Owning America's Issues

http://mobile.nytimes.com/article;jsessionid=2C1B899A44F1BDDAABC20E823FC674BA.w6?a=209268&f=19

A fascinating piece leading of the Times today insinuating that (wait for it) european leaders don't agree with every Obama position. On some level I can respect that it is an obama article so the focus is on him. But at the same time I feel like it would be worthwhile to mention that on every issue cited, except for trade, the obama position is also shared by McCain and a huge majority in the US.

The key difference between the two - and the thing that I think really matters - is that obama believes in listening to other folks positions and realizes they have their own interests, while McCain believes in a politic based on virtue and will power.
Think about going to buy a new car. Your interest is to purchase a car that will help you get around for a reasonable price. The salesmans interest is to sell a car for enough money to put food on the table and keep his job. You walk in, see a shiny new car and offer $100. The salesman counters with $10,000. The McCain world view says you should tell him about how you think $100 is the right price and how if he doesn't sell it to you at that price you are going to lose your job and it will be all his fault and by the way you know where his kids go to school and if you lost your job you might do something crazy and we wouldn't want that. He may discard his interest because he thinks you are a psycho and give it to you for $100 and then you will have 'won'. But more likely he will kick you off the lot and you will get to cover the tab for a $150 billion a year operation all by yourself.

The obama view says you should ask him why it is $10,000 and he might say because they paid GM $5,000 for it and then there are all sorts of dealership costs and he needs to sell it for enough to feed his kids. Then you might say you only have $5,000 right now and besides you saw it for $8,000 across the street. Then he might tell you how they have a nice financing program and what if he could do $8,000. And so on until you have the car you need and his kids have full stomachs.

I will let you guess which approach is more likely to create a generation of radicals devoted to undermining US interests as one of their core interests
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