What Stood Out This Week - 7/20-7/26

Hey, look at me! Look at me! I'm eating sausage! Goddammit, you jerks, pay the fuck attention to me! Let's see What Stood Out This Week...

The Democrat

In case you haven't heard, Barack Obama visited Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel, and Europe this week. The three major network anchors traveled with him.

It appears that this trip overseas was an unmitigated success for Obama in every way:

- In Afghanistan, Obama reminded voters that it should've been the focus of any "war on terror" all along, and that Iraq is a distraction from the "good war," a distraction that makes McCain look like he's got ADD. (I've got my doubts about Afghanistan being a "good war" but I accept that I'm a WAY minority position on that one.)

- In Iraq, Maliki supported the Obama position of US withdrawal, and Obama dropped a three-pointer in front of a shitload of troops.

- In Israel, he met with Israeli and Palestinian leaders and promised to work on a peace accord immediately.

- In Germany, he spoke in front of 200,000 Berliners (the people of Berlin, not the pastry). Americans don't seem to give a shit about this, but repairing our image among our allies should not be underestimated. Our allies likey the Obama.

- In France, he had a sit-down with Sarkozy about Iran.

- In Britain, he met with Gordon Brown (who had a very bad week at the hand of the Scottish Nationalists) to discuss global warming, the economy, and the two nations' "special friendship," which has really been more of a bullying in the past seven years.

The right's trying to spin this as an arrogant move for a presidential candidate, but hell, he's a sitting senator, and he just legitimized the shit out of his foreign policy credentials, at least in terms of public relations.

And what's awesome is that the McCain campaign essentially bullied Obama into making the trip. "He hasn't been to Iraq. He doesn't know what he's talking about." So he goes there and the leader agrees with him. Whoops.

The Republican

John McCain had a hell of a difficult week, vying for attention and not getting much of it.

While Obama was in the Middle East, his campaign started floating rumors that they were going to announce a Vice President. That never happened.

When Obama was in Germany, McCain went to a German restaurant in Ohio. He hung out in grocery stores. Mostly he looked lonely. He also misspoke a bunch about various foreign policy things, which are supposed to fall into his political wheelhouse. Mostly, he looked like Dan Uggla at the All-Star Game. Man, that shit was Fuggla.

But let's not underestimate John McCain. He spent his week in swing states and at fundraisers.

The campaign is a hell of a lot closer than it should be, B&E readers.

And that's What Stood Out This Week.