Via Jake Tapper: Political Punch: President Obama Does First Formal TV Interview as President with Al-Arabiya
President Obama has sat for his first formal TV interview with the Arabic cable TV network Al-Arabiya, ABC News has learned.The interview was taped this evening and is set to air at 11 pm ET, as Mitchell is in the air and on his way to the region.
Based in Dubai, Al-Arabiya estimates that it has a potential audience exceeding 23 million in the Gulf region.
Given the significance of the region, not to mention that given the still ongoing Gaza situation, trying to make connection in the Middle East via a low-cost effort like a television interview strikes me as a good idea. This is especially true in the context of the start of George Mitchell’s mission to the region.
Now, do I think that a tv interview will solve the woes of the region and lead to peace? Certainly not. Indeed, such an interview may have no effect at all. However, there is a chance that it will appeal to some segments of the viewing audience, and that is a good thing. If anything, as noted, such an action has a low cost (basically whatever time it took for the president to sit for the interview) and there was some chance of some gain. Indeed, best to strike now while the president’s public relations power is probably at its apex.
However, the usual suspects find this to be offensive or problematic.
Jule Crittendon has a snarky pretend dialogue between two Gazans, while Pam Geller titles her post on the subject “President B. Hussein Gives First Formal Interview to Al-Arabiya” and states “By his fruits we shall know him, and so we know the plant” (and she doesn’t mean that in any positive way).
Reliapundit provides a reliably shrill assessment:1
OBAMA IS APPEASING THE UMMAH, IN FULL DHIMMI-MODE. (THAT IS “DHIMMI” IF HE IS TRULY A NON-MUSLIM AS HE MAINTAINS.)2 And Dan Riehl files it under “You Can’t Make This Stuff Up”:
Forget that he already ducked the NY Times, or that his first interview should have been domestic simply as a formality given the times we are in, I could accept this if I felt he was going to tell the Middle-east to get its act together. But something tells me he’ll be apologizing for America’s “mistakes” if it becomes relevant and trying to start a chorus of Kumbaya.Other responses:
Are the liberals and Obama truly this naive? Its like watching 3 year olds playing with a scalpel.Stop The ACLU first quotes a WaPo piece about the interview in which Obama said:
America is “ready to initiate a new partnership [with the Muslim world] based on mutual respect and mutual interest, then I think that we can make significant progress.”To which the STA author states:
This borders on treasonous. What kind of “partnership” can America have now, how can we believe Islam wants a “partnership,” and what broke an assumed “partnership” in the first place?How does America embark on a “new partnership?” Does he have a clue? Will his Envoy, George Mitchell take his message to al-Qaeda or the Taliban? Or maybe they’ll see this video in a tricked out cave somewhere.
To which I can only say “huh?”
I take the trouble to look at these responses, because I was curious as to how much such a simple thing (a TV interview) would play with the hardcore Terror Warriors. Not surprisingly, they are up in arms–meaning that really, we already know (not, really, that we didn’t already) what their responses will be to every foreign policy action going forward. If a TV interview equals “dhimmitude” and “borderline treason” well, what else is there to say?
Another reason to bring this kind of thing up is to hopefully make some who might be predisposed to think this way about the administration, or just about Middle East policy in general, to perhaps pause and take a calmer, more reasoned approach. Not only is it clear that many in the Sphere need to take a deep breath, I know that I have students who, likewise, need to so do as well (not, by the way, that they are likely to be reading this).
On last thing: I think that I am drawn to look at stuff like this in the same way that some people slow down to look at a traffic accident. This type of intellectual train wreck is intriguing in its own kind of way. It also illustrates how so little people learn–we have tried the belligerence only approach to these problems, and it hasn’t worked. One would think that people would notice this fact.
Sphere: Related Content
- caps his–the caps lock key on his computer has been broken for years [↩]
- For those unfamiliar with the term “Dhimmitude” it is a favorite battle-cry of certain Terror Warriors who see anything that isn’t confrontation to be capitulation. For example, see: Dhimmi Watch. I don’t typically like to refer to Wikipedia, but its definition of the term is a useful place to start. [↩]
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6 Responses to “Obama Sits for First Formal Interveiw with Al-Arabiya”
January 27th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
To have an intellectual train wreck, wouldn’t there have to be intellectuals (i.e. people who reason) on board?
Just wondering.
January 27th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
You raise a legitimate point.
January 27th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
Obama is doing the right thing.Lets wait and see how the Muslim world reacts first before you crucify the man.I think a lot of you should get out of your bunker mentality and enjpy the sunshine for a chnage.
January 27th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
My late grandmother had a word for people like that, but she usually reserved it for drunks. Belligerent + Ignorant = “Bellignorant.”
Seems to fit here…
January 28th, 2009 at 9:51 am
Bellignorant, heh, a very fitting word for the fear-mongering types. I think the President’s approach to this difficult situation has been appropriate. He has been peaceful and reasonable. Most importantly, he seems ready to acknowledge the real world and its complexities (more than others who came before).
January 28th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
But where is the queen of Dhimmitude, Michelle Malkin?