“Turkey coup: Try to picture Donald Trump handling this well”
Here’s Matt Yglesias:
Picture Donald Trump on a series of calls with advisors and heads of government from around the region, and inside the NATO alliance, devising a constructive response to a coup attempt in Turkey.
Good luck…
…[T]o be a good president you do need to be able to run good meetings. You need to get up to speed in a chaotic situation, talk to a bunch of people who are more knowledgeable than you but not ultimately empowered or accountable the way you are, and you need to try to steer some inherently unfavorable situations toward a non-disastrous outcome.
From everything I know about Trump – not just his temperament and his character, but his actual ideas about politics and leadership – he simply doesn’t have what it takes.
Is this not a perfect description of Barack Obama’s track record? The only difference is that Yglesias is positing ignorance on the part of Trump (“fool” in the “knave or fool” narrative) and I am positing conscious intent on the part of Obama (“knave” with a dose of “fool” in that same narrative). Obama’s international outcome-steering has been very consistently disastrous for the entire seven and a half years of his presidency, and he never talks to people “who are more knowledgeable” than he is because there’s no one on earth more knowledgeable than he.
But Yglesia and his readers will almost certainly fail to see or appreciate the irony.
Anyone who reads this blog knows I’m no Trump fan, to say the least. But I’m also no NeverTrumper, and I also have read that Trump was on the side of the coup forces, which I believe is the correct (although losing) side. The coup in this case, as far as we can tell (given the fog of war and propaganda) was for secularism and the constitution, and against Erdogan’s advances towards tyranny—which I described in last night’s post, and the history of which seems to be being ignored by Obama and most of the MSM.
Which doesn’t mean that a president should have spoken out last night in favor of the coup. I believe that silence (at least for a day or two) would have been by far the best approach. But Obama jumped in to support the Islamist tyrant-in-the-making Erdogan, which is no surprise.
I think that Obama would dearly love to do the equivalent of what Erdogan did, which in this country would be something like (for example) running for vice president under a presidential candidate who delegates all the power to him, thus circumventing the two-term limit for the presidency (it may be technically possible to do so, by the way; see this). And then, once in the de facto (not de jure) powerful VP post, imprisoning the opposition, including journalists and jurists who criticize him. Because that’s Erdogan’s m.o.; Erdogan the democracy champ.
What these pinheads don’t realize it that it took a great amount of skill to put together major real estate developments in NYC. Purchase of the real estate, zoning, financing, designing, building and then leasing.
Compare that to Hillary totally screwing up Libya. People died in Libya and now it is an ISIS safe haven. Don’t tell me Hillary is skilled.
My reading of the 12th and 22nd amendments is that they clearly make ineligible for the Vice President, any former President who has served two terms.
I suspect that Obama has his eye on the Secretary-General of the United Nations position, which has no term limit while also being the perfect podium from which to lecture the world.
Did you hear about Erdogan’s threat against us because of Gulen?
http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/690106/Turkey-threatens-war-America-cleric-Gulen-military-coup
And remember that Obama and Erdogan opened a huge mosque and cultural center near DC last year. He is really trying to spread Turkish influence around the world.
In a speech in Germany he said that there is only one Islam, which sounded to me like an attempt to rein in Turks in Germany who are quite happy living in a secular society.
Let’s see, Trump is CEO and sole owner of a successful multi-billion dollar corporation that employs 22,000 thousand people, therefore he’s incapable of hiring good people and running a meeting. Yglesias definitely has a good grasp of reality. Sigh…
GB
Agree re UN but first Barack has to write his book and do his speaking tour of Africa, Iran and Europe. I can also see him copying the Clinton Foundation bribery scheme and putting Michelle in as Senator from VA, IL or whatever.
Obama also has to get paid by the Greens. He’s got a plan. Got to pay that Harvard tuition for those girls.
Thank you Obama for actually jumping in. Looked like the coup was failing anyway and staying silent would have shaken are allies who know of our policy coming out against coups. Of course we still hold the cards in regards to the cleric in Pennsylvania who Trump would have deported even though he is our best asset in the region. What has happened to the GOP. People used to look towards the party for foreign policy expertise but now they look just to sabatage the president no matter what he does. Non information voters and bloggers will be the death of this country yet. For all the so called mistakes we seem to have a carefully navigated most of the minefields scattered all over the Middle East while encouraging our enemies to step on those same mindfields. The Russians might just be realizing not to underestimate the United States but then Trump supporters admire Putin just like Trump does. Historians will look back and probably rate things better than those with an agenda that only aids our enemies.
“to get up to speed in a chaotic situation, talk to a bunch of people who are more knowledgeable than you but not ultimately empowered or accountable the way you are, and you need to try to steer some inherently unfavorable situations toward a non-disastrous outcome.” Look how well the little fella just described a successful business executive. Like Hillary, who has had so much accountability for her oh-so-successful decisions. Lol. Unbelievable, these people.
Thank you Arik for as fine a demonstration of a liberal “useful idiot’ as I have ever seen.
Cornhead,
Speech tours, book deals and a corrupt Clinton Foundation type ‘charitable’ deal are definitely in the cards for Obama. He’ll act as a unofficial lobbyist for the ecoNazis and when he assumes the UN post he’ll be a reliably sympathetic ear…
expat,
“Any country that protects Fethullah Gulen will be an enemy to Turkey.” Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim… Erdogan’s yes man
Well. That’s throwing down the gauntlet. How long till the Obama administration expels Gulen?
I just read a City Journal reprint of a 2012 article on Gulen by Claire Berlinski.
http://www.city-journal.org/html/who-fethullah-g%C3%BClen-13504.html
This guy has lots going on in the US, and most people seem unaware of what he is doing. If he becomes a real issue with Erogan, it is important to know more about who we may be defending or giving up.
The article clearly shows that Turkey is a lot more complicated than most people realize. Right now, it seems like the right position is like that we had in the Iraq Iran war: I hope they both lose.
Right now, it seems like the right position is like that we had in the Iraq Iran war: I hope they both lose.
You will be part of the losing side, either way. Once the USA was protected by the grace of God, now no longer can you remain neutral as the world burns. That’s no longer an option, especially since the Leader of America is the one stoking the flames as Rome burns.
I don’t think any permanent member of the security council of the UN can be sec-general.
While not codified into its charter, it’s generally accepted that NONE of the five permanent members of the UNSC may have their citizens nominated to the General Secretary post.
Each in turn, is in a position to veto such a nomination — and would SURELY do so.
Barry would never be acceptable to Red China, nor Russia.
I’d say that even France and Britain would gag.
BTW, being General Secretary of the UN would be a HUGE step down in prestige for Barry — and quite an UP load in work.
Little Matty couldn’t wipe his own nose. He is the only pundit on the planet that can make Ezra Klein look smart. And vice versa!
blert,
Since when did rules matter to Obama?
Careful with that word “surely”…
What greater friend could China and Putin have in the UN than Obama as SecGen?
France and Britain can be… persuaded.
What position would not be a step down in prestige for Barry? What better podium from which to lecture the world is there?
And, Barry would have minions to do the work, you don’t actually expect him to actually do anything, do you? He can’t even be bothered now with national security updates…
Neo,
So some juice box mafia brat blurts out,
“From everything I know about Trump – not just his temperament and his character, but his actual ideas about politics and leadership – he simply doesn’t have what it takes.”
Like you (but not a vehemently), Trump is not my preference, but at this point, he’s the only viable alternative to a continuation of the present failed policies
Here’s a short piece regarding Trump and some of those very complaints from Scott Adams blog. I give Scott Adams credit for more maturity, intelligence, and certainly persuasion.
Neo,
One more thing, you said, “I think that Obama would dearly love to do the equivalent of what Erdogan did, ….. imprisoning the opposition, including journalists and jurists who criticize him.”
Two things, first I agree he would love to do it but his model would not be Erdogan, his model comes from the manifesto “Prairie Fire”.
Second, not going to happen here. The support is not there and despite 7.5 years of chiseling away, the institutions are still too strong.
However, things do change over time, which is why this election is so important. Some say the left is trying to recreate 1968. I think they are trying to recreate 1917.
“What these pinheads don’t realize it that it took a great amount of skill to put together major real estate developments in NYC. Purchase of the real estate, zoning, financing, designing, building and then leasing. “ – Cornhead
Used to think that. But the man has a tough time expressing a coherent argument, verbally or in writing (or tweeting, as he seems to enjoy). His intro to Pence seemed stilted, at best, even reading from prepared notes, made worse with his off the cuff rambling.
Used to think that. But, the man flips, flops, and flips again. We already know about his flexible policy stances. Everything he stands for is mutable. Maybe because he had money on the line, he was more focused in his RE business. He seems a man that cares nothing about what it means to be President, only that is a prize he wants – like a big game hunter looking for a head to mount on his wall, and will say and do anything to get it (to an extreme that other politicians won’t / cannot go and still be credible).
Used to think that. But, the man has a tough time organizing a proper campaign, and has been blindsided on several fronts. Maybe he will surprise us with getting it all together in time for a win in November. But, I’d bet not.
Right, he is not stupid, and he certainly brings far more accomplishment to the table than Obama ever did (though one can argue if he was as much of a “success” as he’d have us believe, given his starting point – doesn’t help that he doesn’t release his tax returns). But, citing his experience as a developer is not so easily translatable to being the man with the right skills (let alone temperament, and philosophy) to lead the office of POTUS, especially in light of the above.
His performance in his campaign has been less than inspiring, let alone convincing, and THAT is what most counts. He is far from the complete package, relying on a “Not Hillary” sentiment.
If Trump wins, it will be despite himself, rather than what he brings to the table (other than his fame), nor the brilliance of his organizational and campaign skills.
@ Paul in Boston: ” Yglesias definitely has a good grasp of reality.”
He’s an Ivy League graduate, Harvard to be exact, and majored in philosophy. Of course he has a good grasp of reality.
Question to all you “reluctant” supporters of the presumptive nominee who isn’t genetically a female, you know the one, “Caesar-lite,” real estate tycoon and tyrant to be (may turn out to be a tyrant but he’s “Our” tyrant)?
http://quinhillyer.com/breaking-news-coburn-now-open-to-gop-nomination/
Will you rally around Tom Coburn if the inconceivable actually happens in Cleveland, or will you continue to collaborate with tyranny?
Neo:
“[Obama] never talks to people “who are more knowledgeable” than he is because there’s no one on earth more knowledgeable than he.”
Because Obama is about paradigm shift and he’s views them as part of the old paradigm he’s replacing.