Posted on 09/10/2013 5:33:01 PM PDT by Kaslin
Does anyone believe the president had the foggiest idea what he'll say tonight as recently as mid-afternoon? He's blown through three different Syria policies -- that we know of -- in the last 48 hours. And because he promised America a speech, a speech we shall receive. How will he frame his remarks? Will they be tailored primarily for a domestic political audience, or for America's adversaries, who have been running rings around him while giggling? My guess is that he'll issue a deadline and an ultimatum, while talking a lot about how US pressure created an opening for diplomacy to work. Everyone wins! Assad gets off with a sternly-worded letter, Putin thoroughly routs the US on the world stage, and Obama stops his political bleeding at home. Let's update the farcical "smart power" parade: (1) Syria's regime says it suddenly wants to sign the international anti-chemical weapons treaty, and declare its arsenal...which they've "declared" several times in recent months. (2) The Obama administration is trying to pretend that John Kerry's screw-up yesterday is what they'd been planning all along. The shamelessness of this lie is astounding, given their own quotes from yesterday. (3) Putin, having exploited Kerry's turnover, has again embarrassed the US, this time by derailing his own proposal at the UN. He's demanding that the US stand down on even the threat of military force, and will no doubt push for a watered-down, toothless UN resolution. In case you're curious, action at Turtle Bay has been...postponed. How is the Left is reacting to all of this? With a hodgepodge of denial and wish-casting:
If Syria actually declares its stockpiles and signs the treaty, would make it *really* hard for them to use weapons again. — Christopher Hayes (@chrislhayes) September 10, 2013
I can't believe the White House's strategy on Syria is working out this well. I doubt they can, either. — Ezra Klein (@ezraklein) September 10, 2013
UPDATE - One more: Max Boot shreds the Assad/Putin/Kerry plan. And by the way, our "allies" in the Syrian opposition are vowing to join forces with Al Qaeda -- one of the many reasons these numbers look the way they do.
UPDATE II - As far as predictions go, I think Peggy Noonan is spot on, all the way down to the inevitable shameless spin.
And how long before the Speech is itself inoperative?
I will have t find out what he said tomorrow.
I cannot stand to listen to the CS’er.
ED ASNER:
“Not my Galahad”
If you wait until tomorrow to find out what he said tonight you will be two policy changes behind.
Tomorrow...9-11 again....Say a little prayer...
30 seconds on the clock, Obama and the Washington Rear Admirals vs. Putin and his Moscow Globetrotters ....
Barry’s dazed and confused. He will need someone to blame:
“Not mine! No! That’s not on me, uh uh. Not me—no, no!”
Bush!
ED ASNER:
“Not my Galahad”
And Asner said he was disappointed with O-bomb-me on a scale of 7 from 1 to 10. Progressives are not happy with their boy.
He'll find out what his newest policy is at the same time the rest of us do. When he reads it off the teleprompter.
Thanks for pointing to the Noonan blog. it has been a long time since I considered useful anything she might say and I have therefore avoided her. I guess even Establishment Republicans can be sharp observers at times.
Yes. I’m not a great fan of hers, and haven’t been for years, but I think Peggy Noonan has it nailed. She was a speechwriter for Reagan, back in the day, and knows how it’s done.
In fact, I hope she didn’t give clueless Barry the clue what he should say. Maybe he should pay her a speechwriter’s fee for her suggestion.
I’m guessing Putin has a half dozen ways to embarrass Zero within minutes of completing his speech.
What’s wrong with his left foot? Falling off at the ankle?
Probably.
But I won’t have to listen to the limp wristed POS.
Yes.
Did Obama remember to put the embassies on alert?
Oh, I forgot, he’s too busy working on his Syria Policy.
He’s not very muscular. I wonder if he has weak tendons.
That Galahad never Hadagal!
(The girls are test tube babies from a donor.)
I am watching Storage Wars on A&E
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