Obama's Libya Speech: Worse Than a Crime, a Blunder
The president is in trouble. The problem is less that his remarks were wrong (though from time to time, to be sure, they were) and more that they were insufficient. This is a defensible action -- defensible as part of a grand strategy. Tonight, Barack Obama gave us no grand strategy. By all appearances, today, America has none.
You may say the speech is about Libya, not America's place in the world. Fair enough. But no one -- least of all the president -- can speak coherently about what we are doing in Libya -- much less persuasively, much less commandingly -- without addressing how our military engagement figures into our strategic approach to the Mideast and environs.
Failure here can only disappoint the president's supporters and radicalize his critics. He must do more and better.
The big takeaway from this speech is not just that he seems to lack any desire to do so, but that he seems not to understand the necessity of doing so -- to his political fortunes no less than our own.
- Comment (10)
- · Quote
- · UnfollowFollow (2)
Comments :
Jun '10
Re: Obama's Libya Speech: Worse Than a Crime, a Blunder
"Thank God we acted, and are doing the work of the angels in Libya, but don't worry, we're getting the heck out of there real soon."
Re: Obama's Libya Speech: Worse Than a Crime, a Blunder
James, you are right on the money. He is so vain that he cannot imagine that his judgment will be questioned, and he has no idea that it is his duty to defend our interests and part of that duty to show us that what he is doing makes sense in terms of those interests.
Jun '10
Re: Obama's Libya Speech: Worse Than a Crime, a Blunder
President Obama looked like he was less than convinced at his own words. This troubles me.
Jan '11
Re: Obama's Libya Speech: Worse Than a Crime, a Blunder
Sorry, but after reading this, I still don't know what exactly you wanted him to say...
May '10
Re: Obama's Libya Speech: Worse Than a Crime, a Blunder
Mr. Obama is a member of a class of academes who see America's best interests as at the heart of all the world's ills. Electing this man president was an act of administering Kryptonite to the entire Jor-El family.
May '10
Re: Obama's Libya Speech: Worse Than a Crime, a Blunder
I'm not sure Talleyrand would agree. Of course Obama has no grand strategy on foreign policy in the Mideast or anywhere else, other than they should like him because he's super-awesome.
However, we must hope that Obama is a short-timer. If he acts here in a manner consistent with a workable grand strategy, that's all we can hope for, and we can fill in the blanks when he's gone. God knows we don't want him to come up with a strategy on his own. One shudders.
Feb '11
Re: Obama's Libya Speech: Worse Than a Crime, a Blunder
Grand strategy for the Middle East? What is it/has it been for over a decade other than to unite Arabs, Persians, and Turks against us?
Jan '11
Re: Obama's Libya Speech: Worse Than a Crime, a Blunder
James Poulos
You got one thing right. Obama's actions are radicalizing his critics.
But about everything else you are wrong. That was a political speech last night and it was successful.
Obama did a superb job. Out of the usual mess of contradictions and opportunism that are Democratic statecraft, Obama molded a forceful, serious and presidential address that will do nothing to diminish him in the eyes of the voting public.
The man has presence. When he looked directly into the camera you saw power and conviction, not ambiguity or diffidence. He was persuasive. People will not remember his words, but they will remember that the President of the United States believed what he was saying, and that will go a long way.
If certitude is a suit of clothes, Obama is haute couture.
Looking back on Bush 41, Bob Dole, W and John McCain, and forward to Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty and Mitch Daniels, I can only envy the Democrats for finding this nonpareil snakeoil salesman for the 21st Century.
And to quote Chief Brody from "Jaws:" “I think we're going to need a bigger boat."
Dec '10
Re: Obama's Libya Speech: Worse Than a Crime, a Blunder
I don't watch Obama's speeches. Apparently I didn't miss much, as usual.
From what I've heard and read he only repeated the previous incoherent and inconsistent talking points everyone else in his admin voiced at one time or another, while making his usual morally self righteous noises, with accompanying body language, facial expressions, and chin raises.
Avoiding a massacre in Benghazi was good. Destroying Gaddafi's armed forces is good. Toppling and eliminating Gaddafi would be good. And if in the end there is a more moderate government in Libya that would be good.
Whether or not we should be involved at all is another matter. Saddam made Gaddafi look like a boy scout and Obama opposed Bush on removing him, allegedly on principle.
So much for Obama's principles. He cannot hide his obvious hypocrisy from people who examine his past words and measure his present actions against them.
Jul '10
Re: Obama's Libya Speech: Worse Than a Crime, a Blunder
Heads up, now Hillary wants to arm Libyan rebels. Apparently Al-Qaeda isn't getting enough with just the looting.