A 3 a.m. Moment

Russia's retro behavior in Georgia provides an opportunity for American voters to ponder how their next president would react in a time of crisis

By Evan Thomas | Newsweek Web Exclusive
Aug 15, 2008 | Updated: 3:13  p.m. ET Aug 15, 2008

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  • Posted By: loriw @ 08/23/2008 2:39:20 AM

    Based in information that I have read on Sen. Obama's opposition to the Born Alive Infants Protection Act I can no longer consider him for POTUS. I will now give my full support to the McCain campaign. My full statement can be found under the Newsweek article Decoding Neck-and-Neck.

  • Posted By: teddyo @ 08/22/2008 4:37:08 PM

    A 24 Hour Moment......Senator McCain sir how many houses do you have? I don't know my staff will have to get back to you.

  • Posted By: varacefan @ 08/21/2008 8:09:53 AM

    Obama has the better plan to deal with such matters. His new line of greeting cards featuring the "Change" theme will be a perfect fix for these sort of distractions. He would simply direct one of his trusted few to stop by the local Wal Mart(if he hasn't run them out of business) and choose a card which will show the Russians that we are friendly and mean them no harm. Package that with a deluxe white house tire gauge and who could stay mad at us. We need to make the extra effort to try to understand how the Russians feel and why we make them feel threated. President Obama has that ability and isn't afraid to use it. He is a really nice guy but in a tough way. Obama in 08 !!!!

  • Posted By: Hope1906 @ 08/17/2008 1:44:41 PM

    McCain is a one trick pony--all he knows in war. That's his solution to every problem. He will lead us into WWIII. Electing McCain would be like electing a veteran of the Civil War in 1902--who sees the world as it was forty years earlier with little real understand of how the world has changed. This is a new century with new challenges. MCain has a short fuse and likes to pull the trigger--the worst qualities for a leader in the nuclear age. DIplomacy and co-operation with our allies is needed today--not empty threats of military intervention. All McCain knows is the military--and even then, he graduated at the bottom of his class---and was admitted through the Affirmative Action, he was a legacy student, recipient of his father and grandfather's achievements, the ultimate form of Affirmative Action.

    • Posted By: Shash Nahalin @ 08/17/2008 5:49:13 PM

      Of course, Obama is a Bear whisperer (not unlike a horse whisperer) is a politician who adopts a sympathetic view of the motives, needs, and desires of the Bear, based on natural diplomacy and modern ursidae psychology. Obama supporters like Hope1906 devoutly believe that he will be able to say things to the Bear in a way the Bear will understand and accept so that the Bear will be quickly gentled by his mysterious techniques.

      • Posted By: loriw @ 08/20/2008 11:21:34 PM

        With all due respect I don't think Putin speaks bear. Putin wasn't born in Obama's decade either. Putin and his like were the cold war and that occurred while Obama was still a kid. McCain was well versed in tactics of the cold war through his military experiences and understands the complex interactions of the cold war alliances.

    • Posted By: Bamaboc @ 08/18/2008 1:12:21 AM

      Obama was a disaster in every place he served as a community organizer, look at his neighborhoods in Chicago, according to his own writings: The Crime rate went up, the murder rate went up, drug use went up, the out of wedlock birthrate went up, gang fighting and murders went up, the abortion rate went up, prostitution went up, educational achievements went down, welfare rate went up, this is what he wants to deliver to the rest of the USA.
      What a ???success??? story, he and his fellow gangsters want to bring the same achievements to the rest of the USA.

  • Posted By: ICYEYES800 @ 08/20/2008 9:44:34 PM

    Early on, I KNEW that there was serious ISSUES with this dude...when he said Americans had to be accountable for the food they consumed, the amout, how much gas our vehicles used, and WE were obligated to the WORLD COURT to be more accountable...BIG PROBLEM...should have stopped him in his tracks right there...to insinuate that America owes the WORLD anything is CRAZY.
    Whether the phone rings at 3am, 3pm, or 8pm it would NOT MATTER., (and I think we ALL saw that in his interview with Rick Warren, ahh, uhhh, dahh..no eye contact clearly shows he's a LIAR )....IF there's no handler sleeping in the bed with him and Michelle, this guy is CLUELESS IN D.C., in fact he doesn't have enough knowledge about the world, what Americans need and want to HOLD the seat in the senate....JUST SAY NO TO O

  • Posted By: JoanR @ 08/20/2008 12:41:24 PM

    Whether the phone rings at 3:00 am or 3:00 pm pitting Obama against the likes of Putin would be national suicide.We saw last week how Putin handles speech makers

  • Posted By: Dollared @ 08/19/2008 6:24:26 PM

    Bravo, Mr. Thomas. America is the greatest country in the world. I am sure of that and so is Barack Obama. The greatest country in the world has the wisdom and the courage to be restrained in the face of provocation and to pursue the well-being of all of its citizens.
    John McCain's America is nervous, insecure, and willing to invade Serbia, Bomb Iran, expel Russia, stay in Iraq 100 years, and generally waste trillions of dollars on unnecessary weapons and on hyped up disputes, just to show how strong it is.

  • Posted By: bluegrass101 @ 08/16/2008 6:26:30 PM

    McLaim, Would do the typical Repig thing, send in the Troops, Bomb the civilians, get bogged down in Russia and when it didn't work out they would all chant The Democrats did it.

    • Posted By: Jose52 @ 08/18/2008 2:38:53 PM

      TO bluegrass... Think about Jimmy Carter being in charge. BO will be the same ineffectual leader where he tell us to use a sweater or check your tire pressure. BO will be ineffectual when it comes to energy. He was weak last Saturday in all softballs that were throw at him and could not properly spin his lies. Now NBC has to spin lies for him. Liberals need to get over your bush hate, pray and then think what is best for America.

  • Posted By: loriw @ 08/16/2008 11:39:37 PM

    After the forum tonight I think I know who I want taking the 3 am phone call.

    • Posted By: Jose52 @ 08/18/2008 2:14:51 PM

      To loriw, Good point! But the libs see things differently and NBC has to get the NYT to support their rehashing of BO staff 's spin. Obama did poorly...BAD! But my question is will the rest of America see how un-prepared this lightweight is and that he wants to be the POTUS. I'm concerned that one state votes could doom this country and make this Marxist president!

  • Posted By: Kuksha @ 08/18/2008 10:49:33 AM

    From Russia. Misters Amerikans! Choose please the normal politician! It would not be desirable to burn down completely on nuclear fire! To you it is probable also. Yours faithfully!

  • Posted By: Kuksha @ 08/18/2008 10:46:12 AM

    From Russia. Misters Amerikans! Choose please the normal politician! It would not be desirable to burn down completely on nuclear fire! To you it is probable also. Yours faithfully!

  • Posted By: Poole4Obama @ 08/18/2008 9:27:51 AM

    We are involved in a war based on a lie. This is the fact I think everyone forgets. I am registered Dem, however I think everyone in politics is full of @&%$ to a certain extent. Both sides preach on what they are going to do, etc and neither candidate will have the authority to do any of it. The one thing that is scary is McCain's ORIGINAL position on the war. Haven't you all noticed that once his original (100 year) position was so scrutinized and mocked by the american people that he quickly supported a quick, speedy timetable of withdraw?? Don't believe it guys. McCain is a all out war crazed idiot who has no clue on how to fix the economy. And as I respect his service to the country in Vietnam, that doesn't give him an "in" to the white house. That gives him a trophy and an automatic seat at every Memorial Day Parade.

    Iraq was not an immediate threat to us and still isn't.

  • Posted By: Poole4Obama @ 08/18/2008 9:27:31 AM

    We are involved in a war based on a lie. This is the fact I think everyone forgets. I am registered Dem, however I think everyone in politics is full of @&%$ to a certain extent. Both sides preach on what they are going to do, etc and neither candidate will have the authority to do any of it. The one thing that is scary is McCain's ORIGINAL position on the war. Haven't you all noticed that once his original (100 year) position was so scrutinized and mocked by the american people that he quickly supported a quick, speedy timetable of withdraw?? Don't believe it guys. McCain is a all out war crazed idiot who has no clue on how to fix the economy. And as I respect his service to the country in Vietnam, that doesn't give him an "in" to the white house. That gives him a trophy and an automatic seat at every Memorial Day Parade.

    Iraq was not an immediate threat to us and still isn't.

  • Posted By: bluegrass101 @ 08/18/2008 9:12:55 AM

    I see the Knuckle Dragging Low life Repigs are in full attack mode this morning. I advise all Dem's to attack right back and do not wait like Kerry did, it's the only thing the lo IQ'd Repigs understand.The Neo_Con Repigs have nearly destroyed America with debt, aggression, theft and deceit and torture and they are dumb enough to put another Wild -Eyed Warmonger in the White House. . INDEPENDANTS, please listen and you will see just how prejudiced, hateful and deceiving the Repigs are, and vote with your heads and not what the Foaming mouthed attack dogs tell you .

  • Posted By: lil'_dymphna @ 08/18/2008 8:50:15 AM

    RIGHT ON, REX!!! Liberals are so stupid they would probably do something super, super stupid like say they looked into Putin's eyes and saw that his soul was "straightforward and trustworthy" --and they probably would give him a stupid nickname like "Putie-Poot". They'd also be so stupid they wouldn't know when a "Pre-text" was given to invade. Then they'd WANT to throw away American money and American lives in Georgia to fix it. Stupid liberals!

  • Posted By: rex range @ 08/18/2008 2:01:49 AM

    ...AND THE FUNNY THING IS, OUR CURRENT PRESIDENT, WHO SO MANY OF US HAVE STUCK ON "AUTO-HATE," IS STANDING UP BRAVELY AGAINST THE RUSSIAN BULLIES...AND EUROPEAN LEADERS ARE NOW FOLLOWING HIS LEAD. AMAZING, HUH. YOU FRICKIN' LIBERAL HATE-AMERICA-FIRST BLOCKHEADS.

    • Posted By: sirhc @ 08/18/2008 7:06:43 AM

      1. IF YOU THINK GEORGIA WAS JUST INNOCENT AND WAS JUST INVADED BY BIG BAD RUSSIA THEN YOU REALLY NEED TO READ UP ON THE SITUATION.

      2. RUSSIA INVADED GEORGIA FOR ALOT LESS THEN WE INVADED IRAQ.

      3. BUSH'S COWBOY TALK GOT US WHERE? GETS US WHERE? IT GOT ALOT OF OUR GOOD AMERICAN MEN AND WOMEN MURDERED IN THE STREETS OF IRAQ

      4. YOU ONLY TALK TOUGH WHEN YOU CAN BACK IT UP. WE CAN'T BACK UP JACK RIGHT NOW. IF RUSSIA LAUNCHED IN OFFENSIVE ON US WE WOULD HAVE TO PRAY FOR HELP FROM OTHER NATIONS...............................I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW THIS YET BUT WE'RE NOT VERY LIKD RIGHT NOW.

      5. A FAMOUS MAN ONCE SAID "TALK LITTLE BUT CARRY A BIG STICK." BECAUSE WE ARE IN IRAQ-WE ARE STICKLESS, WE ARE CHINA'S BIT$@, WE DO BIG BUSINESS WITH THE SAUDI'S WHO HAVE NO RESPECT FOR US..............

  • Posted By: System7 @ 08/18/2008 2:08:05 AM

    12 Year Old Girl Tells the Truth about Georgia:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8XI2Chc6uQ&feature=related
    Did McCain's advisors who were also Saakashvili's advisors advise him to support bombing this girl and thousands of Ossetians?

  • Posted By: bluegrass101 @ 08/18/2008 1:53:00 AM

    Try to imagine wild eyed McFudd with his knarled up old fingers anxiously waiting to push the Nuke Button, and especially with the Neo-Con Repigs ready to bomb anyone who disagrees with them

  • Posted By: hillaryhead @ 08/17/2008 5:12:52 PM

    So far, Obama has been measured but perhaps reticent. McCain has been confident and aggressive--but maybe too much so? The one bright side of the Georgia crisis is that it may help American voters focus on what kind of leader should next call the White House home.


    Thank you Evan Thomas for some journalistic sanity and objectivity.

    American voters WILL decide. We are smarter than many political pundits give us credit for.

    Actions DO speak louder than words, even in the act of speaking. A man (or woman) is measured by what they do.

    What has Obama done? What has McCain done? What will Hillary Clinton do?

    • Posted By: Bamaboc @ 08/18/2008 1:11:02 AM

      Obama was a disaster in every place he served as a community organizer, look at his neighborhoods in Chicago, according to his own writings: The Crime rate went up, the murder rate went up, drug use went up, the out of wedlock birthrate went up, gang fighting and murders went up, the abortion rate went up, prostitution went up, educational achievements went down, welfare rate went up, this is what he wants to deliver to the rest of the USA.
      What a ???success??? story, he and his fellow gangsters want to bring the same achievements to the rest of the USA.

  • Posted By: Bamaboc @ 08/18/2008 1:06:22 AM

    Obama was a disaster in every place he served as a community organizer, look at his neighborhoods in Chicago, according to his own writings: The Crime rate went up, the murder rate went up, drug use went up, the out of wedlock birthrate went up, gang fighting and murders went up, the abortion rate went up, prostitution went up, educational achievements went down, welfare rate went up, this is what he wants to deliver to the rest of the USA.
    What a ???success??? story, he and his fellow gangsters want to bring the same achievements to the rest of the USA.

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