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Not the individual?

Reader comment on item: George W. Obama
in response to reader comment: Maybe It's Not The Individual

Submitted by Peter Herz (United States), Apr 17, 2011 at 18:54

It is also interesting that Dubya Bush ran on a platform of no new nation-building exercises after seeing the fiascos of intervening in Somalia and the Balkans. However, the events of 9/11 cause him to do a radical about face. In this respect, Obama is also like Bush, in that he has been pressed by circumstances to act contrary to his own instincts.

However, I cannot help but note that Obama and Co. saved their loudest criticisms not for Qaida and its allies, but for their Republican rivals. It still seems to be the case that the O's biggest enemies aren't Qaida, North Korea, or the Iranian mullahs, but still the American energy industry, pro-life people, Americans concerned about the US national debt, and the Republican Party. Bush, at least, was faced by a clear national crisis after 9/11, and may be excused a little for succumbing to the American politico's all-too-common "Do Something! Anything! No matter how dumb!" syndrome.

Obama, by contrast, had the whole campaigning period and two years of advice from the government's best generals, intelligence people, and security analysts. Something tells me that the infamous run-in with Joe the Plumber shows that Obama's lack of intelligence and "first class personality" when faced with something other than adulation wasn't sui generis.

Submitting....

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Reader comments (23) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Republicans and Democrats beholden to Realpolitik yet seek to transcend it [135 words]Andrew BoughtonApr 5, 2011 11:59183926
A few comments. [57 words]huckApr 5, 2011 09:57183912
George W. Obama- Obama has become the opposite of what he preached. [162 words]AnneApr 4, 2011 08:20183857
2W and the big O [404 words]Fred BaehrApr 1, 2011 03:37183784
DANIEL PIPES IS RIGHT AND FORMER VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY WOULD AGREE [215 words]Rafi MaromMar 31, 2011 19:57183777
LIBYA RISKS BECOMING OBAMA'S IRAQ [57 words]JACQUES HADIDAMar 30, 2011 15:55183754
Obama is still Obama [139 words]David J FeigerMar 30, 2011 11:41183745
Blame Bush, it's his fault [84 words]L. BelcherMar 30, 2011 07:12183738
Look at Obama's motivations... [67 words]Sarah RMar 30, 2011 04:44183735
Fear of Obama [80 words]Morton M, Mower MDMar 29, 2011 20:06183722
Let's help the Libyans, but... [220 words]Frank LukeMar 29, 2011 16:52183713
1Our Cowboy Was Not Stupid [36 words]Reina HowardMar 29, 2011 16:46183712
George W Obama [136 words]IsaacMar 29, 2011 15:17183710
Obama and the War in Afghanistan [100 words]Aymenn Jawad Al-TamimiMar 29, 2011 15:09183709
1Precarious consensus [103 words]Igor SlamoffMar 29, 2011 14:30183708
Surely you're joking... [61 words]Garry of AustraliaMar 29, 2011 22:12183708
2Bush's policies dangerous; Obama's policies atrocious [91 words]SteveMar 29, 2011 14:18183706
Obama the Muslim King of America [96 words]julietsmMar 29, 2011 21:33183706
Obama the Muslim King of America- Yes, They Pulled off the Deception of the Century. [114 words]AnneApr 4, 2011 08:34183706
You must be joking [56 words]FrankApr 8, 2011 05:26183706
2do not agree with you Daniel [159 words]MyrnaMar 29, 2011 13:39183703
1Maybe It's Not The Individual [29 words]Barry BlackMar 29, 2011 12:29183696
Not the individual? [214 words]Peter HerzApr 17, 2011 18:54183696

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Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

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