June 6, 2008 - He identifies and touts himself, often ad nauseam, as the authentic and prototypical "agent of change"--"Change We Can Believe In", he says. With his legions of mass media networks infusing the American people with a level of fawned coverage that is as biased as it is unprecedented, Barack Hussein Obama has effectively duped an entire nation into believing he is a "savior", of sorts. However, in the weeks leading up to his victory over Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton for the Democratic nomination, Obama hasn't exactly lived up to his own hype. In fact, Obama has displayed a willingness to travel the same path as any other ambitious politician seeking election: say what you think your audience wants to hear. Simply put, there are more flip flops in Obama's rhetoric than on Miami Beach. Consider the following examples:IRAN
During a debate in July 2007, Obama was asked the following question:
"Would you be willing to meet separately, without precondition, during the first year of your administration, in Washington or anywhere else, with the leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea, in order to bridge the gap that divides our countries?"
Obama: "I would. And the reason is this, that the notion that somehow not talking to countries is punishment to them - which has been the guiding diplomatic principle of this administration - is ridiculous."
Obama remained steadfast in his willingness to "talk" with leaders of rogue dictatorships, including Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejihad, in November 2007 when, on NBC's Meet the Press, he made the following statement:
"I've got to say I'm not afraid of losing a propaganda war to somebody like Ahmadinejad. You know, strong countries and strong presidents speak with their adversaries. I always think back to J.F.K.'s saying that we should never negotiate out of fear, but we shouldn't fear to negotiate. We remain the most powerful nation, by far, on earth. Our military capacity is unequaled. We should not hesitate to go ahead and initiate the kinds of discussions that are required."
However, in May 2008, Obama stated that he would not necessarily meet with Iran's leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejihad: "There's no reason why we would necessarily meet with Ahmadinejad before we know he's actually in power. He's not the most powerful person in Iran."
THE IRANIAN THREAT
While on the campaign trail in Oregon, Obama seriously downplayed the threat posed by Iran and other rogue nations by stating the following:
"Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, these countries are tiny compared to the Soviet Union. They don't pose a serious threat to us the way the Soviet Union posed a threat to us . . . . Iran, they spend 1/100th of what we spend on the military. If Iran ever tried to pose a serious threat to us, they wouldn't stand a chance."
However, in May 2008, Obama backtracked yet again during his address to AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Council):
"There's no greater threat to Israel or to the peace and stability of the region than Iran...The danger from Iran is grave and real and my goal will be to eliminate this threat."
AN UNDIVIDED JERUSALEM
Obama's most recent flip flop occurred on June 4, 2008 while addressing AIPAC on the issue of Jerusalem. Obama emphatically maintained that "Jerusalem will remain the Jewish capital of Israel, and it must remain undivided."
Almost immediately, "Palestinian Authority" Chairman Mahmoud Abbas responded by saying, "This statement is totally rejected". "Palestinian" official Saeb Erekat admonished Obama for his statements regarding Jerusalem, stating "I thought Mr. Obama is a man of change and he is running elections for change. So when it came to AIPAC, no change?" Senior Hamas leader Mahmoud Al-Zahar labeled Obama's statements as "irresponsible".
It took Obama less than 24 hours to change his mind.
During an interview with CNN, Obama stated, "Well, obviously, it's going to be up to the parties to negotiate a range of these issues. And Jerusalem will be part of those negotiations"
"Change we can believe in." Is that what we’re to believe Barack Hussein Obama can bring to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue? Obama has proven himself as less of an agent of "change", and more of an ambassador of “change your mind".
