Posted by
Wil on Saturday, August 09, 2008 5:46:56 PM
I am only going to cut and paste the words of the candidates and then analyze a bit:
Obama: “I strongly condemn the outbreak of violence in Georgia, and urge an immediate end to armed conflict,” Obama said in a written statement. “Now is the time for Georgia and Russia to show restraint and to avoid an escalation to full-scale war. Georgia’s territorial integrity must be respected.” Obama added briefly that the international community should get involved. More than an hour later, as more details of Russia’s incursion into Georgia emerged, he cited Russia more directly: “What is clear is that Russia has invaded Georgia’s sovereign — has encroached on Georgia’s sovereignty,” he told reporters in Sacramento.
McCain: "[T]he news reports indicate that Russian military forces crossed an internationally recognized border into the sovereign territory of Georgia. Russia should immediately and unconditionally cease its military operations and withdraw all forces from sovereign Georgian territory. The government of Georgia has called for a ceasefire and for a resumption of direct talks on South Ossetia with international mediators. The U.S. should immediately work with the EU and the OSCE to put diplomatic pressure on Russia to reverse this perilous course that it has chosen.”
Of course, both almost immediately criticized each other and stated that the other sent the wrong message. Here is what I immediately notice. While both call for Georgian sovereignty to be protected, Obama words it as "both sides need to stop" and McCain stated "Russia needs to stop its aggression". Why the difference? Three reasons:
1) While Obama is likely unfamiliar with the region, McCain knows the conflict and immediately responds against Russia because he knows of its stirring up insurrection in former Soviet Republics. Because of this, he takes a hard line, while Obama takes a lets all talk and figure this out approach.
2) Obama sees Russia as Europe sees Russia, as a country we can't afford to antagonize. As a pragmatist, he is willing to sacrifice some territory in a small nation that means little to us toplacate the bear. McCain sees Russia as the remains of the USSR that holds compromise in contempt and only respects toughness. He also knows Georgia is not just an obscure backwater, they are a friend who supported us in Iraq and wants to join NATO.
3) Obama believes in moral equivelence, McCain believes that in this conflict, there is a right and a wrong.
So who is better? I'll leave that to you, but I certainly have my own preference. It is also interesting to read the analysis by the author.