Obama Shoots Himself in Both Feet
Last night, President Obama delivered a full-throated defense of the Ground Zero mosque project at a White House Iftar dinner. Conservatives and liberals alike interpreted Obama's comments not just as a defense of the legal right to build Cordoba House, but as an enthusiastic endorsement of the project.
Some on the left, like Greg Sargent of the Washington Post, hailed Obama's pro-mosque remarks as "one of the finest moments of Obama's presidency." Sargent wrote that Obama's "core supporters" are delighted that he finally showed some "spine."
Oops--not so fast! Abashed by complaints from his fellow Democrats, Obama backtracked earlier today and issued a "clarification":
President Barack Obama on Saturday sought to defuse the controversy over his remarks on plans to build a mosque near Ground Zero, insisting that he wasn't endorsing the specific project but making a general plea for religious tolerance toward all. ...
"I was not commenting and I will not comment on the wisdom of making the decision to put a mosque there," Obama continued. "I was commenting very specifically on the right people have that dates back to our founding."
So much for presidential backbone. What is noteworthy about this incident is how characteristic it is of Barack Obama. He delivered not one self-inflicted wound, but two. First, he waded needlessly into a controversy that shouldn't have been his concern. The mosque, as he himself has noted, is a local, not federal, matter. By advocating for the project--not just its legality, but its appropriateness--he took a distinctly unpopular position. Not only that, he nationalized the issue, increasing the likelihood that swing-district Democrats will be expected to take a position. Then, not content with that damage, he almost immediately succumbed to pressure and reversed course, disappointing the loyalists who were briefly cheered by his willingness to side unequivocally with the unpopular Left.
Obama's supporters like to see this sort of vacillation as Hamlet-like, but that gives Obama too much credit. Hamlet was larger than life, while this sort of episode makes Obama appear ever-smaller.
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Jul '10
Re: Obama Shoots Himself in Both Feet
"The mosque, as he himself has noted, is a local, not federal, matter."
To Democrats, there is no longer such a thing as a "local matter". Just ask Pete Stark.
And Obama, let us recall, is a "citizen of the world". With a particular affinity for the Muslim portion of it.
Jun '10
Re: Obama Shoots Himself in Both Feet
Mr. Hinderaker, what's your take: will this whole episode really stick? Obviously, it should, but like a typical Friday-night news dump, his Saturday "clarification" came awfully quick in the cycle.
Re: Obama Shoots Himself in Both Feet
And Sarah Palin ever larger! Among her zingers, this has got to rank near the top:
May '10
Re: Obama Shoots Himself in Both Feet
What amuses me is the crickets from the White House on the Prop 8 reversal. The trouble with wading in to everything with your great wisdom is that it is then noticeable when you avoid an issue too.
May '10
Re: Obama Shoots Himself in Both Feet
A perfect Obama twofer: wrong and indecisive.
As for Palin, those three sentences say it all as well as it can be said: She boils the issue down to its uncomplicated essence. If Palin's indeed writing her own stuff--and we have no reason to assume she isn't--then she ain't so dumb after all.
May '10
Re: Obama Shoots Himself in Both Feet
I'm only guessing, but perhaps Obama's original statement was intended more as an act of diplomacy (while pressed by Russia's recent decision) than an address to American citizens.
As for the backstep/clarification, was that Obama's own decision or a collective strategy of his counselors?
Jun '10
Re: Obama Shoots Himself in Both Feet
I imagine Obama got an earful from the Nation's Democrat congressional candidates that now have to state whether they agree with the President, or not, on an issue that was important enough, apparently, for the President to wade into.
Re: Obama Shoots Himself in Both Feet
There have been so many events where someone had the right to do something but the Left unleashed so much hate that people's rights were denied. Two that come to mind are Rush being denied his right to own an NFL team, and Dr. Laura being run out of Hollywood before being able to exercise her right to broadcast a TV show.
No to Rush, no to Dr. Laura, yes to the way women are treated by Islam because that would build a bridge?
May '10
Re: Obama Shoots Himself in Both Feet
It puzzles me when non-New Yorkers insist that the so-called Ground Zero mosque is a local matter and go on to comment on it in their commentary on national affairs for Web sites with audiences almost entirely outside of Lower Manhattan. Besides President Obama, folks who regard this as worthy of comment, despite being outside the locality of NYC, are myself, lots of great writers here at Ricochet, Sarah Palin, Fareed Zakaria, several writers at NR... the list goes on and on.
Aug '10
Re: Obama Shoots Himself in Both Feet
Correction: Hamlet was arrogant, wantonly destructive, self-deluded, egomaniacal, obsessed with control but incompetent in its application, coldly inconsiderate in his treatment of others, and utterly blind to the disaster he was creating around himself-- all things considered, I think that makes him reasonably comparable to Obama.
And both required someone else to provide them with their words.
Jul '10
Re: Obama Shoots Himself in Both Feet
The White House workload is crushing and Obama is tired already. If I were his doctor I would recommend more vacation. If I were his chief political adviser I would do the same. A sharp reduction in public exposure is clearly needed. Not the full Howard Hughes, but along those lines.
Jul '10
Re: Obama Shoots Himself in Both Feet
Obama is the man-in-the-raincoat President: he knows he shouldn't be out there flashing his thing in public, but the urge is just too strong.