Clinton, Obama & Chavez

After the so-called debate last night, it seems that a big brouhaha has developed between the Clinton and Obama camps. Obama said he would be willing to talk to leaders such as Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez. Clinton says Obama is wrong, and that to talk to such "dictators" is to be used by them.

What nonsense! I'm going to have to agree with Obama on this one. How can you ever settle your differences with someone if you're not willing to talk to them? Clinton sounds like George Bush, who's the king of refusing to talk to anyone who disagrees with him.

It's time for us to stop demanding that every country agree with us or be treated like an enemy. That kind of thinking will never get problems solved, but it will create a whole host of enemies. Whatever happened to diplomacy and good old-fashioned decency?

And while I'm on this subject, what's the deal with everyone calling Hugo Chavez a "dictator"? He was elected and re-elected by a popular vote of the people of Venezuela. Furthermore, he was elected by an overwhelming majority, which is more than George Bush (who didn't even have a majority in 2000) can say!

The people of Venezuela have the right to elect whoever they want, whether we like it or not. Just because they elected someone a lot of Americans don't like doesn't give us the right to call him a "dictator".

For our leaders to now refuse to talk to him sounds a lot like a kid who takes his ball and goes home because he wasn't allowed to be quarterback. Maybe it's time for Bush and Clinton to start acting like adults.

Talking with those who disagree with you is not a bad thing -- it's called diplomacy, and it works!