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By Michael Tomasky
Obamas Missing Bravado
Obama has nearly decimated al Qaeda. Why doesnt he brag about it? Michael Tomasky on liberals squeamishness at thumping their chestsand the endless victory lap that Bush would have taken.
The immediate political question raised by the successful drone attack that took out Anwar al-Awlaki is simple. How much credit will Barack Obama get for this? He ordered renewed drone attacks in Yemen earlier this year, and now, we see clear results. But I doubt Obama will derive much political benefit, for one obvious reason and one reason that is less obvious but that reflects something more enduring in our political culture.
When that SEAL team nailed Osama bin Laden, Obama got about a five-point bounce out of it, but it washed away as quickly as a wave on a beach. The conventional wisdom said, well, its the economy. People are more concerned about the unemployment rate. It also happened as the debt-ceiling crisis was starting to build, and Washington was more obsessed with it. So the conventional wisdom wasnt necessarily wrong.
But it also wasnt the whole story. The fuller explanation reflects differences in the emotional and psychological make-up of liberals and conservatives. Conservatives are far more eager to thump their chests about these things. Liberals, from Obama to Hillary Clinton to the liberal foreign-policy gurus at the think tanks to your average person, find it a little unseemly.
More: Obamas Missing Bravado
Obama is a quiet warrior...
obama is still doing the samew thing bush did
Not exactly. He has made many changes. It takes time to clean up Bush's mess.
One thing I totally dislike about conservatives is that I think they are bad sports. When a Democrat becomes president, conservatives refuse to acknowledge their accomplishments. It happened with Clinton amnd it is happening with Obama.
Obama Not Getting Credit for Foreign Policy Successes
Obama Not Getting Credit for Foreign Policy Successes
obama is still doing the samew thing bush did
Not exactly. He has made many changes. It takes time to clean up Bush's mess.
Is gitmo closed
has the patriot act been repealed
are we still fighting in Iraq afghanistan? Are Americans troops still being used to fight in other countries?
obama is still doing the samew thing bush did
Not exactly. He has made many changes. It takes time to clean up Bush's mess.
One thing I totally dislike about conservatives is that I think they are bad sports. When a Democrat becomes president, conservatives refuse to acknowledge their accomplishments. It happened with Clinton amnd it is happening with Obama.
Obama Not Getting Credit for Foreign Policy Successes
Obama Not Getting Credit for Foreign Policy Successes
What successes were still hated around the world and what were at one time allies are a little stracthed thin.
Pakistan is just about to breaks ties with us or didn't you know that?
Not exactly. He has made many changes. It takes time to clean up Bush's mess.
Is gitmo closed
has the patriot act been repealed
are we still fighting in Iraq afghanistan? Are Americans troops still being used to fight in other countries?
Gitmo wasn't closed because of a Republican campaign that terrorized the American people. Seems Republicans are better at that than al Qaeda. Who knew?
Do you want the Guantanamo terrorists in your neighborhood? - National Right Side Politics | Examiner.com
I'm glad you brought that up. This is a perfect example of Republicans fucking with the American people, telling them lies and scaring them to score political points against Obama. Points you yourself just used proving you are a Republican minion.
If Bush had taken out Bin Laden instead of let him go, all this would have been over a long time ago.
If Bush had taken out Bin Laden instead of let him go, all this would have been over a long time ago
Instead of keeping your head in obamas ass read something other than mainstream media. America's relationship with Pakistan is not as strong as it use to be.One thing I totally dislike about conservatives is that I think they are bad sports. When a Democrat becomes president, conservatives refuse to acknowledge their accomplishments. It happened with Clinton amnd it is happening with Obama.
Obama Not Getting Credit for Foreign Policy Successes
Obama Not Getting Credit for Foreign Policy Successes
What successes were still hated around the world and what were at one time allies are a little stracthed thin.
Pakistan is just about to breaks ties with us or didn't you know that?
Pakistan? Yeah right. We give them billions in aid. I don't think they're going anywhere.
Obama has done all the things Bush couldn't do.
Why?
Because he is smarter than Bush.
And to mention that they have nukes. It is a shakey relationship since thier nukes cannot fall into the wrong hands...Instead of keeping your head in obamas ass read something other than mainstream media. America's relationship with Pakistan is not as strong as it use to be.What successes were still hated around the world and what were at one time allies are a little stracthed thin.
Pakistan is just about to breaks ties with us or didn't you know that?
Pakistan? Yeah right. We give them billions in aid. I don't think they're going anywhere.
next
We had, at least, a working relationship with Pakistan before Obama came along.And to mention that they have nukes. It is a shakey relationship since thier nukes cannot fall into the wrong hands...Instead of keeping your head in obamas ass read something other than mainstream media. America's relationship with Pakistan is not as strong as it use to be.Pakistan? Yeah right. We give them billions in aid. I don't think they're going anywhere.
next
Not exactly. He has made many changes. It takes time to clean up Bush's mess.
Is gitmo closed
has the patriot act been repealed
are we still fighting in Iraq afghanistan? Are Americans troops still being used to fight in other countries?
Gitmo wasn't closed because of a Republican campaign that terrorized the American people. Seems Republicans are better at that than al Qaeda. Who knew?
Do you want the Guantanamo terrorists in your neighborhood? - National Right Side Politics | Examiner.com
I'm glad you brought that up. This is a perfect example of Republicans fucking with the American people, telling them lies and scaring them to score political points against Obama. Points you yourself just used proving you are a Republican minion.
If Bush had taken out Bin Laden instead of let him go, all this would have been over a long time ago.
Not even going to check on this..
But so what.
Almost every republican voted against Clinton's anti-terrorist efforts including one to beef up security at airports.
Clinton saw the problem and no one took it seriously. Especially Republicans.
We see how effective Clintools efforts were...he missed OBL and Bush had to deal with it and you keep blaming Bush ....some logic
And if the war was for oil ...so what.
and Bush still couldn't get him and didn't care where he was.
Not even going to check on this..
But so what.
Almost every republican voted against Clinton's anti-terrorist efforts including one to beef up security at airports.
Clinton saw the problem and no one took it seriously. Especially Republicans.
We see how effective Clintools efforts were...he missed OBL and Bush had to deal with it and you keep blaming Bush ....some logic
And if the war was for oil ...so what.
Again, Clinton wanted special ops hunting teams and he got missiles. Missiles are great for some things but nothing replaces on the ground human intel and hunter/killer teams.
The Bushies also had a long relationship with the Bin Ladens. From starting companies to funding a war against the Soviets in Afghanistan.
It was a patently stupid relationship at that. And cost tax payers billions.