Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

How the media turned Obama's foreign policy bungle into a Romney gaffe
The Examiner ^ | 12 Sep 2012 | Philip Klein

Posted on 09/12/2012 5:31:29 PM PDT by mandaladon

We're still learning more details about the events leading up to and surrounding the attacks by Islamic radicals on the U.S. consulate in Libya and embassy in Egypt, but the media has already agreed on one thing: Mitt Romney is the political loser.

"Unless the Romney campaign has gamed this crisis out in some manner completely invisible to the Gang of 500, his doubling down on criticism of the President for the statement coming out of Cairo is likely to be seen as one of the most craven and ill-advised tactical moves in this entire campaign," opined Time's Mark Halperin.

That instant conventional wisdom is a pretty fortunate turn of events for Obama, given that it diverted focus from his administration's bungled handling of the entire situation and the failure of his broader foreign policy posture.

When President Obama came into his office, he vowed to repair the damage to the U.S. image abroad that was done by the Bush administration. In April 2009, less than three months into his presidency, he boasted to the Turkish government of having ordered the closure of Guantanamo Bay and prohibited the use of torture. "The United States is still working through some of our own darker periods in our history," he went on, referring to the legacies of slavery, segregation and the treatment of Native Americans.

In June, Obama delivered a speech in Cairo in which he called for "a new beginning" between the U.S. and the Muslim world. Taken together, such instances became known in conservative circles as the "apology tour." Though fact checkers have pointed out that Obama never literally issued an apology, it's clear that Obama was trying to make a break with the past.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonexaminer.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 911ii; enemedia; libya; lybia; markhalperin; morthalperin; mortonhalperin; obama; soros
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-54 next last
When a statement surfaced from the U.S. Embassy in Cairo condemning, "the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims" and "firmly [rejecting] the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of others," it looked like weakness in the face of the attack. But on its Twitter account, the Embassy later reiterated that its statement "still stands." Back in Washington, the Obama administration distanced itself from its own embassy's statement, which isn't some minor outpost but the representative of U.S. policy in arguably the most important Arab nation. ...........................This is the fact the MSM is ignoring.
1 posted on 09/12/2012 5:31:34 PM PDT by mandaladon
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: mandaladon

At the end of the day, this won’t matter. This election is still about the economy.


2 posted on 09/12/2012 5:35:55 PM PDT by Jaguarmike
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jaguarmike
At the end of the day, this won’t matter. This election is still about the economy.

If things now start to go further out of control in the Middle East, national security and foreign policy will become an important election issue.

3 posted on 09/12/2012 5:38:16 PM PDT by Maceman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: mandaladon

The disgusting pigs on MSNBC have been blaming Romney all day. I’m not sure what they’re blaming him for, but they’re certainly exercized about something.


4 posted on 09/12/2012 5:38:39 PM PDT by ozzymandus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mandaladon

If the democrat controlled MSM get away with the usual diversion/deflection bullsh*t this time they will have completed our transition to a single party state, because there is no way another party can effectively campaign against them.


5 posted on 09/12/2012 5:39:26 PM PDT by skeeter
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mandaladon
Never let a good opportunity to apologize go to waste!
6 posted on 09/12/2012 5:40:03 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (The United States of America apologizing to knuckledragging, cavedwelling Neandethals. Whodda thunk!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mandaladon
We have young men and young women dying fighting these islamist turds, they kill our Ambassador and our Country apologizes to them???
Americans are sick and tired of Obama and his apologies to our enemies. He must be defeated in November and return control of our Nation to people that love America and will defend it..
7 posted on 09/12/2012 5:40:26 PM PDT by SECURE AMERICA (Where can I sign up for e an the New American Revolution and the Crusades 2012?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mandaladon

I think Mittens finally taking the gloves off ... that’s a good thing. I don’t think they successfully “spun” this one and personally, I think the press loses this round.


8 posted on 09/12/2012 5:40:36 PM PDT by jessduntno ("President Obama is the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people." - Clint Eastwood)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Maceman

Yes...and that will be to Obama’s disadvantage.


9 posted on 09/12/2012 5:41:46 PM PDT by Jaguarmike
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: mandaladon

Mark Halperin - political analyst for Time magazine, Time.com, and MSNBC

Son of Morton Halperin

Morton H. Halperin (born June 13, 1938) is an American expert on foreign policy and civil liberties. He served in the Johnson, Nixon, and Clinton administrations and in a number of roles with think tanks and universities such as the Council on Foreign Relations and Harvard University. He is currently Senior Advisor for the Open Society Institute which was founded by George Soros.


10 posted on 09/12/2012 5:41:54 PM PDT by kcvl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mandaladon

Instead of asking the Lazy Boy President why our embassies in the Middle East weren’t on full alert on 9/11? Or how he could have been fooled so thoroughly by the Muslim Brotherhood?


11 posted on 09/12/2012 5:42:47 PM PDT by txrefugee
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mandaladon

The only people who see Romney’s comments as a gaffe are the idiots in the media and inside the beltway. And as krauthammer says they can go to hell!

It is about damn time someone stands up for America instead of bending over.


12 posted on 09/12/2012 5:42:50 PM PDT by vg0va3
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mandaladon

The media wouldn’t be doing this unless they were getting money. Even ideologues wouldn’t try to make excuses for such a grand failure. They’re bought.


13 posted on 09/12/2012 5:43:22 PM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mandaladon

“continuing efforts”? Who? Examples?

I’m wondering if this is Lavon Affair Redux.

Those “continuing efforts” to upset the Muslims- wouldn’t that qualify as ‘agitprop’? As with the Danish cartoons, they had to have their noses rubbed in it, for quite a while, egged on, before they predictably got beastly. Hmmmm. Agitprop in service of US going after Iran? All of a piece? I wonder ...
I do NOT think the US should apologize! I DO think we need a show of force- and use it, but, let’s take a look around.
Look up “Lavon Affair” and while you’re at it, look up USS Liberty/Pres. Johnson. Certainly gives one pause.


14 posted on 09/12/2012 5:44:02 PM PDT by Anselma ( "We will break the middle class between the stones of high taxes and inflation." - Lenin (&BHO?))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mandaladon

Obama spends a week bragging that he killed Osama. People attack a consulate wearing “I am Osama” T-shirts”. Blame for incident goes to some You Tube clip. Am I crazy?


15 posted on 09/12/2012 5:45:54 PM PDT by pnut22
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mandaladon

If one were to quantify it in dollars, I wonder what the MSM support of liberals/democrats would be worth in campaign contributions/support. I’d say easily over a billion. An additive effect is how the average non-informed person out there looks to the media as a source of truth, without question. It’s a real ‘lose-lose’ situation for Republicans and anyone who isn’t a liberal... One which must be overcome during each and every election. It’s a wonder the democrats have ever lost a national election.


16 posted on 09/12/2012 5:46:08 PM PDT by KoRn (Department of Homeland Security, Certified - "Right Wing Extremist")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jaguarmike

I was thinking that too, until this AM when I heard our ambassador had been killed.

Now it is about way more than money.

Now it is really about getting rid of Obama, our economy MIGHT survive 4 more years of him, but the free world will not.

And now I am really going to try and do more for Romney, I suggest we all do the same.

If we let the media defeat Romney and re-install their false god Obama, well, we’ll really just stink if we do that.

THESE PEOPLE MUST BE CRUSHED!!

I was in a red rage today, I haven’t been this angry in a long, long time, and I get angry pretty easily.

When I heard that audio of those colluding MSMers, I could have had a stroke.

THIS CANNOT STAND!!


17 posted on 09/12/2012 5:46:50 PM PDT by jocon307
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: mandaladon

I sent Mitt Romney’s campaign a thank you note via e-mail for how Romney spoke out against the Cairo statement (and by extension Obama’s administration.)

I told him middle American gets it. It’s the Beltway boys and MSM media who are pushing their own agendas.


18 posted on 09/12/2012 5:48:02 PM PDT by Texas56
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mandaladon

If denouncing our government’s bowing to the demands of Islam above the freedom of speech of Americans is “a Romney gaffe”, I hope Romney keeps making them.


19 posted on 09/12/2012 5:48:34 PM PDT by tsowellfan ("Real leaders don't follow polls. Real leaders change polls")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: blueunicorn6

The “Obamabot” media is in full self-destruct mode!!! They are making total fools out of themselves in front of the American people. Mitt Romney, keep the guns blazing on all fronts. Millions of us conservatives have your back!!! The Tea Party will sweep you and Paul Ryan into office, just as we won the House in 2010!!! Obama is toast!!!!


20 posted on 09/12/2012 5:49:07 PM PDT by JLAGRAYFOX (My only objective is defeat and destroy Obama & his Democrat Party, politically!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-54 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson