Wow, did he get his talking points from Rush and the RNC?

I went to a Nowruz party last night and Obama was the topic of conversation.

The Iranians in the US are extremely happy with Obama. That's close to 1,000,000 votes.

But, the leaders of Iran are right. Too little, too late, and We want to see some action.

I truly doubt Obama will do anything that the Iranians want. I wish he would, though.

Pretty much, all Obama needs to do is to stop the Act of War of economic sanctions and that would be an enormous step in the right direction.

Iranian moderates were putting an enormous amount of pressure on their government before Bush called Iran part of the "Axis of Evil" and strengthened their hardliners. A lot of Iranians want to live in a modern country, not an Islamist theocracy.

Obama is doing a world of good, both for the U.S. and Iran, by ratcheting down the tension between the countries.

I have no problem with the U.S. opening up relations with Iran per se, but it needs to be done in a smart way and I don't think it's smart to this kind of diplomacy in public. Before Nixon could go to China for instance, there were secret meetings between both sides to hash out details. I think that would be a wiser course for Obama to follow. He could then make a huge anouncement about going to Iran or something.

The Democratic Leader: Let's engage Iran in diplomatic talks and try to resolve our differences.

The Republican Leader: Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran.

I think President Obama is going around the Iranian leaders and speaking directly to Iranians. Only they will change Iran, the leaders who have ruled since the Iranian Revolution will never want to be more friendly with the US because to allow more contact between our countries would eventually mean an end to their power just as it did to the Soviet Union.

Well so much for "YouTube" diplomacy.

Maybe Obama can send them some DVD's.

Maybe Obama can send them some DVD's

Better yet, how about a replica of the bomber jacket Chimpy wore for the Mission Accomplished photo-op.

I don't think it's smart to this kind of diplomacy in public. -- #4 | Posted by member2586

That's the only way it CAN be done. The overture isn't directed at the leadership (Ahmadinejad and Khamenei) whose positions depend on fear of the U.S. It's directed at the Iranian people.

The Iranians in the US are extremely happy with Obama. That's close to 1,000,000 votes.

#2 | Posted by Eddie at 2009-03-21 02:08 PM | Reply | Flag

Iranians don't vote in American elections.

Before Nixon could go to China for instance, there were secret meetings between both sides to hash out details.

#4 | Posted by member2586 at 2009-03-21 02:29 PM | Reply | Flag:

How do you know this isn't going on now?

KBM , rotflmao!

I think President Obama is going around the Iranian leaders and speaking directly to Iranians. Only they will change Iran, the leaders who have ruled since the Iranian Revolution will never want to be more friendly with the US because to allow more contact between our countries would eventually mean an end to their power just as it did to the Soviet Union.

#6 | Posted by danni

One big diff Danni. The USSR had a person in charge (Gobacev) that allowed for some diplomacy & understood that the Soviet people wanted more openess. It also was a great help that the Pope & the UK's Thatcher were pushing Russia very hard.

On the Iran front, there is not a single leader inside that country that wants what Gorby wanted. Nor is there anyone on the world stage willing to put any kind of pressure (outside the US) on Iran.

The 2 situation are totally diff & not related at all. Even Gorby didn't want the fall of the USSR, but he did want a better more free life for the Russian/Soviet people. Name one leader in Iran that want anything close to this?

*crickets*

That is all you will hear.

Pres Obama can speak nicely to Iran all he wants ..... as long as he doesn't allow them nuke weapons. That HAS to be a firm set point in his mind & his admin.

BTW, I always wondered why our restriction in Iran mean anything. Other countries can do as they please. So America doesn't do business with Iran, so what. If that is 'hurting' Iran's people, they should smarten up & change shit themselves. If now, that's ok too. We can ignore you all day long. If you develop WMD (nukes), we will take them out. Pretty simple deal.

How do you know this isn't going on now?

#11 | Posted by Buffalo_Bob

You have a point. But then again, why mess those secret negotiations with public pressure on the other hand. It's kind of schizophrenic way to do foreign policy, or maybe bi-polar.

"Name one leader in Iran that want anything close to this?"

I'm not Iranian and don't know the individuals but there are voices for freedom who speak from outside Iran. I believe to do so inside Iran would be suicidal.

On the Iran front, there is not a single leader inside that country that wants what Gorby wanted...--#13 | Posted by Axxe

I have no problem with the U.S. opening up relations with Iran per se, but it needs to be done in a smart way and I don't think it's smart to this kind of diplomacy in public.

Obama's enormously popular around the world. Private diplomacy is useful too, but it isn't going to reach the masses who like him and see his election in the U.S. as a positive change.

But then again, why mess those secret negotiations with public pressure on the other hand.

What public pressure?

It's kind of schizophrenic way to do foreign policy, or maybe bi-polar.

I suppose you think you are making sense. You are mistaken.

#14 | Posted by member2586 at 2009-03-21 02:51 PM | Reply | Flag:

"Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dismissed diplomatic overtures from President Barack Obama on Saturday. "They chant the slogan of change but no change is seen in practice," Khamenei said in a speech before a crowd of tens of thousands. "We haven't seen any change."

Posted by rcade

It's a sorry fucking state when Iran gets the state of our political climate more than the American people do. We haven't seen any "change" either.

Unclench fist before fisting!

I went to a Nowruz party last night and Obama was the topic of conversation.

Jump over any pits of fire lately :-P

The Iranians in the US are extremely happy with Obama. That's close to 1,000,000 votes.

Wait, there's a million persians in the US? This is madness...

But, the leaders of Iran are right. Too little, too late, and We want to see some action. I truly doubt Obama will do anything that the Iranians want. I wish he would, though.

Now it's our turn to sit tight and laugh at their president because he's a lame duck. Come sumemrtime, the moderates will take back power, and I imagine Obama will have someone more rational to talk to.

It won't make much of a difference with the whole nuke thing, though. They're not going to give up their nuclear power plant and enrichment facility, but there's a good chance that through diplomacy, the Iranians will allow some sort of monitoring and transparency. "Trust but verify"

The Democratic Leader: Let's engage Iran in diplomatic talks and try to resolve our differences.

The Republican Leader: Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran.

#5 | Posted by moder8

Let's see where the Good Cop/Bad Cop routine gets us.

Hopefully, into a good and healthy trade relationship with all Middle East countries.

The Iranians in the US are extremely happy with Obama. That's close to 1,000,000 votes.

#2 | Posted by Eddie at 2009-03-21 02:08 PM | Reply | Flag

Iranians don't vote in American elections.

#10 | Posted by Buffalo_Bob

LOL! BoOb, you're such a boob.

Do you mean that they don't bother to register? Or, they register, but don't bother to vote?

Do you mean that they don't bother to register? Or, they register, but don't bother to vote?

They didn't vote because BoOb led a band of 300 lunar smokestack afficianados to block the narrow entrance to the polls in LA, and against all odds they held off a crazed, bloodthirsty horde of one million Persian voters led by their massive, yet peculiarly androgynous community organizer Xerxes...

...for some reason, the Persians just went to a different polling station instead of cutting down the 300 with a barrage of arrows so thick it blotted out the sun.

Iranian elections are in June. Obama is taking Ahmadinejad's talking points away from him. Since Khatami dropped out, I think his opposition isn't split, and Mousavi was popular as PM.

I posted that story, and nobody seemed to care :(

I think President Obama is going around the Iranian leaders and speaking directly to Iranians.

Exactly. That's the beauty of the internet and the "youtube diplomacy" that was being reviled earlier. He knows that ahmadinejad is on his way out, and he knows that the Iranian president is more of a figurehead than a person with the authority to make sweeping changes to foreign policy. It's far wiser to cultivate an environment where the theocracy looks bad to its own people by standing by hard-line policies. They'd be the dickheads "staying the course" while being ripped on in private conversations. This is an opportunity that existed when Khatami was president, and it was expertly pissed away by the Bush admin. Obama doesn't look to be making all of the same mistakes, and, if he doesn't listen too hard to AIPAC, something good might happen.

Do you mean that they don't bother to register? Or, they register, but don't bother to vote?

#23 | Posted by Eddie at 2009-03-21 05:32 PM | Reply | Flag:

I mean they don't register to vote. I mean they don't vote. I mean it is illegal for them to vote. I mean they can do time if they get caught.

Do you think anyone can just walk in from any country and decide to vote in our elections? Is that your concept of how our elections are run?

so now you know what most thinkin people have known for a while---THE IRANIANS DON"T WANT TO TALKexcept when they talkin trash
jasman

I posted that story, and nobody seemed to care :( -- #25 | Posted by ZombieHunter

Sorry -- I drop in only sporadically. If I had seen it, I would have cared!

I think that if Hillary could just get over there with one one her specially made reset buttons it would serve to underscore how truly serious we are

axis of evil,great satan,I always forget,which of us are which.

"Iranians don't vote in American elections"

There are people from every c0ountry in the world that make up americas citizens.

I know what u meant. But its still pointless to mention as the poster said 1 million votes refering to citizens of irani backgroung. Not the citizens of iran.

U are beimg distracting to the actual conversation

And people are right if u want to change status with iran get the people motivated for a dialogue In iran. The leaders will have to follow suit.

"A lot of Iranians want to live in a modern country, not an Islamist theocracy."

They can shit in one hand and want in the other and see which fills up first.

A brutal, backward minority can't rule a majority that really doesn't want them.

"A brutal, backward minority can't rule a majority that really doesn't want them."

Too bad Lenin/Stalin didn't understand that. Nor Pol Pot. Nor Saddam Hussein.

Obama is doing a world of good, both for the U.S. and Iran, by ratcheting down the tension between the countries.

#3 | Posted by rcade at 2009-03-21 02:26 PM

yeah you are right, its hard to deny this HOWEVER

one thing this doesnt really help

that bomb just keeps getting closer and closer while we are talking........

AND.....

Venezuela's Chavez calls Obama "ignoramus"

Rammed by a mail emanual isn't going to like that!

AND.....

Venezuela's Chavez calls Obama "ignoramus"

#37 | Posted by DavetheWave

Chavez is just Saddam II. When he falls and those poor people get their hands on him, they will probably draw and quarter him (and put it on Youtube).

"Too bad Lenin/Stalin didn't understand that. Nor Pol Pot. Nor Saddam Hussein."

None of those people could have stayed in power unless a large majority of the people under their rule were going along with the program. I understand why you want to pretend otherwise but that doesn't make it so.

Obama's popular alright. A popular whipping boy for the Iranians, Russians, and Venezeulans.

In another time, under another administration, liberals most likely would have cried about our President speaking to the people of a country and undermining their current elected government.

The people voted their current government in. Why do you support undermining the democratic process simply because you disagree with it?
I seem to recall a similar argument from the pant-pissing left when the gaza elections were held.

The people voted their current government in.

The American people voted Bush in... TWICE. Doesn't mean he wasn't still a douche. After 8 years, 30% of the US was dumb enough to think that Bush was still doing something worthwhile. Give yourself a pat on the back, 101.

After 8 years, 30% of the US was dumb enough to think that Bush was still doing something worthwhile

You're a mighty generous fellow, ZOMBIE Ah, may as well round up and let them think it was 30%.

I'll give them the sunny side of a large margin of error.