Obama
Posted in Politics by Peter W. Schramm
Even the
Washington Post admits that President Obama has confused himself on Afghanistan, and is putting off important decisions. Yet he is able to call global warming an
urgent problem, and also be willing to interfere in
state politics (and not only in New York). While he does have Rahm Emmanuel's help with this, so he has McChrystal's help with Afghanistan. While Rahm Emmanuel is not likely to resign if he doesn't get his way, McChrystal might. Both were appointed by Obama. I also note that he has been talking in public for almost a week, and yet hasn't been able to move the football down field regarding health care, never mind being less than straighforward on ACORN matters, just to cite one example. If I were advising him, I would tell him that this is dangerous stuff. My point is merely this: While perception is not everything in politics, it does mean something. He is starting to be perceived as indecisive and ineffectual, and even somewhat disingenious. If public opinion moves this way what is left of his authority will dissappear.
12:17 PM / September 22, 2009
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Obama is in a real bind. If he prosecutes the war, as he should, it will take another surge like the one that was so successful in Iraq. That will please the American people but cause the pacifistic progressives to go nuts. If he lets Afghanistan go, he will lose the next election because he promised to take it to Bin Laden and company in the "good war." As always, he's straddling the fence, trying to figure out whether he wants to lose popular support or his base. His usual decision-making is to make a pretty leftist decision, causing the American people to question it, so he moderates his decision. The progressive left flips out, so he leans back in that direction, angering the American people, and no one knows what he stands for. The guy is a leftist progressive and yet knows that it is not very popular and is unwilling to hold any principles if it will cost him politically. Does anyone really know where he stands on Iraq? What does he believe with health care? His presidency is going down in flames.
Substitute Afghanistan for Iraq. Oops.