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Title: President Obama
Source:
Weekly Standard
URL Source: http://weeklystandard.com/Content/P ... icles/000/000/015/776vaeyh.asp
Published: Nov 8, 2008
Author: Bill Kristol
Post Date: 2008-11-08 20:40:29 by Jhoffa_
Keywords: None
Views: 444
Comments: 21
President Obama Now it's our turn to hope. In politics, as one suspects in life, no good deed goes unpunished. John McCain staked everything on success in Iraq. He advocated the surge publicly and made the case for it privately. He defended it passionately and intelligently, and was indispensable in beating back critics, shoring up nervous supporters, and keeping enough public support for the surge so the Democratic party's repeated efforts to abort it failed. The surge worked. It worked better than even its proponents expected. The strategic and moral calamity of an American withdrawal in defeat from the central front in the war on Islamic jihadism was averted. The positive outcome of a reasonably stable, democratic, and friendly Iraq is now in sight. Thanks in large part to John McCain, we did not have a second Vietnam-like humiliation. Thanks in large part to John McCain, the United States is on the verge of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. And as a result of the remarkable progress in Iraq over the past two years--progress whose possibility was scoffed at and whose reality was then denied by all leading Democrats except Joe Lieberman--Iraq faded as an issue in the presidential race. And with it, the critical question of who should be commander in chief also receded. By the fall of 2008, McCain got no credit for one of the great acts of statesmanship by a senator--let alone a senator who was also a presidential candidate--in American history. President Obama will now be able to draw down in an orderly manner, following (we trust) the guidance of Generals Petraeus and Odierno--generals who consulted with McCain often and whose achievement McCain helped make possible. John McCain said repeatedly that he'd rather lose an election than lose a war. We ended up winning a war, and he ended up losing the election. It's not quite the cosmic injustice of the British electorate rejecting Churchill in 1945--but it's no small injustice either. McCain lost in part because everyone wanted a change from President Bush, and McCain was from the same party as Bush. But, the much-derided Bush administration (and they deserve some of the derision) did succeed in preventing a second terrorist attack in the United States over the last seven years. This fact, like Iraq, barely came up in the presidential campaign. In October 2000, after eight years of the Clinton administration, a strengthening al Qaeda attacked the U.S.S. Cole in Aden, killing 17 servicemen and wounding 39. No such thing happened in 2008. Al Qaeda today seems in retreat. But most voters did not let keeping us safe at home, any more than winning a war abroad, determine their vote. Encouraging Americans' tendency to take hard-won national security successes for granted--once they are won--is the key to how Democrats, in modern times, win presidential elections. Dwight Eisenhower pursued a cautious but not ineffective foreign policy. Voters were unimpressed by the peace and stability of 1960 and chose John Kennedy. Partly as a result of Kennedy's initial weakness, the Berlin Wall went up and the Cuban Missile Crisis followed--and then, partly out of a felt need of Lyndon Johnson's to appear strong, we escalated in Vietnam. The voters elected Richard Nixon to extricate us from the quagmire in Vietnam with honor, which he did, and Gerald Ford attempted to prevent the Democratic Congress from walking away from our ally and our responsibility. Voters decided, however, to give the presidency back to the party of JFK and LBJ--by this time more the party of George McGovern--and we got the Iranian revolution and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. So Americans elected Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, and--stunningly--they won the Cold War virtually without firing a shot. (Bush also drove Saddam Hussein from Kuwait.) Voters were able in 1992 to take peace for granted and to focus on domestic policy. "It's the economy, stupid" was stupid but successful just as its equivalents had been in 1976 and 1960. We think it was a similar mistake to select Barack Obama over John McCain in 2008. We hope we're proved wrong. We're encouraged that President-elect Obama has seemed at times during this campaign to understand it's a dangerous world, that he'll be tested, and that weakness is provocative and dangerous. We're pleased that the president-elect is committed to building up the military, succeeding in Afghanistan, defending our allies, and, of course, keeping the country safe. We at THE WEEKLY STANDARD congratulate Barack Obama on his impressive victory. We pledge our support for those of his policies we can support, our willingness to give him the benefit of the doubt in cases of uncertainty, and our constructive criticism and loyal opposition where we are compelled to differ. We hope President Obama's policies and decisions will strengthen the nation he will now lead, and that our country and the cause of freedom in the world will emerge from the next four or eight years even stronger than they are today. --William Kristol
Poster Comment: This is what passes for history and analysis in Neo-con circles.. It's interesting in much the same way that you just can't help but stare at a car crash. Here, he even admits they've been completely out of synch with the electorate, then pivots neatly and blames them for his gross miscalculation.. Just amazing.. and more than a little scary.
But most voters did not let keeping us safe at home, any more than winning a war abroad, determine their vote.
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#1. To: Jhoffa_ (#0)
ah sure, i couldn't get past that without nearly hurling.
Kristol is nutz, and really should not be here.
I'm betting this legitimate criticism entails Dubya's failure to allow them to run the war from the office of the weekly standard.. Aside from that, he walked on water.
~ Your failure to be informed, does not make me a wacko.
you suppose this might be because a large majority of americans know that 911 was an inside job?
I'm sorry, I thought it was interesting. These are the guys who shaped the last 8 years.. The architects behind it all. They were repudiated, as was their candidate. I was interested in their take on the loss. Apparently it is as simple as: Stupid voters! Geeze!11!1eleven!11!!!!
~ Your failure to be informed, does not make me a wacko.
I was pukin' by the second paragraph at "Islamic jihadism."
I think it's all of it.. Literally everything. The 9/11 farce included. Dubya has this Midas like quality, everything he touches turns to dust. He's done almost nothing right in 8 long years. In the current political environment, their message was a loser. People don't care if Osama Bin Laden is shooting bottle rockets at the White House when they can't afford food or they're being evicted. They successfully shifted the focus of Conservatism from Freedom to Security. We warned this was a loser was back on FR, and were laughed at.. They thought chanting "9/11!" and "Let's Roll!" WAS a self contained campaign platform and a strategy. Now look where we're at.
~ Your failure to be informed, does not make me a wacko.
Hey! Why do you hate America?
~ Your failure to be informed, does not make me a wacko.
me too. i almost posted what i did at that point, but decided to read on to see what he said about obama.
Oh great, next we'll be in trouble with the muffler people.
And they write innumerable books; being too vain and distracted for silence: seeking every one after his own elevation, and dodging his emptiness. - T. S. Eliot
won't they be surprised when the 'war on terror' continues and they still can't afford food and housing.
When I seize power, I will use the minions in my post offices to send every one of my subjects one of these.. The budget could be balanced overnight. But we'd rather antagonize and pass the bill for it to future generations.. This is without GWOT supplemental's, btw.. Which are substantial.
~ Your failure to be informed, does not make me a wacko.
No, I agree - the history of our situation is interesting, and informative. I just want to blow them all to kingdom come. It just maddens me how we have been screwed over by the bankster/zionists.
If anything good comes out of all this, I want it to be the neo-cons and their endless militancy completely shamed and their whack-job suggestions laughed out of polite circles. They're spinning this and blaming Palin for McWipe's loss may be a big part of that. They need a scapegoat, but there's no one left at the scene of the crime but their own. Further, I'd like to see a rift in the party.. A BIG one. Force those guys to run on what the REALLY think and believe, without the rest of Conservatism to use for cover.
~ Your failure to be informed, does not make me a wacko.
We at THE WEAKLY STANDARD---Fixed
Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end. Thanks Much. Who are they going to try and blame? Running out of options.. They better move fast. All roads lead to neo-cons.
~ Your failure to be informed, does not make me a wacko.
Faith and begorrah, surely you don't reject the brilliant analysis of Bill Kristol? LOL!
Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end. Dubya has this Midas like quality, everything he touches turns to There, fixed it for you. No charge.
Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end. So far it seems they want to blame Sarah Palin for everything. Next thing you know the Bubonic Plague will be her fault. And no doubt they will think of other things she is to blame for.
Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end. It will be 'interesting' to see what YoRahma tries to bring to the table. Really, really interesting.
No. Handpicked selected ruler of the illegal shadow world government. Yes.
"If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains rest lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen.”—Samuel Adams
But, the much-derided Bush administration (and they deserve some of the derision) did succeed in preventing a second terrorist attack in the United States over the last seven years.
#2. To: Jhoffa_ (#0)
#3. To: christine (#1)
#4. To: Jhoffa_ (#0)
This fact, like Iraq, barely came up in the presidential campaign. In October 2000, after eight years of the Clinton administration, a strengthening al Qaeda attacked the U.S.S. Cole in Aden, killing 17 servicemen and wounding 39. No such thing happened in 2008. Al Qaeda today seems in retreat. But most voters did not let keeping us safe at home, any more than winning a war abroad, determine their vote.
#5. To: lodwick (#2)
#6. To: christine (#1)
ah sure, i couldn't get past that without nearly hurling.
Mike Flaherty: Yeah, it's been there a long time. I wish I knew which corner.
My Man Godfrey (1936)
#7. To: christine (#4)
#8. To: Esso (#6)
#9. To: Esso (#6)
#10. To: Jhoffa_, christine, Esso (#7)
Dubya has this Midas like quality, everything he touches turns to dust.
#11. To: Jhoffa_ (#7)
People don't care if Osama Bin Laden is shooting bottle rockets at the White House when they can't afford food or they're being evicted.
#12. To: christine (#11)
#13. To: Jhoffa_. all (#5)
#14. To: lodwick (#13)
#15. To: Jhoffa_ (#0)
We at THE WEEKLY STANDARD
Lord Acton
#16. To: James Deffenbach (#15)
#17. To: christine (#1)
ah sure, i couldn't get past that without nearly hurling.
Lord Acton
#18. To: Jhoffa_ (#7)
Dubya has this Midas like quality, everything he touches turns to dust.
dust $#it.
Lord Acton
#19. To: Jhoffa_ (#16)
Who are they going to try and blame?
Lord Acton
#20. To: Jhoffa_ (#14)
#21. To: Jhoffa_ (#0)
President Obama
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