A California voter named Stephen Sorta posed the question on YouTube, which was played at a Democratic debate, and Barack Obama swiftly answered, "I would."
Maybe too swiftly, the pundits later said, given the thorniness of the question: "Would you be willing to meet separately, without precondition, during the first year of your administration ... with the leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea?"
From those seconds last summer at a YouTube/CNN forum to candidate speeches this month, the argument has intensified. With the senator from Illinois poised to accept his party's nomination, voters face stark options on dealing with the world's devils.
Obama says he would be willing to meet with them, at least. Republican John McCain calls that naive and reckless.
But Ronald Reagan, a Republican, talked to the Soviets. Richard Nixon, a Republican, dealt with China.
Read the complete story at kansascity.com.