29, 2008 at 7:20 PM
Aengus, mags is an obot. One qualification for obotry is historical illiteracy.
either orr on October 29, 2008 at 7:21 PM
Aengus,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMrqSsmIlqc
They are singing death to America in the style of the beach boys-get a life,they are just buddies.
Iran was a U.S allie following 9/11 ,it was them that persuaded the northern allience to co-operate.If any soldier was shot down they would return them,agreed to the use of their borders.
Even trying to fund and support the Afghan army under U.S leadership.
When they were included in the axis of evil, it caused the end of the reform party which gave rise to Ahmadinejad.
I would appreciate it if some posters watch this and tell me what you think.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFfHjNximGg
mags on October 29, 2008 at 8:03 PM
Solid ad. One of their best.
CP on October 29, 2008 at 10:15 PM
Nice video but I think it misses every point that matters.
Nobody here believes that all Persians are racist meglomaniac killers. But the ones in power are.
Nobody here believes that all Samaritans are racist meglomaniac killers. But the ones in power are.
No one here believes that all liberals are idiotic dhimmis. But the loud ones calling the shots are. And if they get their way, they’ll get a lot of us killed in clones of 9/11.
Iran will be aligned with the US again, once the people in your video are free. Just like the same types of people in Iraq are aligned with the US, now that they have been freed.
BTW, Saddam killed 10 times as many Iraqis as have been killed since the invasion.
You need to go sit down and STFU.
platypus on October 29, 2008 at 11:54 PM
The video maker is a Michael Moore wannabe. This is probably no more relevant than Moore’s depictions of pre-war Iraq.
JimC on October 30, 2008 at 12:49 AM
Are you not calling for the collective punishment of the Iranian’s-even their jewish communities?.
Iran says attack us and we will retaliate.
U.S says attack Israel and we will annihilate all of Iran.
The men who attacked you on 9/11 were mostly Saudi’s not Iranian’s,we are awaiting the U.S led invasion.
Saddam did kill his own people,however he gassed the Kurds with the WMD given by America.
Donald Rumsfeld shook hands after their deaths. The U.S stood by and watched Saddam crush an uprising against him,even provided logistic’s.
Sanction’s led to one million deaths of children, the U.S response-it’s worth it.
Yes Saddam was abrutal dictater but he is supposed to be the bad guy.Free nation’s should hold themselves to a higher standard.
STFU,i wasn’t sure what that stood for.I have just asked my 9 year old who is going to tell his teacher that i made him swear.
I am in the U.K and i will now be reported to social services who will storm my house and take him into care.Actually that might save me money over Christmas.
The world isn’t good v evil. I feel many are able to de-humanise a whole region as evil.
You want to free the Persian’s ?Have you ever asked what do they want?
Why not get an Iranian blogger,visit there sites.Persian’s are a proud and ancient civilisation with there own empire history.They deserve and want respect.They are the most pro U.S/west in the region. 70% are under 40 and have 70%literacy rate.
They want change but from the ground up. As in Iraq you can’t remove the top layer and expect all to adjust.
The way to do this is to support these parties with money and resources.
I have no doubt this is what is going on,the west is definetly helping causing civil distruption.
Jimc
These people are relevant,all life is equel,right?
Where the death’s on 9/11 irrelevant are they just collateral damage ?
mags on October 30, 2008 at 7:32 AM
I have serious problems with the organization that Iran equips and trains better than its own National Army: Hezbollah. The amount of funds, equipment and training put into that organization really is quite amazing. That funding has allowed Hezbollah to have branches in places like Chechnya, Argentina, Colombia, Kosovo, Bosnia, Albania, Algeria, Spain, and cells in the US and Canada trafficking in illegal goods, narcotics and cigarette smuggling. Considering that one minor cell in North America just avoiding cigarette tax stamps can send $10 million/year into the mother organization in Lebanon, and that its deep connections to the Bekaa narcotics trade is tapping into a pipeline of funds at the $40 billion/year trade, Hezbollah cannot be considered inconsequential. It has been responsible for bombings, killings and such things as money laundering and extortion on a multi-continent basis, as well as having strong ties to illegal arms trafficking, human trafficking and such minor things as car theft rings in Europe and the Americas.
For a group that gets their marching orders from the Iranian Foreign Ministry and has ties to the IRGC, claiming that Iran has not attacked anyone for 300 years is an attempt to use State level concepts on sub-state level groups that Iran funds and controls. Internally the Persian population has had problems with their treatment of non-Persian cultures: Arab, Kurds, Baluchs, and Azeri all come to mind as problem points due to societal repression of those ethnic enclaves. If the US can spend hard years learning of the hundreds of tribes, clans and multiple religions in Iraq to help the Iraqi people come to some form of internal agreement amongst all these sub-groups that cross ethnic and cultural lines, then that really does say something about how well that can be done or not. Yes, the US supported Saddam, but don’t forget the ‘arms for hostages’ deals in which advanced equipment was given to Iran in exchange for Iran releasing hostages held in Lebanon. Some of that equipment, particularly TOW missiles proved vital in stopping Iraqi armored assaults…
Personally I don’t like support to either side in that conflict, nor the Kissingerian view of ‘its a shame both sides can’t lose’, but then I was only one voter in my Nation. I did not like arms for hostages nor the work done by North & Co. with the Syrian arms dealer Monzer al-Kassar or the PRC, beyond the dealings with Iran directly. I don’t see anything plauditory in giving one of the worst arms dealers on the planet with deep connections to Hezbollah a good entree into Central and South America… nor the death toll that has followed and continues to follow those actions.
I really do hope that the people of Iran can find a way to rid themselves of this toxic regime heading towards deep fascism and to help protect Iran from some of the dealings that have gone sour on it, and the even worse folks aiming to get a piece of the Iranian pie from the north. Dealing with the interlocutors of the Red Mafia is never a good deal and when they get the opportunity to squeeze the Iranian people via natural gas and do so, one really does have to wonder which way the dirt flows in those deals. It is very strange that one of the richest oil reserves on the planet now has one of the worst infrastructures on the planet that is desperately trying to meet internal needs for such things as gasoline because the old refineries in Iran have not been properly maintained since the overthrow of the Shah. That cannot be good for the Iranian people, having to see gasoline imported due to the incompetence of the regime in power, and yet watching vast sums go out to Hezbollah, Mafioso and ill regimes in North Korea and Venezuela all to a belief system that has blood around it wherever it gets its agents and terrorists in place. That cannot be good for the Iranian people, having their culture degraded by dealing with those sorts of people, who don’t care one tiny bit about liberty, freedom or even letting folks lead a good life.
But then I have actually been paying attention to the region, reading up on it and its history, and its peoples and don’t think simplistic views or programs can come to any good without understanding the simple underpinnings that drive peoples, cultures, societies and Nations. That has made the entire region from sub-Saharan Africa through the Middle East through Central Asia and even into Western China a real hard mess to deal with. But then the West can’t even figure out the Balkans, so hopes of having the West understand something slightly more complex than that is a bit much, no?
ajacksonian on October 30, 2008 at 9:33 AM
Good point, too seldom made.
chiefeditor on October 30, 2008 at 10:44 AM
BO would admit that was another bone-headed comment, he thought Ahmadinejad was another guy (terrorist), who lived in his neighborhood. Sometimes it is hard for him to keep up his wonderful friends.
la.rt.wngr on October 30, 2008 at 11:26 AM
You Tube appears to have pulled it. Did you save a copy for us?
oldleprechaun on October 30, 2008 at 2:35 PM
Ajacksonian,
Really appreciate your comments and views.There are no simple answers to the problems we are facing.I just feel that American’s under Bush were happy to go down the good v evil with no reflection on it’s own action’s.
The role of Hezbollah and Hammas as political parties is interesting and here in the U.K we have had experience via SinnFein/I.R.A. Please don’t just discount that ,there is lesson’s learned.
My reason for posting was to alert people to go beneath the headline.
U.S leaders and right wing posters are calling for a pre-emptive nuclear strike on Iran.They are just struggling to come up with a reason.
Another war based on bad information,i thought the U.S was a beacon for liberty.I am so disappointed as many in the U.K are.
I stand by my statement that only people here seem to believe ahmainejad called to ‘wipe Israel of the map’,hopefully you all can see what a load of propaganda that was to incite hatred against Iran.
Why not get an Iranian blogger to write an article and get a proper debate going.
mags on October 30, 2008 at 2:44 PM