Candidates Take Different Routes to Same Conclusion on Georgia

Obama later Monday read a statement on camera in which he seemed to come closer to McCain's position, saying Russia's invasion was a "turning point" in its relationship with the West.

CNN Article

As of now, both Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) and Senator John McCain (R-AZ) have pit themselves against Russia over the current hostilities in Georgia. Both Presidential Candidates place the blame for the conflict squarely on Russia's shoulders. However, Sen. McCain was a little quicker in getting to that point.

Just to bring you up to speed, Russian forces invaded Georgia last Friday, after Georgian military forces shot down two Russian military jets. Georgian officials claim the Russian aircraft were bombing Georgian forces in South Ossetia, a pro-Russian region that wants to secede from Georgia. French President Nicolas Sarkozy, the current head of the European Union, claims that he and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev have negotiated a "cease fire" (though Georgia says the violence continues) but not an absolute end to the conflict. Russian forces still occupy territory in Georgia.

"Russia should immediately and unconditionally cease its military operations and withdraw all forces from sovereign Georgian territory," McCain said in a statement to reporters shortly after his campaign plane landed in Iowa on Friday. From the start, McCain was condemning Russia for entering Georgian territory. McCain is known for his biased views against Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, often referring to Putin's KGB roots. While McCain was quick to condemn Russia, Obama was a bit more cautious.

"I strongly condemn the outbreak of violence in Georgia, and urge an immediate end to armed conflict," Obama said on Friday. The Junior Senator from Illinois is currently vacationing with his family in Hawaii, though his campaign claims he is keeping abreast of the situation. While he called for a end to the violence, he did not go so far as to place any blame on Russia...at first. After speaking with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, Obama changed his tone, but continued to keep a take a peace oriented approach.

"Now is the time for Georgia and Russia to show restraint, and to avoid an escalation to full scale war. Georgia's territorial integrity must be respected. All sides should enter into direct talks on behalf of stability in Georgia, and the United States, the United Nations Security Council, and the international community should fully support a peaceful resolution to this crisis."

So the question here, is who had the best reaction? McCain immediately condemned Russia, now considered by most of the international community as the unwarranted aggressor. Obama refrained from condemning either country until he had all the facts, finally speaking against Russia on Monday. To a certain extent, both candidates reacted in the proper manner.

Obama chose not to jump to conclusions until he had more information (which might have been sooner if he were not on vacation). Taking time to gather the facts is certainly an admirable quality. However, there are certain times when a national leader must be seen as decisive and steadfast. McCain showed himself to be just that, basing his stance off of initial reports, as well as his considerable experience in foreign affairs.

At the same time, if further investigation had shown that Georgian military forces were committing atrocities in South Ossetia, then McCain would have looked like a trigger happy cowboy. However, McCain is an intelligent man (his campaign flops notwithstanding) with a great deal of experience in international matters. He made an initial read of the situation, and took a stand, showing his leadership skills and his decisive nature.

In the end, this is a matter for individual voters to decide, but McCain's response showed him to be the intelligent, confident leader, while Obama seemed to be indecisive and unsure what side to take. It could be for a lack of experience, or it could be a charachter flaw. Of course, this is just one man's opinion.