The Don trumped up by Name-Dropping Radio Talk Show Host

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The apple does not fall far from the libertarian tree.

The one thing that is the biggest negative in ever considering Rand Paul as PotUS is that he shares the same isolationist/non-interventionist scrawny foreign policy beliefs as his father.

Is Rand purposely trying to alienate a segment of the Republican base before primaries by commenting on Dick Cheney’s foreign policy in wake of the release of a new book:

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) criticized former Vice President Dick Cheney on Thursday, calling nearly all of his foreign policy decisions spanning the last three decades a “disaster for this country.”

“I think Dick Cheney has probably been wrong about almost every foreign policy decision over the last 20 or 30 years,” Paul told conservative talk show host Laura Ingraham. “The only time he was actually right about something in foreign policy is when he advised the first George Bush that taking Baghdad would lead to chaos, civil war and destabilizing a region. That’s ultimately what happened. ”

Cheney, who served as vice president under President George W. Bush, published a new book on Tuesday with his wife, Liz, in which they blame the rise of the Islamic State on the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq.

“President Obama’s decision not to leave any U.S. forces behind created the space and the conditions for the rebirth of al Qaeda in Iraq, as well as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, ISIS,” the Cheneys wrote in their book, titled Exceptional: Why the World Needs a Powerful America.

The former Darth VP is correct.

Paul, a libertarian-leaning conservative with critical views of the Bush administration, told Ingraham that Cheney misread the situation in Iraq by insisting that American troops would be greeted as “liberators” in the country.

We were.

“I think what Dick Cheney promotes has been a disaster for this country,” Paul said.

Cheney said Wednesday that he had “no apologies” with respect to his administration’s decision to invade Iraq and topple Saddam Hussein.

Critics love this video:

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EstVJo6URdQ[/youtube]

But there is a difference in the situation and objectives of the first Gulf War in 1991 that Cheney describes in interview 3 years later; from that of the 2003 Operation Iraqi Freedom.

What changed? 9/11.

Under the Bush Administration, it was determined that in a post-9/11 world, it was too dangerous to allow a wmd-loving rogue regime like Saddam’s Iraq to continue its status quo of deceit and defiance of UNSCR mandates with the possibility of Saddam utilizing Islamic terrorists as proxy to deliver a wmd attack against a mutual enemy- the United States.

What would a Rand Paul foreign policy look like? How would his approach to dealing with Islamic terror differ or remain the same from that of President Obama and President Bush?

While driving home from work Thursday night, I listened to Hugh Hewitt’s radio program as he played a clip of Donald Trump accusing Hewitt of attempting to ask him “gotcha” questions.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9puLBIX48M[/youtube]

Knowing Hewitt and his obsession over asking guests if they’ve ever read The Looming Tower or understand the belief in the coming of the 12th Imam, he was not looking to embarrass Trump with “gotcha” questions.

The “Palin moment” is being exploited by the liberal rags:

Trump fumbled the question even worse, and in general, dismissed Hewitt’s inquiries as “gotcha questions.” He told Hewitt that he didn’t need to be able to identify the leaders because “by the time we get to office, they’ll all be changed. They’ll all be gone.”

The real estate mogul also claimed that there was no reason for him to know them because he has never met them in person.

“As far as the individual players, of course I don’t know them. I’ve never met them. I haven’t been, you know, in a position to meet them. If, if they’re still there, which is unlikely in many cases, but if they’re still there, I will know them better than I know you,” he said.

To Fiorina’s credit, she was able to provide answers to most of Hewitt’s questions, and instead of outright dismissing the questions, admitted that it was important for a presidential candidate to know about foreign policy — which, at the very least, involves naming some terrorists.

“I don’t think they’re ‘gotcha questions’ at all. The questions you’re asking are at the heart of the threat that we face, that our ally, Israel, faces, that the world faces,” she told Hewitt. “It is critically important that America lead again in the world. It is critically important that we have a leader in the White House who understands the world and who’s in it and how it works.”

I don’t expect a president to know minutiae to every topic of concern; and I do understand Trump’s statement about surrounding yourself with smart advisors with expertise in given fields. But his defensive response to not knowing key terror figures- how he reacted to the “Quds/Kurds” confusion, with a feeble attempt to bring it around to talking about the Kurds- a topic which he had some level of superficial study and felt more secure about- it was embarrassing. Again- not so much his not knowing, but in his defensive reaction.

Hewitt is a co-moderator for the next GOP debate:

Hewitt will also co-moderate the second GOP primary debate with “The Lead” host Jake Tapper on CNN Sept. 16.

Responding to a question on whether he is familiar with Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah since 1992, Trump protested that by the time he takes office, the major figures in the military landscape will have changed.

“I think by the time we get to office, they’ll all be changed. They’ll be all gone,” he said. “Those are like [a] history question – do you know this one, do you know that one?”Hewitt said he was not trying to ask “gotcha” questions.

“Well it sounds like ‘gotcha,’ you’re asking me names – I think it’s somewhat ridiculous, but that’s OK, go ahead,” Trump responded.

Late in the interview, Hewitt asked: “So the difference between Hezbollah and Hamas does not matter to you yet, but it will?”

Trump replied: “It will when it’s appropriate. I will know more about it than you know, and believe me, it won’t take me long.”

What a thin-skinned, egotistical blowhard.

I want the next PotUS to be a believer in flexing a strong foreign policy when it comes to dealing with political Islam and Islamic terror. I want someone serious about it. Dick Cheney- right or wrong on policy- took national security absolutely seriously.

That will most likely not be the forte of a Rand Paul presidency. Trump….I can’t even.

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Who is al-Julani? Who is al-Masri? That’s not gotcha question? Trump fails because Jeb, Macro, Christy, et al would answer incorrectly too?

…believer in flexing a strong foreign policy when it comes to dealing with political Islam and Islamic terror

You may have or may not have missed Trump exclaiming,Yes we do have a muslim problem, it wasn’t the Swedish people knocking down the World Trade Center… Yes there is a muslim problem, all you have to do is turn on your tv set.

When I listened I, too, heard ”Kurds,” instead of Quds.
But when it was clear to Trump that it was Quds, he rightly knew that Iran’s Republican Guards’ leader al Masri had broken his Iran-sanction travel ban to go to Russia. He rightly knew that al Masri’s travels and plottings nullified Obama’s Iran-Plan.

As to NasrAllah, he spent most of his time as ”leader” of in hiding so it is easy to dismiss him.
Only Obama’s weakness has made it possible for the ”leader” of Hezbo’Allah to come out from under his rock.
I bet he goes back into hiding the day Obama leaves office no matter who gets elected.

I don’t know if these were gotcha questions or not, but I think Trump is smart enough to know this information as the election grows closer. And possibly Trump is right the players could all change between now and then.
I guess now Hugh is the hero of the left, congratulations Hugh.

Hugh Hewitt is a very knowledgeable conservative. He knows his facts forward and backwards, so he doesn’t rely heavily on rhetoric. When he asked the exact same question of Carly Fiorina, she knew who makes up the pantheon of terrorist leaders. She was able to answer authoritatively.

By the same token, it is not surprising Trump didn’t know who these guys are. Most Americans don’t know either. But, he should know a little more since he’s running for president. Hugh Hewitt did not ask a gotcha question. Trump’s problem is he likes to speak in generalities and with vagueness, and that’s not going to change. It belies the depth of his knowledge. The next time he’s asked this question, he’ll have a better answer. But, when you need to make decisions regarding terrorists, you don’t have do-overs.

#4 –

Trump’s reaction this morning was rather predictable. He better know these guys. Obama sort of knows/don’t know. Bush 43 knew all of these guys – even carried a scorecard and recorded a “K” next to each one we took out dead or alive.

Liz is VP Cheney’s daughter, not his wife.

Literally ALL ”these guys” are proxies of Iran, Obama’s good buddies who will be getting even more money to fund them because of Obama’s ”Iran Plan.”

Iran obfuscates public records about its defense spending and financial support for paramilitary groups secretly conducting operations outside the Islamic Republic.
A report was assembled following a request by Senator Mark Kirk for the Obama administration to disclose its estimates of “Iranian military spending, as well as Iranian assistance to Houthi rebels in Yemen, Shiite militias in Iraq, the Assad government, Hezbollah, and Hamas.”
http://s3.freebeacon.com/up/2015/09/20150800-INFOGRAPHIC-Kirk-CRS-Estimates-of-Iranian-Financial-Support-to-Terrorists-Militants.jpg
In Syria Iranian-backed fighters are paid anywhere between $500 and $1,000 a month to take up arms in support of Bashar al-Assad’s embattled government.
Iran is giving Syria about $6 billion a year, much of which is spent to fund military operations supporting the Assad government. Separate estimates speculate that the number could be as high as $15 billion.

Iran was providing Hamas somewhere in the range of $20-25 million per month to cover its governing budget after 2006, while also apparently providing ‘weapons, technical know-how and military training.’”
The IRGC’s Quds Force has independently provided “tens of millions of dollars” to Hamas’s armed military wing.

I just wish someone who wants to be the most powerful man on the planet had the self-directed desire to know the answers to these questions and many more.

I agree with the poster above who talks about generalities–it’s part of Trump’s appeal, frankly, that he speaks in a way that anyone can understand what he’s saying. But there must be content there. Saying ‘I don’t know who that is” gets you marks for candor, but jeez, you kinda SHOULD be so into this material you could stand up there for hours discussing it. Saying you’re a ‘big picture guy’ like that covers every possible misstep makes you one of those pols you supposedly hate–your glib answer is just different from theirs.

I’m not so much down on Trump as I am on a political party that can’t do better. You’d think with over a dozen candidates there’d be one who had Trump’s ease with speaking in public but with more knowledge about the state of the planet than, well, anyone else. I mean, has the office been so downgraded that we’re left with supporting a guy because he doesn’t like illegal aliens, and that’s it?

Carly did nail the question. But identifying the names of the heads of terror organizations or heads of state (Who’s the president of Chechyna?) is so low on the list of things to care about. Gotcha question or not, we’ll agree to disagree. There’s so many more important questions to ask, I think we’d agree on that. I’d rather hear how the candidates would approach Hezbullah, how they’d deal with Al-Quds. Hugh, having an interest in politcal islam, missed the opportunity to ask Trump how he’d deal with it. Trump’s already has identified islam as a problem, so that’s an answer I’d want to hear as it has substance, a name not so much. Instead we are treated to a repeat of what they pulled on Bush in ’99.

@Wordsmith: All the books in the world won’t keep your throat from being slit! — It is getting way to dam late for academic studies and discussions!

@David:

Hugh Hewitt is a very knowledgeable conservative. He knows his facts forward and backwards, so he doesn’t rely heavily on rhetoric. When he asked the exact same question of Carly Fiorina, she knew who makes up the pantheon of terrorist leaders. She was able to answer authoritatively.

So what? — think about it! Big eff’n deal — I do not give a dam rat’s a$$ what the jihadi’s name is — I want the SOB dealt with – and I want these inquisitor’s crap stuffed back down their throats — all they are doing is making the candidates tip their hands.

If we had fought WW2 this way we would still be chasing Hitler and Tojo all over the world — long after they were dead — and playing gotcha trivia games over the names of their successors and arguing whether their organizations existed or had ever existed– with a$$hole media types stuffing mics in all the politician’s faces trying to find out the latest intelligence and broadcast it to the world..

@Wordsmith:

@Budvarakbar: In other words, Hewitt has more familiarity on the topic of geopolitcs and Islamism than Trump. Yeah, that came across, CFB. Hugh’s talked about it for years. Trump…..er….for the last month?

And Trump’s been fighting the good fight on illegal immigration for years and not just this presidential election cycle, right? And consistent on his position, right?

So — if Hugh is one of the ‘good guys’ – why isn’t he helping out instead of feeding the Menshevik MSM?

Keep in mind that obie being a “Constitutional Scholar” only really means that he has studied it to find weak points!

@Wordsmith:

Hewitt is also slated to co-moderate the second GOP debate on CNN on Sept. 16

And therein lies a major problem

@JSW:

I just wish someone who wants to be the most powerful man on the planet had the self-directed desire to know the answers to these questions and many more.

You must be really happy with the jihadi that’s in the WH now!

Trump’s problem is he likes to speak in generalities and with vagueness, and that’s not going to change.

Like I said

@JSW:

I just wish someone who wants to be the most powerful man on the planet had the self-directed desire to know the answers to these questions and many more.

So if Hugh is on our side instead of kissing up to CNN – why didn’t he give Trump the questions ahead of time – like all the MSM – including FOX’s B O’R gave Obama ?? — why didn’t he state that the questions were out of the blue? Why didn’t he ask the price of milk or whether boxers or briefs or how to spell some word that the guy hasn’t had to spell for 20 years or more if ever?

Naw — Trump blew it yesterday by signing the non-aggression pact with the gopE — that signaled open season on him! — committed political suicide – ala Palin endorsing MuckStain in 2010!

@Wordsmith:

Trump can’t help but be who he is. And that’s the problem.

Neither can anybody else! — let us know when you find the perfect candidate! (AND I MEAN PERFECT!)- –One who extemporaneously knows ALL the answers to ALL the possible questions re ALL the possible past, current and future problems anywhere and everywhere in the world – all simultaneously!- both real and imaginary — Obama fit that description now – didn’t he? – anything and everything to anybody and everybody — hope and chains for the 57 states!

Here’s a hint: It will be another demo-COMMUNIST!

@Budvarakbar: So silly. One can’t want an intelligent president without being an Obama fan? Do you need everything spoonfed to you? Apparently so.

When you want to have a reasonable discussion instead of this MSNBC/Trump fanboy/zombie-like-follower of any belief system “You didn’t say PRECISELY what I believe so you’re EVIL and actually like The Enemy!” crap, let me know. Anyone who can read anything I’ve written and think that means I like Obama at all is an idiot.

@Budvarakbar #14 –

It may not matter to you, I understand that. But, Trump is running for president, he better know. From listening to the audio clip, Trump obviously wasn’t familiar with the name(s), just say he wasn’t familiar with the name(s). You don’t try to answer the question. Trump has appeared previously with Hewitt, so he cannot say he didn’t know this question would be asked.

However, all of us who are/were in SOF are very familiar with most of these names of HVT’s. In that community, it is our business to know.

Donald Trump has a lot on his plate right now. He’s running a huge commercial empire today while training people to run it for him if/after he is elected President, he is deeply involved in a national political campaign…
I don’t really care if he knows everything that he will need to know as President yet, as long as he will know it when the time comes.
I believe that he will.
Expecting him to have all of the answers today to questions that won’t be important until a later date is to set the bar unreasonably high for any candidate at this point in the race.
Certainly, other candidates might be able to answer more questions, but they are professional politicians.
Donald Trump is a businessman.
Give me time, and I can come up with a list of reasonable-sounding questions about a subject that would get a string of “I don’t knows” from any candidate.
At least Trump adds, “But I will find out when I need to.”
That, I can respect.

@Wordsmith:

it’s how Trump handled it.

Bush did a lot more to seize the narrative during his msm barrage when after being peppered with questions about heads of state, they asked, Who’s the president of Chechnya, one of Bush’s replies was, “Do you know?”

Was that Trump’s best showing; had he control of the narrative; did Trump research enough of the program before going in front of millions; did his lambaste have amplification?

No. But I believe it is inconsequential in the greater game of things. It’s going to be an interesting election cycle. Hold on to your hat folks!

@Wordsmith:

And Trump’s been fighting the good fight on illegal immigration for years and not just this presidential election cycle, right?

Love you bro. Trump 2011. “You either have a country or you don’t, you have a line or you don’t.”

Whether or not he was posturing past the election of 2012 is up in the air but it was years ago.

Who is?

Jhonen Vasquez
Abubakar Shekau
Selim Suleiman
Abu Sayyaf
Alexander Zakharchenko
Leto Atreides
Toomas Hendrik
Ramzan Kadyrov
Saleh Muslim
Masoud Barzani
Mohammad Ali Jafari
Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson
Banksy

Gotcha! I don’t think it matters, especially without context, doesn’t matter one bit if someone cant recall anyone of the names of VIPs of State/Org that I listed above.

How many can FAers recognize? David, no google!

Am checking out. Have a great holiday.

#28 –

“His first mistake is in saying he knew who Suleimani is that Hugh brought up. He should have simply said “no”; but his initial knee-jerk instinct was to not admit he didn’t know; then without conceding it, he concedes he doesn’t know- but that wasn’t too bad.

He recovers in that Hugh helps him out with a lifeline and Trump has heard of Suleimani and his import role & significance on the world stage (and he is an important figure that any presidential candidate should know about; and any PotUS will eventually know about when elected to office)- just not familiar with remembering the name. That’s forgivable as most average joe’s don’t know and don’t care.”

This is precisely the point I was trying to make, but which you have written much better. It’s not important to throw out a list of names and ask do you know who is who. Trump’s mistake was proceeding to offer an answer in which his personal knowledge is fuzzy, limited at best. He would have better served himself by saying he wasn’t familiar with the name.

As for @mossomo’s #27 little quiz of names, here are his answers:

fictional character – Atriedes, character from Dune.

pop culture and art – Bansky, that’s a graffiti art movement. Vasquez – he’s a cartoonist. My BIL follows his work and he’s into graffiti art with his son. There was also a Vasquez of a similar name, but he was a “minor” drug trafficker in the late 1990s from Colombia. He met a not-so-good end by the Colombian anti-terror forces.

Abu Sayyaf – Muslim terrorist group in the Philippines. Most were killed by the Filipino military. There’s another group (offshoot?) operating in Indonesia of the same name. Then, there were three terrorists who adopted the name as their nom de guerre – all three are dead.

Suleiman – led the Muslim army during the Crusades, not the Iranian general Trump messed up on.

Jafari – Iranian general installed by the mullahs. A true believer. He has knowledge of IRG and terrorist operations outside of Iran and nuclear program (open source). It is believed he led Iranian operations in Iraq when US Forces were there, primarily gathering intel, but also planning direct action operations against US Forces (open source).

Muslim and Barzani – Kurdish leaders. Barzani was elected as one of the co-presidents of Iraq, and is currently the president of Kurdistan. Muslim, key player in Kurdish “parliament”.

After my time in SOF – Shekau, Zakharchenko. First guy is leader of Boko Harem, the second is one of the “leaders” of the pro-Russian separatist groups in the Ukraine.

Terrorist pretending to be a statesman – Kadyrov, leader of an anti-Russian Chechen separatist group and self-proclaimed president of Chechnya. Was rumored to be in A-stan in 2001-03 allied with AQ and Taliban (open source). Has also been known to side with Russian military forces for cash (probably USD).

Hendrik and Gunnlaugsson – foreign politicians?

As a legally deaf person, I can vouch for how frustrating it is to not hear the correct words. I prefer reading texts from my customers; thus, mistakes are kept to a minimum. Quds and Curds would be a perfect example of a potential misunderstanding.

It’s tough being the first one to receive the questions. You can be humiliated and the next person can look like an intellectual giant with a few clicks of google search.

Trumps advisors messed up by not knowing Hewitt’s favorite book and the 12th Imam BS. If anyone deserved to be fired it was those boys.

It is rare to find someone who is familiar with the names of all the players, especially those guys with the family name of Mohammed, it’s a big family, lots of cousins.

If there is one trait shared by the Capitalist and the Socialist in the White House it is a thin skin and vindictive temper. This might not be a bad trait, if it is directed at our enemies instead of conservatives.