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March 19, 2008
What if Obama said this…?
Posted by: Andoni
Well, it’s common knowledge and has been reported in the media that Al Qaeda is going back into Iran and receiving training and are coming back into Iraq from Iran. That’s well known. And it’s unfortunate.
-- Senator John McCain, speaking in Jordan (March 19, 2008)
Can you imagine the reaction from the media and critics if Barack Obama had similarly misstated and misunderstood the difference between Sunni and Shia in Iraq, and confused which side Al Qaeda was on? He would have been ridiculed and labeled unfit to be commander in chief. There may well have been calls for him to leave the race because of his ignorance of foreign affairs.
Yet this is exactly the error that on at least four occasions Sen. John McCain made on his trip to the Middle East. After repeating his error for the third time, McCain was saved by a tap on the shoulder by Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, who whispered that he had the wrong players on the wrong sides.
What is going with the double standard here?
Hillary Clinton complains about a media double standard that is tougher on her, but what if she had won 12 straight primary victories after Super Tuesday, as Obama did? Again, there would have been an outcry for Obama to drop out. No such reaction when it was Obama winning a dozen in a row.
Is Obama being held to a higher standard than the others because he's black? Because he's young? Because he's new?
Reversing the players is an effective way of determining whether treatment of a candidate is fair or not and imagine the reaction. It's clear to me the standards are unfair here, and Obama is getting a raw deal.
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Tim on Mar 20, 2008 9:40:52 AM:
actually Iran does give nominal support to Al Qaeda especially on the eastern front. In 2003 and 2004 the allowed them to stay in Iran under "house supervision". In 2007 they also found iranian weapons in Al qaeda hands in Pakistan, (they could have been stolen but it was three or four trucks worth). While they are different sects, that does not mean Iran never supports them simply to hurt US interests.
http://www.therant.us/staff/p_williams/09122007.htm
http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/05/22/alqaeda.iran/index.html