Bill McGurn Replies (In Effect) to Ursula Hennessey
This morning, Ursula asked here on Ricochet if the operation against bin Laden should change the way we think about President Obama. In his column for tomorrow's Wall Street Journal, which just went live on the Journal's website, Bill McGurn replies, in effect, You're darned right it should.
Excerpts:
Mr. Obama has just undermined one of the primary narratives against him—that of an indecisive president who worries more about the rights of our enemies than the freedom and safety of our citizens. If Mr. Obama ends up toppling Moammar Gadhafi too, he will look even stronger.
In fact, even weaker policies—e.g., cutting defense, pulling out from Afghanistan, might now be argued from a position of strength: "I said I would get us out of Iraq, and I did—and Iraq is stronger. I said I would prosecute our real enemies in Afghanistan, and I did—and we got bin Laden. It is true that I am reluctant to commit America to overseas conflicts. But when we are engaged I will finish the job."
Do Republican candidates even have an answer?
There are still the matters of ObamaCare, an utterly untenable federal deficit, tens of billions wasted--wasted--in a failed effort to restart the economy, and the proliferation of extra-constitutional regulatory actions. Still, Brother McGurn makes a compelling, and vital, point.
How should Republican candidates answer?
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Jul '10
Re: Bill McGurn Replies (In Effect) to Ursula Hennessey
The Bin Laden thing will blow over in about 2 weeks. Meanwhile, anyone not already enthralled by Barack Obama knows full well that any American President, with Osama Bin Laden in his sights, would have done the same thing.
If Obama was as politically astute as some people seem to think, he would have made this an opportunity for a festival of American patriotism, prominently featuring our troops Instead, he made it another "I" and "me" moment.
Apr '11
Re: Bill McGurn Replies (In Effect) to Ursula Hennessey
The second term of President George H. W. Bush clearly demonstrates that Obama is invincible. Might as well cancel the election.
May '10
Re: Bill McGurn Replies (In Effect) to Ursula Hennessey
Draft Bolton.
Oct '10
Re: Bill McGurn Replies (In Effect) to Ursula Hennessey
Obama can be very tough on his enemies. Did anyone doubt that?
When his enemies are the nation's enemies, great. The real question is how often the two intersect.
Apr '11
Re: Bill McGurn Replies (In Effect) to Ursula Hennessey
Oct '10
Re: Bill McGurn Replies (In Effect) to Ursula Hennessey
That is an excellent point. A lot more could be made of this with a dose of humility. Instead he runs the risk of annoying more than inspiring.
Apr '11
Re: Bill McGurn Replies (In Effect) to Ursula Hennessey
Don't forget another stunning foreign policy success a year and a half before an incumbent President faced re-election in the midst of a bad economy. Our friend President H. W. Bush certainly.
Peter, it's still the economy, it's still jobs. With a newly found respect for President Obama's backbone, we can still go forth and win next November. Indeed, I hope and pray that we shall.
Oct '10
Re: Bill McGurn Replies (In Effect) to Ursula Hennessey
I disagree. Clinton failed to do so, did he not? I think the greatly enhances Obama's hand. He may be graduating from Carterdom.
Sep '10
Re: Bill McGurn Replies (In Effect) to Ursula Hennessey
The response should be: acknowledgment that what Obama did was the right thing, and that they are glad that he finally got it. Then they should remind voters that they and most other Republicans, with exception to Ron Paul, never strayed from the correct path that Obama and the left recently seem to have found.
They should also remind voters, who it was that violated the adage of leaving differences at the water's edge (Democrats) and who has supported (mostly unwaveringly) the present foreign policy in the Legislative Branch (Republicands)
People know who the grownups are, they are in the Republican party and a few of them work for the Executive branch at present, albeit they had to learn the hard way.
May '10
Re: Bill McGurn Replies (In Effect) to Ursula Hennessey
Mr. McGurn fairly notes that some credit will help mostly his supporters and some independents be more comfortable with his foreign policy performance. And I think an honest conservative needs to at least give the hat tip to this operation and the willingness to up the drone tactics, etc. (Furthermore, it really had to pain the president to launch the kill order when one or more of Atty. Gen. Holder's former private-sector pro bono clients could have been in the compound too!).
But a flaccid Libya policy and Lord-knows-what-follows in Syria, Turkey, etc. provide snares to bedevil the Empty Vessel. If nothing else, I've heard several of the President's defenders where I am employed sound ever so neocon today.
In the end, the President remains someone with very few original political thoughts. He relies heavily on well-worn reflexes like class envy, scare-the-life-out-of-seniors, and extensive use of the words fairness, excessive profits, etc.
I thank him for ordering the mission. I think no differently about him otherwise.
Mar '11
Re: Bill McGurn Replies (In Effect) to Ursula Hennessey
I'd suggest Paul Ryan keep pointing out the, um, inadequacies of Mr. Obama's budget.
The fact that we have such a fantastic military is not due to Mr Obama - far from it. He is standing on the shoulders of giants, and preparing to make deep cuts in their budgets, while trying to take the credit for what they did.
We need a candidate who can articulate this better than I can.
May '10
Re: Bill McGurn Replies (In Effect) to Ursula Hennessey
It's difficult to know how much political capital he gained from taking out bin Laden. OBL was essentially a symbolic leader and had passed the torch to others, so it didn't really move the ball forward in that regard. When it came to his statements concerning foreign policy and military action, Obama reversed himself on many issues and ended up following Bush policies (Gitmo, trying KSM, etc). I'd make the Obama of the 2008 campaign run against the Obama of 2012. He talked a lot of hype and then reality smacked him in the face when he took office. I'm pretty pessimistic about any GOP candidate at this point. The media has and will continue to protect Obama. He's been forced to make compromises in his first term, but a second term will truly be a transformative presidency, and not in a good way. He'll have a lot more latitude to do what he wants and that includes increasing spending and raising taxes.
Mar '11
Re: Bill McGurn Replies (In Effect) to Ursula Hennessey
Beyond his obvious failings on the domestic front and complete incoherence in foreign affairs, Republicans and the press (if they were doing their jobs) should attack Obama on his blatant tardiness in every aspect of his presidency. The man is even late to his own speeches and not fashionably so but pathetically. The question I have is if the CIA knew of this compound in Abbottabad in August and suspected bin Laden was there, then why did it take nine months to take him out?
Sep '10
Re: Bill McGurn Replies (In Effect) to Ursula Hennessey
How should Republican candidates answer?
American foreign policy is a lot more than a go/no-go special forces strike. The world is a large theater of operations and on Egypt and elsewhere, President Obama's adminstration has been so far behind the curve that he's become a walking Mobius strip.
Put the clubs away, and stow your basketball in the attic Mr. President: you spent an evening without ESPN and put a hole in one in the head of public enemy number one. Try doing it the rest of your term and fixing the multi trillion dollar toxic waste dump you've created or President elect Paul Ryan can do it for you and you can watch Celebrity Apprentice reruns in Hawaii.
May '10
Re: Bill McGurn Replies (In Effect) to Ursula Hennessey
Obama Channeled Bush, and we got Osama. Obama made use of the fruits of the interrogation techniques he despised during the elections, going it alone (the raid was clearly going it alone!), and on and on.
Re: Bill McGurn Replies (In Effect) to Ursula Hennessey
Could you explain this one, Michael? I'm not disagreeing with you. I'm just not sure I follow. You mean W. showed that more or less anyone can get elected to a second term? (If so, what about Carter?)
Sep '10
Re: Bill McGurn Replies (In Effect) to Ursula Hennessey
going it alone (the raid was clearly going it alone!), and on and on.
Does the Nobel Peace Prize come with an XBox 360 pre loaded with Call of Duty? At the rate Obama keeps cappin' the oppressed in the third world, perhaps we can get him a new prize every year, and Cindy et al can petition the World International Criminal Court to have him up on charges.
Dec '10
Re: Bill McGurn Replies (In Effect) to Ursula Hennessey
Pseud is right: Obama eventually gave the go order to fire on pirates holding an American hostage and the go order on killing Bin Laden, but those are two discrete operations. When it comes to ongoing campaigns like dealing with Iran, or Qaddafi, or Assad, or Hamas, or defeating the Taliban, he hasn't demonstrated great strategic leadership.
Dec '10
Re: Bill McGurn Replies (In Effect) to Ursula Hennessey
Peter, in the wake of Desert Storm, Bush 41 had approval ratings of 90%. If a military victory and its attendant political bounce were the end-all of politics, Clinton would never have beaten Bush. But "it's the economy, stupid" crushed the war leader.
May '10
Re: Bill McGurn Replies (In Effect) to Ursula Hennessey
Mr. McGurn's point is well taken and I hope this event at least sidelines frivolous gadflies in the Republican field like Ron Paul and Gary Johnson.