Monday, April 06, 2009
Competence watch: Axelrod on missile defense, Iran, and the Norks
On Fox News Sunday yesterday, Chris Wallace tossed David Axelrod the world's most obvious question, "if the president wants to cut nuclear weapons, shouldn't he spend more, not less, on missile defense, to protect the United States?" Fine. Many of us have been wondering the same thing (and, yes, I understand that comprehensive strategic missile defense could, theoretically, trigger an arms race). But look at the video. Axelrod was obviously unprepared for the question, as if there were no relationship between the subject of the interview -- the Nork missile launch -- and the missile defense issue.
A goofy talking point is one thing; obviously not having a talking point is another (transcript here).
The missile defense question is not, sadly, Axelrod's only nerve-wracking response. Apparently North Korea would make a "terribly bad mistake" to launch the missile (which it subsequently did) because it would result in its rejection by "the community of nations."
Uh, if there were a "community of nations" -- and it is not at all obvious that there is even among the permanent five on the United Nations Security Council -- it would be North Korea's national ambition to be isolated from it. Does the Obama administration actually believe that isolation from "the community of nations" is the thing that will motivate the Norks to abandon their weapons program, or was Axelrod unprepared on this question too?
The country's in the very best of hands.
10 Comments:
By 
John, at
Mon Apr 06, 08:45:00 AM:
Well - the president obama team is woefully unprepared for outside interference with their grand plan - the destruction of the USA.
They new full well that our missile defense could easily handle the norks launch - but if we shot down the missile it would only validate President Bush's wise choice to build and deploy the system. It does work.
By 
, at
Mon Apr 06, 08:59:00 AM:
I think we are coming from a different place. Obama et al, are campaigning for First World President. Even MSNBC has the headline, "Obama finishing European Campaign".
Since more people are not American, he gets more votes by bashing and weakening America.
By , at
Mon Apr 06, 09:05:00 AM:
Those who believe the NORKs are somehow "evil" are suffering from the aftereffects of the Bush presidency. We must all recognize, and help our friends who may have not analyzed the situation correctly to understand, that it was Bush policies that led to the NORK missile launch, directly. Allowing Team America to be made was just one serious error in judgment. Another was failing to bow to Kim Jong-il even once! Is it any mystery the NORK's are offended? Bush left a very bad situation for the President to clean up. Let us pray.
By , at
Mon Apr 06, 09:52:00 AM:
Axelrod may not comprehend defense policy but I'll bet he knows what language is spoken in Austria. His comic boss thinks the Austrians speak "Austrian".
Obama likes Europe so much I wish he would just stay there.
By Purple Avenger, at
Mon Apr 06, 10:13:00 AM:
This crew makes Carter look good on defense/security policy.
By Georg Felis, at
Mon Apr 06, 10:31:00 AM:
In all fairness, from A-Rod’s POV this is an unfair question. “Everybody knows” that missile defense is just a Republican boondoggle, a useless waste of money plowed into non-functional systems for the benefit of Republican campaign donors. A rough parallel would be if a Republican were asked about the Unicorn Powered Space Laser system.
/sarc
Most Libs will be in favor of BMD for at absolute most thirty minutes. That would be from the point in time the missile is launched at them to the impact. And the survivors will promptly blame the systems they did not install.
FYI: I do support the administration’s decision not to shoot down the NK missile. The second-stage parts they pull out of the Pacific will be much easier to put together without having been shot to pieces. And track back to their sources.
By Roy Lofquist, at
Mon Apr 06, 11:24:00 AM:
"isolation from the community of nations". NOKO made that decision more than 50 years ago. These people demonstrate daily that they are way out of touch with the real world.
By , at
Mon Apr 06, 11:38:00 AM:
It's a community of nations in the same way that the Hatfields and McCoys were neighbors.
Chris Wallace asked a double-plus ungood question of Mr. Axelrod. Expect Fox News to be chastised, perhaps by Keith Olbermann. Perhaps Chris will be one of the worst people in the world this week.
Time marches on.
-David
By , at
Mon Apr 06, 11:54:00 AM:
Wow, stuttering and cluelessness that even eclipse those of his boss - almost felt sorry for the dude! Get that man a teleprompter!
Kind of makes one wonder just how incompetent McCain & Co were to get trounced by these clowns.
And you've got to admire the clinical restraint employed by Chris Wallace during the interview. Or maybe he was likewise almost moved to pity. That or shocked by Axelrod's floundering.
Just great. Global economic meltdown and omnipresent geopolitical churn fanned by the former and we've got the equivalent of retarded college kids on Spring Break at the helm.
By , at
Mon Apr 06, 12:56:00 PM:
Holy Shit Batman, Axelrod is living on a different planet than me.
This guy probably believes in Unicorns. He is utterly clueless.
He asked "why would N.Korea want to further isolate itself?"
Hello??? Capt. Dumbfu#$, Kim Jong Il doens't care, he's fat, rich and sassy. He's not interested in what anyone else thinks.
