I know that some may feel that President Obama's words and reactions have not gone far enough.. John McCain thinks that the president's response "has not been enough".. though I am unsure what he would really be doing different. I agree with the president's measured response and am glad to see the days of saber rattling and cowboy diplomacy over. We need not be pawns of the rhetoric of Iranian leaders.
What do you think? Do you think McCain would be handling this crisis better?
I think this situation could have been handled much better than it has been without going so far as saber rattling. Having three different statements saying three different things over the span of a week demonstrates to me indecision on what to do/how to handle the situation. Condemning repression of those in the streets of Tehran at the outset could have sent a much stronger signal than "the world is watching." If I put myself in the position of one of those marching in Tehran and I hear someone say "we're watching," my response would be, "Well, that's great - but watching doesn't help us. What can you do to give us a more visible sign of support for wanting our votes counted?" I will concede that Obama is in a difficult situation because what is happening now could put him at odds with the speech he gave in the Middle East a few weeks back.
ReplyDeleteAs far as McCain handling things better, I don't like to deal in hypotheticals. I will say, using his response to the Russian incursion into the former republic last year as a guide, that I think he would have at least expressed a much stronger level of concern at the outset rather than hedging and saying something much more timid.
Gotta agree with you Matt.. McCain would have come out swinging.. it would not have been a measured response.. then again he seems to always shoot from the hip.. probably why McCain is not president.
ReplyDeleteMcCain would have come out swinging, and then when it didn't go his way, ask to join the Iranian majority
ReplyDeleteWho knows how McCain would have handled the situation. But, I am VERY happy with the current President's response. I think that wading in too soon would have given the Iranian regime an excuse to crack down even harder and to call the protestors puppets of the West.
ReplyDeleteIt's not our business to choose the government of Iran. It is our business to support human rights, freedom of speech and international standards of law.
Just to be contrarian, Bob, is this really a crisis?
ReplyDeleteIn terms of issues facing America, or the human rights issues facing people around the world, seems like just one of a hundred things going on right now.
My favorite line from the presser: You're on a 24 hour news cycle. I am not.
PS -- Happy Anniversary! I get to celebrate 21 yrs tomorrow.
Thx Ed! Good question ("is this really a crisis?").. guess one could say that it is not really a crisis unless I have some skin in the game.. just like some in other countries might have said on 9/11/01.. one man's crisis is another's evening news.
ReplyDeleteThat said I think that it is appropriate for the prez and others to have a reaction to this and other crises around the world.. now whether our leaders need to be throwing political rhetoric at each other.. maybe not so much.
I thought that Obama provided different responses not because of indecision but because the "situtation on the ground" changed from day to day and he will simply reacting to the situation as it unfolded which is what I expect and would hope any U.S. President would do.
ReplyDeleteI'm thankful that McCain is not the president. I don't think McCain's responses would always have been limited to sword rattling.
ReplyDeleteI was very surprised and disappointed when McCain stated that he didn't know whether Barack Obama supported Ahmadinejad or the Iranians citizens who are calling for a recount. There is no doubt in my mind that McCain knows that Obama does not support Ahmadinejad. McCain's response was political and disloyal. It is the response I would expect from Limbaugh rather than the "leadership" of the GOP.
I think the magnitude of Ayatollah Khameini's response to the Iranian uprising will be proportional to any action by the U.S. in support the uprising. I think the Iranians can in time get the theocratic leadership to accept truly democratic elections of their political leaders but only if the rest of the world stays uninvolved.
It is a "crisis" even for Americans who think we have no skin in the game. Iran is going nuclear in the very near future. Iran is a large producer of oil. And, Iran could represent a tipping point in Middle Eastern countries if they, on their own, return to a true democracy and operate by the will of the people.
ReplyDeleteI was also surprised and disappointed by McCain's response.. also felt it was disloyal and said more about him than the prez' response.
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