Liberals, Libya, and Obama
If these comments at the NY Times on Obama’s Libya speech are any indication, I’d say liberals are spitting mad at Obama right now.
The gist of their accusation? He’s just like Bush.
The New Neo
A blog about political change, among other things
Most of the ones commenting are pissed off, but looking at the “Recommended” counts as I scroll down the page, the ones in favor of intervention tend to have counts two or three times as high as the ones against: Comment 11 and Comment 13 are early examples. Both are over 300 recommends; I don’t see any opposed comments as high as 200, most are under 100.
So it seems like a “silent majority” of the readers as a whole may be breaking in favor of intervention, while the minority who write comments tend to be agin’ it.
Maybe you should rename your title
Republicans, Libya, and Obama
The Senate passed a resolution supporting the Libyan no-fly zone — unanimously.
As in 100-0. All Republicans on board.
What am I to think about the Republican Senators?
Answer: Not much.
In addition, it is not necessary for John Boehner, the empty suit, to wait for a request from the President to hold a vote. The fact that the House has not voted is an indictment against Boehner.
I understand the President’s culpability if one or both Houses vote no in authorizing a war the President wants. What is the President’s culpability if one or both Houses decides to act like a potted plant — as Boehner has done?
Regardless of the legalities the Republicans have carried themselves in bone-headed fashion once again.
Well. As far as foreign policy, by and large, isn’t he?
Steve J,
Sure they all voted Yes. It’s his war anyway. Tie it to him. Politically speaking, there is no downside in this position. Think about it. Vote no and what do you get? Total inconsistency with past positions. You won’t get any “credit” or “blame” either way in the eye of the public. Vote yes and the same still holds BUT if it goes poorly you’re still not providing any real cover because you were not consulted in the first place.
Yup. Just like the Senate Dems on Iraq and WMD. Who remembers? Maybe you have to have Alzheimer’s to “serve” in the Congress (or vote for ’em).
We’ve heard since inauguration day that Obama isn’t a socialist or a leftist…Heck he’s not even a good liberal but a closet conservative. This is just more of that nonscence meant to alter people’s perceptions for 2012. The game being played is liberals and media = bad cop, Obama = closet conservative good cop. Have no doubt that if he’s reelected, it will be 4 years of marxism on the domestic front the likes of which will make our heads spin.
SteveD
“Politically speaking, there is no downside in this position.”
I can’t buy that. The non-sensical nature of Democrat statements on Iraq clearly contributed to Bush getting two terms.
Consider John Kerry’s statements in 2004 on Iraq. He said it was the wrong war at the wrong place at the wrong time, but he was going to win it anyway.
I realize Obama, like Bush, will get the lion’s share of the blame eventually. But in each case the opposition party will not cash in as early or as much as it should have.
A progressive in power is a different animal than a disenfranchised progressive. Let it sink into the progressives that they have the power. Let them view Obama doing what he wants and getting away with it. They’ll all fall into line as they are doing because they had no truth and no principle to begin with.
Ever since Obama’s decision to intervene in Libya, I just can’t get out of my head the imagined picture of George W. Bush in his ranch house rolling on the floor laughing his hindquarters off.
IMO all of Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya were wrong-headed. I’m a “first take care of the dangers at home” guy. And yet, I couldn’t resist commenting on the delicious irony of current events.
SteveH @ 2:37 pm “he’s not even a good liberal but a closet conservative.”
I don’t think he’s either liberal or conservative, or socialist, etc, for that matter.
He’s a statist. He believes in governmentand whatever supports or enhances that allegiance. He is a statist opportunist who takes his inspiration from wherever on the political spectrum it occurs.
That trait is written all over this.
You know, if this sort of thing keeps up, I might end up supporting The Won’s Libyan Adventures!
Did anyone catch Obama saying that Bashir Assad must go?
Not to worry the Libyan intervention will be the first war in history to be as short and inexpensive as predicted.
Bob from Virginia, I’m sure the troops will be home by Christmas.
The left can wring their limp wristed hands all they want, but Obama is not like Bush 2. Bush 2 was president of the USA. Obama thinks he is the president of the world and all he needs is UN/arab league approval and then he will act. Bush 2, a man I respect but often disagreed with, at least knew he had to make the case to congress and the majority of the people before putting our sons, daughters, nephews, nieces, cousins, and grandchildren into harm’s way.
The house is shirking its Constitutional duty. It needs to cut all funds for this Libyan fiasco asap. Then it needs to send a budget to the senate that cuts, at a minimum, 10% of Obama’s requested budget.
Bush bla bla bla. Obama bla bla bla
There is obviously a differnce between domestic political expediency that leads to a trashing of Bush then and now, and presently Obama—and between realpolitik reality of things as they really are-which leads one to surmise that Bush was not wrong ultimately, perhaps neither is Obama. It’s a bad bad world…
None of my liberal friends want to talk about politics anymore. When Bush was in office, they couldn’t shut up. I just smile inside.
“None of my liberal friends want to talk about politics anymore. When Bush was in office, they couldn’t shut up.”
I’ve noticed the same thing.
“I just smile inside.”
You are truly a gentle soul… I smirk instead.
Daniel Pipes is rather optimistic:
“Obama’s rapid shedding of his own ideas and his adoption of Bush’s policies suggests that, however great their philosophical differences, Americans have reached a working consensus on Middle East policy.”