Sallow, is America exceptional? Oh my sweet Lord, YES! A nation comprised of 'mutts' mostly, who argue with each other vehemently on subjects that really don't mean squat to the bottom line. But when 'pushed' from outside? The only good analogy I would offer is that once I went on a coon hunt and the dogs cornered a badger (very unusual in this part of the country). That night, out of six dogs, we lost four of them. One of them had to be put down later and the other wouldn't hunt again. PERIOD. We never actually saw the badger, just his prints. And the pieces of the dogs he tore apart. No one with any credibility would deny this countries exceptionalism.
But you have to admit that Barry and his handlers look weak, disorganized, inconsistent and without direction. There isn't much that I agree with the President on, but I absolutely HATE IT that someone as low as Putin got one over on him. Putin is a snake and whether the President allowed it to happen or didn't see it coming or whatever happened, he allowed Putin to snatch the momentum. The President looks ineffectual and confused at best.
I do not deny that Chemical Weapons were used against civilians in Syria. I am almost convinced that Assad used them. But, if we are going to do something, you don't telegraph your punches. When you do, then the target (if they have any brains at all) moves out of the way. Not only did Syria move but, because of Putin, they counter punched at the President himself. And they landed a good one!
The President, in his own words, drew the RED LINE. That line was crossed not just once, but twice. Then he begins a very public dialogue of what he's going to do and when he's going to do it. Assad is Putin's butt budy. Putin is not going to allow the President to simply do what he wants when he wants and if Putin can turn the situation around to his favor, he will. Good God, the man is ex-KGB and he isn't an idiot and the President tried to blow him off. Putin turned it around and used it against the President. Very amateurish. Course, it also doesn't surprise me. The President isn't very good at foreign policy anyway in my opinion and makes a lousy Commander-in-Chief. Dude, you've a military that drips testosterone and is so damn macho it literally DEFINES the word for God's sake. Grow some cajones!
I would have been much more in his camp if I would have woke one moring to see television footage of smoldering wreckage that they identified as Assad's military. Then was told by the President, "See Assad, I told you NOT to cross the red line. Do it again, and we'll kick you in the balls."
That we should value international law (waterboarding?)
