Preconditions

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Preconditions

Background

Senator John McCain issued a statement on May 21 stating Sen. Barack Obama wants "to meet unconditionally in his first year at the presidential level with the Iranian leaders." During a debate on July 23, 2007, a questionnaire asked the former Senator Barack Obama, “Are you willing to meet separately, without precondition, during the first year of your administration, in Washington or anywhere else, with the leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea, in order to bridge the gap that divides our countries?"

Analysis

So what is the conclusion of this argument and the supporting factors?

In the ad, McCain claims that Iran does have preconditions for any negotiations with the United States. In the video, 0:33 McCain is asserting that Obama does not have preconditions for any negotiations but Iran does.

(P1)McCain restates the questionnaire’s question, “Would you be willing to meet separately, without precondition, during the first year of your administration, in Washington or anywhere else, with the leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea, in order to bridge the gap that divides our countries?”…

(P2) Mr. Obama: I would. And the reason is this, that the notion that somehow not talking to countries is punishment to them — which has been the guiding diplomatic principle of this administration – is ridiculous.”

In conclusion, The McCain’s claims in the ad, is asserting that Iran does have qualifications for any negotiations with the United States in which, if the United States would end all support for Israel; and if all U.S. forces be withdrawn from the entire Middle East would be absurd. The ad has attracted some cable news attention for trading on the belief that Obama might be a secret Muslim. The ad has attracted some cable news attention for trading on the belief that Obama might be a secret Muslim

In this video McCain is committing appeal to ignorance fallacy, an appeal to ignorance is an argument for or against a proposition on the basis of a lack of evidence against or for it. If there is positive evidence for the conclusion, then of course we have other reasons for accepting it, but a lack of evidence by itself is no evidence in which McCain does not have any evidence that Obama has any secret alliance with Iran.