Posted on 09/15/2013 12:00:52 PM PDT by Jim Robinson
WASHINGTON — President Obama, to his supporters, is a deliberative leader whose willingness to recalibrate his response to Syria’s use of chemical weapons potentially helped avert military strikes and further US involvement in a civil war half a world away.
But to his critics, Obama is like a character in a Shakespearean comedy, where the hapless protagonist succeeds despite himself. It was, after all, only after Secretary of State John F. Kerry made an offhand comment last Monday morning in London — and Russian leaders seized on it — that renewed diplomatic discussions began.
Now those discussions have led to a possible breakthrough announced Saturday, offering a temporary reprieve not only to President Bashar Assad of Syria but to his American counterpart, who had staked his credibility on finding a solution.
“The sympathetic view about all of this is that this is how Obama approaches problems,” said Julian E. Zelizer, a presidential historian at Princeton University. “He’s very deliberative, he’s slow, he avoids extremes. He’s willing to test like a scientist all the options before coming to a decision. His strongest supporters would say this is what we want. It’s better to make this mistake and look weak, instead of using the military when we don’t need to.”
“The unsympathetic view,” he added, “is that this was as sloppy as it looked.”
Now the question is whether this marks a turning point in Obama’s presidency that does lasting harm to both his domestic agenda and his international goals, or whether a diplomatic victory could reinvigorate what was already an agenda in trouble. Either way, it is a moment that could define Obama’s second term and set the stage for what could be a bruising three years to come.
(Excerpt) Read more at bostonglobe.com ...
Unexpected.
John McCain is a total ass. I pray Arizona retires this senile old fart.
His foreign opponents would also say this is what we want. Guess why?
Let's not forget that Otrauma willfully lied to the world and to the citizens of America, but the US Pravda Press will NOT note THAT. No, they will try to spin a win out of a crushing loss.
Not even the North Korean propaganda was THIS daring.
I am far less forgiving than you, Jim.... ;)
Jim, who’s trolling your article with the disparaging keywords???
That is so much cr@p.
The story of Pres. Hussein is a tragedy. And his only successes have been in damaging this nation.
Lame Duck Dynasty.
h/t Leno
No kidding. These 2 Obama a$$ kissers really have no idea on how he has such a low approval rating.
Not exactly; McCain told us we had nothing to fear from an 0bama presidency.
Or did I miss your sarcasm?
McCain and Obama are married to each other. It is an insight into the GOP today to see that the 2008 Republican candidate is Obama's closest ally in the Senate. I have contempt for McCain. I have contempt for the GOP.
This state of affairs is ridiculous. It's been ridiculous for years (Romney was even worse than McCain). None of this is unexpected. McCain is not an "unlikely" partner. Most of us totally saw that one coming ... years ago.
So, yeah, there was some sarcasm in my remark.
Making a mockery of America IS his second-term agenda.
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