Obama's transformation

[babylonsister]

Obama's transformation
The killing of Osama bin Laden gave the president new strength and credibility – and widened the gap with his 2012 rivals
posted on May 4, 2011, at 8:14 AM
Robert Shrum

snip//

Republicans may want to return as swiftly as possible to the politics of Obama destruction, but that has become much harder -- if not impossible. On the eve of big decisions about the debt ceiling and the budget, the President has new strength and credibility – and his Republican opponents and 2012 rivals have a stature gap that was always real but is now apparent.

The gap will only widen as the gripping insider story of the nine-month saga of the mission to get Osama is told and re-told. Not since the 13 days of the Cuban Missile Crisis has there been a story of leadership equal to this in drama and appeal. The bestsellers are already on the way.

And we already know how central and commanding the President's role was. He made the decision to wait as the intelligence was gathered and bin Laden assumed he was secure in his comfortable refuge. A hard call when the temptation had to be instant response. Obama rejected the option of a striking with bombs or drones; bin Laden might escape or his death could never be confirmed. A hard call because using American special forces risked both casualties and an equipment failure that could destroy the mission. The President had also decided not to inform the Pakistani government, precisely the call he promised to make – and was assailed for proposing – during the 2008 campaign. Presumably Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, his critic then, did not dissent now.

The political effects of the operation will unfold over the months that lead to the next Election Day – and for years beyond it. The President's coolness and courage will also have a collateral effect, more starkly than ever confounding the racist emptiness of the "birthers" and the smearing of Obama as somehow sinister and un-American. Now more than ever, he is the President of the United States – and a Commander-in-Chief entirely worthy of the office and the trust that he holds.

more...

http://theweek.com/bullpen/column/214883/obamas-transformation/2

[DCKit]

1. In defense of Hillary, as SoS she's got access to information she never had as a Senator.

I expect they each have very different viewpoints on a lot of things since taking office.

[alcibiades_mystery]

4. I'd offer an additional defense: campaign rhetoric is campaign rhetoric

I don't fault Hillary for poo-pooing the idea on the campaign trail. That's part of what politicians do as campaigners: seek perceived weak spots in their opponents' plans and statements, and pounce. Needless to say, Obama was quite right about the whole thing.

[ieoeja]

6. A better defense: whether or not to inform Pakistan was a very serious issue.

I would hope that someone posited the arguments in favor of informing Pakistan. And Secretary of State would seem the logical person to take the side of diplomacy. Let Secretary of Defense and other national security wonks argue for the non-diplomatic side.

So if she did argue in favor of informing Pakistan, she would have just been doing her job.


It's all speculation anyhow. We'll probably never know who argued what.

[alcibiades_mystery]

9. What's being referred to are her critiques on the campaign trail during the primaries

Presumable, she wasn't campaigning for the position of SoS.

[TTUBatfan2008]

7. Someone should make a YouTube video...

First part shows him arguing with McCain in the debates on this very topic, and then the second part shows his address to the nation about killing Bin Laden.

[AtomicKitten]

10. here ya go --

http://ochairball.blogspot.com/2011/05/flashback-obama-mccain-hillary-on.html

[BumRushDaShow]

2. The racists will never give up

They own all the media and have the microphone. They will continue to terrorize, demonize, and lie. :banghead:

[DCBob]

3. Can you imagine President McCain.. he would have nuked the place.

in an instant.

[TTUBatfan2008]

8. Actually...

McCain argued against breaching Pakistan's sovereignty. The question is, would candidate McCain flip-flop on this position if the CIA came to him with compelling evidence that they have found Bin Laden's hiding spot?

[lucca18]

5. President Obama!!

In the middle of all the crap coming from the repubs, Obama stayed focused and made bold decisions that proved to be successful. The right man for the right job!!

[StarsInHerHair]

11. OK, I would LOVE IT if Obama would make like both Lincoln & FDR & calmly

& cooly DO the populist things, there's alreadyva blueprint for the way out of our economic recession/depression-FDR did it; back then it was bringing basic services to more Americans, NOW it'd be upgrading our infrastructure. Use his charisma & give rousing speeches, even privately to various waffling Dems, & GET them to introduce Medicare for all. Also overturn Reagan-era law forbidding the Federal Gov from creating a new WPA; I strongly think a massive centrally run program with the goal of updating America IS THE SOLUTION TO OUR ECONOMIC WOES.


And begin demanding Dems endlessly hammer home the 2000 surplus the GOP squandered; with text messaging, emails.........THERE IS NO EXCUSE TO NOT TELL THE TRUTH, America DESERVES to KNOW. Isn't it their DUTY to counter endless GOP propaganda? I think so, I also know it is worth the effort. Everyone agreeing the Earth is round isn't 'goose stepping', it's that simple. If the Left wants a better future forv America it begins with pulling back the curtain on the Right's Big Lies.