Labor Day weekend open thread

Posted By Joshua Keating Friday, August 29, 2008 - 8:56 PM Share

It's a long weekend here in the U.S. How about an open thread? Thoughts on how the race is shaping up? Predictions for the GOP convention? Stories that are being ignored with all the election hype? Have at it.
 

AL DEVITO

7:08 AM ET

August 30, 2008

Presidential Qualities

Al DeVito It's self-evident that no one person can effectively run a large organization. You need good people helping you. It is equally obvious that the bromide "failing to plan is planning to fail" is true. One criterion for a president is the ability to recognize talented people who can help run this country and then convince them to take the job. The selection of vice presidential candidates by McCain and Obama demonstrates quite clearly that McCain does not have this skill. Palin was picked so that McCain can continue to pander to his base. Biden was picked to shore up weaknesses Obama has. The lack of experience of Obama was a strong card for McCain, but he blew it. Like most good managers, Obama recognized his primary weakness and found someone to counter this problem. Think back a year. Would you have picked Obama to get the nomination? Wasn't McCain a shoo-in? Well, Obama not only had a winning plan, he found the people to execute it. McCain's plan, whatever it was, came close to failure. He got the nomination largely because of the poor quality of his opposition. Obama had a much tougher battle against stronger opposition. Yet, it is still likely, Lord forbid, that McCain will win. If so, I have to seriously consider whether to stay here. We've just about survived eight years of one incompetent. What would this country be like with four more years?
 

AL DEVITO

7:10 AM ET

August 30, 2008

It would be nice if there

It would be nice if there were actually information about formatting comments beyond a label implying that there is.
 

JGARZIK

7:50 AM ET

August 30, 2008

Broken formatting link

Indeed... I had to figure out on my own that one uses basic HTML tags: <p>, <b>, <i>, <br>, <a href>, <blockquote>

FP, it would indeed be nice to have something other than <blank page> at the link http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/filter/tips

 

TRAXTON

2:52 PM ET

August 30, 2008

McCain

Al: I think you make a very good point about McCain's leadership ability relating to his inability to manage his own campaign very well. However, I don't think you can say Palin was a bad choice based on that. Choosing a VP that will encourage people to actually vote for him is probably a good idea. Also, picking a woman when at least a few women still feel disenfranchised by the Democrat primary process is capitalizing on a weakness of his opponent, another important quality.
 

JGARZIK

7:51 PM ET

August 31, 2008

Russia announces spheres of interest

Weekend Russia mini-brief.

FT: Russia announces 'spheres of interest'.

In his announcement, Medvedev outlined five points upon which Russian foreign policy would be based:

  • the superiority of the fundamental principles of international law
  • world must be multipolar
  • Russia does not seek confrontation with any other country.
  • Russia will protect the lives of its citizens, "wherever they are."
  • Moscow would seek to develop ties in friendly regions.

In Afghanistan, Karzai accepted Medvedev's offer of 225 Russian police officers, to help train Afghan police.

UK: Op-eds from Gordon Brown and David Miliband.

Economist editorial: Put out even more flags

Does anyone have a link to a Russian language transcript of Medvedev's remarks?

Jeff @ Armchair FP

 

JGARZIK

8:01 PM ET

August 31, 2008

Russia link correction

Link correction: Medvedev announces five point foreign policy.

 

JGARZIK

4:23 AM ET

September 1, 2008

Russia lobs the w-bomb

More links on Russia...

Dmitry Rogozin, the Russian ambassador to NATO, ratchets up the heat by tossing out the "w-bomb":

If NATO takes military actions against Abkhazia and South Ossetia, acting solely in support of Tbilisi, this will mean a declaration of war on Russia.

Meantime, an AP story quotes Russian FM Lavrov, suggesting imposition of an arms embargo until the Saakashvili regime is removed,

"If the United States and its allies in the end choose not their own national interests, not the interests of the Georgian people, but rather choose the Saakashvili regime, it will be a mistake of historic proportions,"

"For a start it would be right to impose an embargo on weapons to this regime, until different authorities turn Georgia a normal state,

The AP story also notes that tensions are increasing in the Black Sea, where NATO exercises are taking place. This article from a Turkey news site elaborates.

On the subject of Turkey, Russia, and Georgia: Turkey proposes a Caucasus alliance, in an attempt to decrease tensions. Turkey does not wish to be caught in the middle, pulled between the West and Russia.

 

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