Comments on: What’s Obama to Do?

By: Sondra

Sondra — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 18:52:56 +0000

I agree with you too. He really cannot speak now because it is not yet his job; meanwhile he is being kept in the loop (maybe) and will make up his own mind when he is officially the POTUS.

If he’s smart he will question every premise of the Bush team and start from scratch. If he is smart, he will listen to Jimmy Carter even though no one on either side likes Jimmy.

The press had a field day noticing how Jimmy was “off to the side” of the other former POTUSES the other day at lunch even though he is the one that made the most progress on an Israeli/Palestinian detente.

By: felicity

felicity — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 18:54:42 +0000

Agreed, maha. About all Obama could do would be to demand a cease-fire, admonish the parties involved, express shock at the carnage…the list is endless. Would anything change, or anybody who needed to, listen? No.

I am amazed at the hue and cry calling for him to say something. The problems in the ME will never be solved with oral admonitions, in fact, since they’re consistently ignored, they only serve to show the world and the Israelis and Palistinians that the POTUS has about as much power as a limp rutubaga.

He will deal with the issue, not blow smoke about it like the blowhard who’s about to leave us has for eight dreadful years.

By: rob

rob — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 18:37:26 +0000

e0 [dot] extreme-dm [dot] com

Links to some site in the Netherlands. Looks pretty sketchy to me.

By: k

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 18:28:42 +0000

There is nothing he can do for now. speaking out would not help. yes Israel went ahead before the clock ran out. Best to wait and plan carefully what to do. In a way it gives him a chance to plan a response rather than just reacting.

By: Mike Furlan

Mike Furlan — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:46:49 +0000

I think this is an indication of a more general problem.

During the Obama Presidency there will be only one rule:

Obama is wrong.

If he doesn’t comment, he is wrong.
If he comments now, he would be wrong.
When he does announce his policy after 20Jan09, he will be wrong.
Check Drudge daily for the current way in which Obama is wrong.

Senator Feinstein says he is wrong to select Panetta, but “voted for all of Bush’s nominees to run the CIA, including the hapless Porter Goss, and of course illegal-wiretapping advocate General Michael Hayden.”
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/1/6/1655/94728/802/680582

His economic policies cannot possibly turn the economy around in even 100 newscycles. He will be wrong.

Likewise Bush’s wars will become Obama’s wars in a matter of months. And he will be wrong.

Sad to say, but Barack Obama, in my opinion the best person to ever be elected President of this country, will end up being hated.

Oh, and I’m not looking for anyone to “talk me down.”

I’ve already accepted what will happen.

By: Michael

Michael — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 05:38:05 +0000

Totally agreed, Barbara.

By: paradoctor

paradoctor — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 01:50:16 +0000

This is right out of the Obama playbook. He’s keeping cool, playing by the rules, keeping his mouth shut, waiting until it’s his turn, at which point he’ll become the adult in the room.

By: Swami

Swami — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 01:28:52 +0000

The danger is that when he finally peers over the parapet on January 21, the battle of perceptions may already be half-lost.

Seems like Simon is goading rather than practicing the fine art of sincerity.I’m surprised Simon didn’t include a little second hand unattributed quote like,”let them eat poi” to clarify Obama’s attitude regarding the Palestinians. My feeling is that Simon is just doing some sophisticated shit stirring, much like Michele Malkin does, but on a higher intellectual plane. The premise that people don’t understand why Obama isn’t issuing statements regarding the conflict when he hasn’t formally been handed the reigns of power just seems a little too contrived to be taken seriously.
It should be a universal understanding that at this point, considering the upcoming transfer of power and the uncertainty in direction of American policy, that Obama should remain silent. To do otherwise would show that Obama doesn’t understand the dynamics of power.

By: moonbat

moonbat — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:55:09 +0000

We’ll be hearing from Obama soon enough. Although this situation has more things in it urging him against speaking out just now, I do like the fact that he generally takes his time in responding to matters. What a relief it’s going to be to have someone use that thing between their ears for thinking, instead of their fabled gut.

We’ve had quite enough of ignoring the rule of law in the Bush Administration. One of the things we all hope President Obama will do is restore proper Constitutional checks and balances.

On this count, I’ve been reading some great news about Obama’s recent appointments (too lazy to find links). These picks look like they’re serious about restoring the rule of law to the executive branch. Greenwald said that of Obama’s picks made to date, these could be the most significant.

OTOH, I read that two dozen conservatives are about to endorse Ken “The Katherine Harris of the Buckeye State” Blackwell for RNC chair. The only thing these people have going for them are their ugly tactics and their darknened minds.

I’ve read that light and dark is always in balance, and it seemed like that’s the character of these announcements.

By: c u n d gulag

c u n d gulag — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:34:04 +0000

Obama is doing the right thing.
This whole mess took place because Israel knew that Obama was getting sworn in within a few weeks. They had to act when they did to get the “OK” from the USA. They wanted a “Bomb’s Away” that they knew they’d get from the Bush mis-aminstration, and knew that an Obama admistration would want talks between the two parties.
Unless Bush steps down, there’s little Obama can do. To opine on this, or any other matter, would to to increase the chaos that he will inherit.
I finally figured our what the “W” in George W. Bush stands for – “W”hat a cluster”””5@