How'd We Lose Brazil, Turkey and Lebanon?

[Casino67]

Huffington Post:

After 17 months of diplomacy, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice was only able to get 12 of the 15 countries on the United Nations Security Council to vote to place increased sanctions on the Islamic Republic's illegal pursuit of nuclear weapons. Yesterday, on Fox News Sunday, Rice jumped to defend the Obama Administration's lackluster performance by claiming that previous Iran resolutions were not unanimous during the Bush Administration and that there were "abstentions". Her strategy to minimize the Bush team's performance in order to make her own poor performance look better isn't factual. After so much hype about President Barack Obama's foreign policy engagement strategy, the Obama UN resolution was remarkably weak, took too long to get and received less support than Bush's team got in producing FIVE Security Council resolutions on Iran.



While the Obama team continues to tout their global fame, their popularity failed to convince Brazil, Turkey and Lebanon from voting for the sanctions resolution -- despite 17 months of diplomacy. Obama's foreign policy weakness and acquiescence has made him an international celebrity guest, but it isn't producing the promised results on U.S. foreign policy priorities. The Obama team's poor performance calls into question its overly diplomatic strategy to lead the world through excessive talk.



If you are comfortable living in a world where America has no more influence than China, then you may like Obama's softer, quieter, weaker America. Iran certainly loves the breathing room they got from Rice waiting 17 months before increasing the pressure on their illegal nuclear weapons program. And allies like Turkey, Brazil and Lebanon now find it easy to ignore Obama. It isn't popular to say, but the world needs a strong America. The world needs an America that leads our allies and isn't troubled by certain charges of hubris from elites on the Upper East Side of New York City or in capitals around the world. One thing is clear - Obama's easy professorial attitude isn't winning us votes.
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Thought it was very interesting that Arianna published this article. Is it a shot across the bow of USS Urkel? Could this be leading up to a 'Cronkite' moment?

[SrWoodchuck]

Casino67, thanks for the post.

 

Could it be November strategy for distancing themselves from Obama, and putting up "straw" candidates for the coming elections? You can throw up a candidate that is an unwritten slate, capable of saying whatever is needed to take the place of the incumbent-flu damaged; or draw enough support away from a GOP candidate. Then back to business as usual.

 

Until these people are politically dead, dead, daed with a stake through their hearts....they are dangerous.

 

It's November or never.

 

 

You'd need a little more in the cerebral cortex, than Mr. Greene from South Carolina, but he's pretty much the ideal- stubborn enough to not run away, can't remember how he got there and doesn't know enough words to be a liability.

Edited June 15, 2010 by SrWoodchuck