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.
I hope they load the wrong version into the TP.
Totalitarians of all stripes can be allies for at time but eventually they must go for each other's throats until all but one version is extinct then the truly desparate and vicious internecine warfare will commence.
Colorado is one, I don’t know what the other one is
I simply cannot stand to listen to the guy. I would much rather find out on FR.
He will try to position himself to take credit for Putin’s initiate.
"Embassies!?! Oh, crap, I though my chief of staff said 'NBC.' Of course I put them on alert." - 0bama
No one I know will be watching so it doesn’t matter what he says. Whose BP can stand even two minutes of the Liberal’s lies?
Well: It’s not like he is going to say anything worth listening to anyway.
Hah!
The mice are picking up every time his hands touch the podium!
Mice=mics
Yes, Noonan is low on my list too, but her commentary was quite good for a change, and one point in particular was, imo, the best she’s made in years:
“All this, if it is roughly correct, is going to make the president’s speech tonight quite remarkable. It will be a White House address in which a president argues for an endeavor he is abandoning. It will be a president appealing for public support for an action he intends not to take.”
A deadly display of knifework, that.
YUP
Only about half gray tonight. Just enough white to look wise but enough black to look vigorous.
Very good analysis!
The evil creature is not going to see a good ending.
I am so thankful Rizzoli and Isles is not going to be interrupted by the useless liar. I can check in here every once in a while to see if anything of interest is happening!!
Oh help me. He’s on now and I can’t turn the channel. It’s another drone attack - he’s droning on and on...it’s unbearable.
I believe that. He’s so pathetic in so many ways.
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