Surprise! Fareed Zakaria Thinks Obama's Middle East Speech 'Fair' and 'Balanced'
By Noel Sheppard | May 22, 2011 | 20:18
Fareed Zakaria said Sunday the speech President Obama gave last week about conditions in the Middle East was "fair" and "balanced."
As the host of CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS" might have advised the current White House resident on its contents, this came as no surprise (video follows with transcript and commentary):
FAREED ZAKARIA: The president's speech was remarkably comprehensive. It described the events that we now call the Arab spring, explained their causes and consequences. He placed the United States squarely behind the democratic wave everywhere, though he didn't specifically mention one country -- Saudi Arabia, the place where America's interests and values most obviously clash.
I don't blame him. Street protests in Saudi Arabia might warm our hearts, but they could easily lead to $250 a barrel oil and a global recession. That's a tough one.
Obama outlined specific policies to help the Arab revolutions get consolidated. All good stuff. And he also talked about the need for a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, two states based on 1967 borders, with land swaps that both parties agreed to, and the Palestinian partner that renounced terror -- a blow at Hamas.
In other words, it was a comprehensive, fair, balanced speech.
Readers are reminded that earlier this month, it was revealed Zakaria has met with Obama to advise him on foreign policy matters.
Makes you wonder if the CNN host had any input to this "fair, balanced" speech which is precisely why NewsBusters publisher Brent Bozell asked for Zakaria to "recuse himself immediately from covering foreign policy that affects the United States"
Any report he gives concerning such matters now has a bias taint that includes a potential conflict of interest thereby negating the possibility of any perceived impartiality.
Apparently Zakaria and the self-described "Most trusted name in news" don't see it that way.
How unfortunate.
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Comments
Sounds like he helped to
Submitted by killa37 on Sun, 05/22/2011 - 8:33pm.
Sounds like he helped to write it, and now he's patting himself on the back............and isn't this guy a Moooooooooooooslem anyway???
I like the line about Obama 'standing squarely behind the democratic movement everywhere ' ........ummmmmmmm, I think it is the Brotherhood and other hardline Moooooooooooslem groups.
Yep
Submitted by Galvanic on Sun, 05/22/2011 - 8:40pm.
Write off anything he says about Obama's policies.
Hell, gal............I'll do
Submitted by killa37 on Sun, 05/22/2011 - 8:52pm.
Hell, gal............I'll do ya one better - I write off anything OBAMA says about his own policies!!!
Good point
Submitted by Galvanic on Mon, 05/23/2011 - 9:12am.
One practice that amuses me is asking Obama fans to describe his policies. They begin with some PowerPoint bullets, but when I point out anomalies and outright errors, they get confused. A few have insisted that the killing of bin Laden was indicative of Obama's mastery of foreign policy and military strategy, though I pointed out that that has been a US goal since 2001, and thus isn't Obama's magic.
Same for Hillary Clinton, whom they often describe as probably the best Secretary of State ever (parroting the likes of Hillary-BFF Andrea Mitchell). But when challenged to point to single foreign policy accomplishment, they can't, so they fall back on the ol' "The world likes us more now than it did under Bush-43." Of course, they have no real evidence of that.
But these days, many Americans don't seem to demand evidence.
Yeah, gal, I can't see any
Submitted by killa37 on Mon, 05/23/2011 - 11:43am.
Yeah, gal, I can't see any evidence of 'the world liking us better' since Boy Blunder was coronated. In fact, we seem to be more and more of a joke and a patsy to the rest of the world - friends and enemies alike. I've been working with a guy (nice guy) that I've known casualy for awhile, and we've been carpooling - gas over here almost reached $5. He's one of those libs who can't tell you why, other than 'Bush is an idiot, and everything is Bush's fault'. I have conversations with him while we're driving............in my typical good cheer and non-emotional, yet passionate, style.
He can't believe that I'm a 'conservative', because I don't fit the mold........and I must say that he has put an ear, and some thought, into some of the things I have said.................so maybe there is some 'hope' (oh god, I USED that word!!!) for some of these libs - when they start to get their eyes and ears and minds opened and away from being hamstrung by the lib mentalilty and believing the MSM.
only fair and balanced
Submitted by ohio granny on Sun, 05/22/2011 - 8:43pm.
Zakaria calls Obama's speech fair and balanced only because he (zakaria) is most definitely not.
Fair and Balanced?*
Submitted by cajun2 on Sun, 05/22/2011 - 8:56pm.
Obama has made a stunning historic reversal of foreign policy relations with Israel without justification or explanation and without congressional approval. He has supported the Muslim Brotherhood under the guise of a path to "democracy" in the middle east. . He has given $2 Billion to Hamas whose avowed goal is to destroy Israel.
This is fair and balanced only if you agree that Obama's agenda is to assist in the destruction of Israel and make it look like it's Israel's fault which is his M.O.
Jug Ears & Flag Overload
Submitted by MrShy on Sun, 05/22/2011 - 9:05pm.
Not to go slightly off-topic, but can this POS and his handlers put more American flags behind him? It all reeks of trying so hard to prove they're not anti-American (and, by extension, anti-Isreal.)
Fact is, they are both.
- Shy Vinyl
Join Mr. Shy and The 1* Percent
Yeah, Shy...........I was
Submitted by killa37 on Sun, 05/22/2011 - 9:11pm.
Yeah, Shy...........I was thinking about that too - big ears, big mouth, big lies, lotsa flags, looking down his nose at all of us 'folks'........and you KNOW that Boy Barry would CHANGE the USA flag to his dopey UN-colored blue one with the Pepsi-styled 'O' across it................or did Pepsi change THEIR logo to match Boy Blunders???
I wish this Turkish Muslim commie would make up his mind
Submitted by Dave. on Sun, 05/22/2011 - 9:03pm.
Just a few days ago, he was saying Obama's speech was slanted in favor of Israel.
So which is it?
-Dave
Thats what I was thinking
Submitted by Boudin on Sun, 05/22/2011 - 9:11pm.
Obviously the negative reaction to the speech surprised him. Like a typical libtard, lost
Boudin,
Submitted by Dave. on Sun, 05/22/2011 - 9:32pm.
Yeah, I guess when you spend your off hours stroking Obama, you get to have it both ways.
-Dave
Dave,
Submitted by Chris Norman on Mon, 05/23/2011 - 1:12am.
Maybe he's deliberately confusing his position on Obama's speech and policies to scramble the memory of his announcement that he's been advising Obama on ME policies?
This is good! It's another
Submitted by Van Halen on Sun, 05/22/2011 - 9:18pm.
This is good! It's another example of Obama screwing up and the JournOList media tightening the circle of wagons around him. Wait till election day when four years of trying to write off literally daily screwups from this administration come home to roost.
What I saw was ...
Submitted by LibertyAtStake on Sun, 05/22/2011 - 9:27pm.
... the best tactical retreat from Thursday's speech the Empty Suit could muster after being schooled in private by B. Netanyahu. Looking forward to Bibi's speech to Congress as the next shoe to drop.
d(^_^)b
http://libertyatstake.blogspot.com/
"Because the Only Good Progressive is a Failed Progressive"
If you think "balance" means
Submitted by robert108 on Sun, 05/22/2011 - 9:45pm.
If you think "balance" means that all the demands for concessions should be directed at Israel, and none at the murdering Jordanian refugees, then it was balanced. The flowery rhetoric was meaningless; the bottom line is that as long as the Jordanian refugees and Islam in general are committed to killing all the Jews, there will never be peace.
Yes We Can!…
Submitted by im41 on Sun, 05/22/2011 - 9:51pm.
Convicted Islamist Who Threatened “South Park” Creators Was Obama Campaign Worker
What a shocker that is
Submitted by Dave. on Sun, 05/22/2011 - 9:58pm.
-Dave
Zakaria obviously finds it
Submitted by Gat New York on Sun, 05/22/2011 - 10:16pm.
Zakaria obviously finds it fair because he is one of Obama's anti-Israel advisors.
Same amount of fair and
Submitted by jessieH on Sun, 05/22/2011 - 10:18pm.
Same amount of fair and ballanced I read about Hitler & Stalin.
Fareed Went on to Say
Submitted by Comrade Jim on Sun, 05/22/2011 - 10:32pm.
That all speeches by Mahmoud Amadinejad, Yasser Arafat, and Colonel Gidaffi were also fair and balanced.
Just wondering...
Submitted by The_Barrel_Guy on Sun, 05/22/2011 - 10:51pm.
Ya think Zakaria studied the life and work of Goebbels? End product is the same, just a different client...
The greater good
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Sun, 05/22/2011 - 11:20pm.
Zakaria can't stand the truth, that Isaac got the brains and the wit while Ishmael has a grudge that still festers through the millennia.
You're not going to convince me Obama or Zakaria, either one, considers a favorable situation for Israel, a good thing.
It's the "situational ethics" theory of the 70s and 80s, already in motion with Socialized Healthcare, BTW.
Fareed Zakaria Wins The Little Joe Gobbels Prize
Submitted by Avitar on Sun, 05/22/2011 - 11:39pm.
This man is the face of the enemy...for every Jew and every American.
Forget the Carney guy
Submitted by jon_torlin on Sun, 05/22/2011 - 11:49pm.
Forget Jim Carney, this is the Chairman's new spokesman.
-Jon
What's the problem here? Everything is very clear.......
Submitted by Herbster on Mon, 05/23/2011 - 12:41am.
Barack (Kerry) Obambi couldn't be clearer..........He was for Israel before he was against Israel before he was for Israel before he was against Israel. It's that simple. Now he brings out that CNN dweeb to say the same thing. Did anyone see the picture on Drudge of Netanyahu and the current occupant of the White House side by side when they were 18 years old? There was Netanyahu, the hero, in his paratroopers uniform. There was the current occupant of the White House looking like pimp daddy and puffing on a cigarette. Fast forward to yesterday when they were side by side again. Netanyahu - statesman, world leader, protector of his country. There was the current occupant of the White House - still looking like pimp daddy.....minus the cigarette. There was Netanyahu who, I am certain, will defend his country as needed without any advice from the community agitator.
Pray for our nation and for Israel.
Genesis states: "I will bless those who bless thee and curse those who curse thee."
Yes Fareed, fair and balanced
Submitted by Boil It Down on Mon, 05/23/2011 - 4:00am.
That is clearly why Obama's speech was so universally accepted (or perhaps it wasn't). You made yourself look foolish with that statement. -bidn-
fareed, you slimey bastard
Submitted by Patriot II on Mon, 05/23/2011 - 10:08am.
keep blowing smoke up oblahmas butt and he will follow you anywhere!!!!
The adivisor [Fareed] to the POTUS and Amr Moussa
Submitted by Gary Hall on Mon, 05/23/2011 - 11:40am.
Amr Moussa, Secretary-General of the Arab League for 10 years, and former foreign minister for Egypt as interviewed by Fareed Zakaria, who described Moussa as being , "much admired in the region for championing the Palestinian cause":
Moussa rattled on with some nonsense, supporting his absolute view that he, the President of the Arab League and potentially a future President for Israel, supports the view that terrorist groups which call [live for] for the destruction of the State of Israel (and often, for the killing of all Jews) will be at the table to determine Israel's future, and Israel must look the other way.
Fareed seemingly nodded in agreement, and being satisfied with the answer, moved on - he'd offer no challenge here - this TV man who advises the President. It appears that Moussa is "much admired in the region for championing the Palestinian cause," by Fareed, as well. One can almost imagine Fareed advising Obama to listen to Moussa.
(;~/ gary