Obama Administration Doesn’t Get It: Weakness Is Not A Virtue
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“What the hell were you thinking”
- Jay Leno to Hugh Grant, 1995
Ideally, the Obama administration would have maintained radio silence over the planned Koran burning by an obscure Florida clergyman nobody ever gave a crap about. This kind of thing happens all the time, with some penny ante kook looking to make a name for him or herself. Generally the modus operandi is to ignore these fringe actors because they simply don’t matter.
In this case, President Obama was asked a direct question about this guy, and he should have just said he wasn’t going to comment on an individual nutjob like this (using more diplomatic language, of course). Instead, Obama commented on the koran burning and the possible danger to troops in the field. He shouldn’t have even gone there, but those comments are nothing compared to what followed.
Most modern governments, particularly the United States government, has a policy of not negotiating or even acknowledging the random, nonsensical demands of the crazies. In doing so, you deprive them and other crazies of oxygen and incentive. It’s also just common sense.
But in following the pattern they laid down with the whole Breitbart/Sherrod mess, this administration again gave oxygen to crazies and made their administration – and by default, the country, look weak. First was Robert Gibbs acknowledging that the administration might reach out to this idiot in Florida.
And now we learn that the Secretary Of Defense called this man. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Robert Gates is the Secretary of Defense. He is in charge of the most powerful army on the face of the earth. His job is assessing the threats that face us and our allies on an hourly basis. His job is not calling up homegrown radicals to chat about their publicity stunts!
The argument that this somehow protects the troops is bunk. In fact, it probably makes them less safe, because every kook around the world now at least thinks he can get the ear of the U.S. Secretary of Defense or higher up the rank. If it’s an honest to goodness terrorist with hostages, will Vice President Biden call him up to shoot the breeze? This is a terrible, terrible precedent to set. You don’t do this.
This is amateur hour stuff. This is the kind of thing that gives Republican/conservative attacks some factual basis to be rooted in, and more importantly it projects terrible weakness. Leave interactions with the freakshows across the country (and the world) to the experts in cable news. Deal with running the country and getting us out of the hole we’re in. Don’t send the Secretary Of Defense off to kiss the hind end of some jackass in Florida. Quit wetting the bed.
Quit it.
50 Responses to “Obama Administration Doesn’t Get It: Weakness Is Not A Virtue”
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The views on this site are mine and mine alone, and do not reflect the views of my employer, Media Matters for America
© 2000-2011 Oliver Willis
This is unequvically the dumbest post of yours I have ever read. General Petraeus along with other administration figures AND leaders of other countries had all said this guy burning qurans would endanger. Our ownState Dept put out a travel advisory about it for effs sake! But because you have some warped sense of what being “tough” is you think Obama should have stayed silent as if that was actually an option. I wonder what u think the hez
(cont) headlines would say if nobody called and our troops were attacked. Or have you forgotten themedia frenzy after they found out Obama hadnt called the BP CEO?! There were no good options so they went with the right thing, trying to save lives. And for this they are called weak?! You want to talk weak lets talk about Obama’s refusal to commit to vetoing any extension of the Bush tax cuts for the rich. That was weak as hell. But this? This was distasteful but necessary both for security and cya purposes. They didnt promise him anything, they simply called. But hey, if you want to give Politico their next “even the librul Oliver Willis” story go right ahead.. Just know that right now you sound just like a Bushie with this fake tough guy ish and thats unfortunate.
Have fun standing shoulder to shoulder with David Gergen..
Making this dipstick a player in our foreign policy is insane. Yes, the media started it, but Obama validated it. OTOH, the government intervening (in the name of national security!) in a crazy but perfectly legal protest is unnerving. They are awarded an epic fail with a chickenshit cluster.
I think you’re right OW. The President should never bestow legitimacy to home grown kooks. FOX already does a great job at that.
Hey Dennis, remember when I called you out for picking on SQ’s spelling?
Sorry. My bad. Rilly.
I think the thing to understand here is there are nations and cultures where the leadership of the government pretty much controls every form of media. Outside of the U.S. there are still those who can’t comprehend why our President would “allow” something like Koran-burning to occur; after all, doesn’t he have the “power” to stop it?
While the actions Oliver cite may come across as pandering to some of us here in America, the message being delivered abroad is that living in the U.S. also means putting up with actions we may find abhorrent. The Obama Administration has been effectively distancing itself from the act (the burning itself), even if it is is tying itself to the issue (should the burning take place?).
Now, if Obama invites this guy to the White House, I’ll adjust my opinion accordingly (another benefit of being American).
I blame Palin for this. Or that Sharon Engles person out in Nevada.
Vote Dem in November
Looks like somebody read Dr. Hanson today….
While I don’t want Americans abroad in any more danger; and this guy in Florida is just a flat out attention whore.
Why are we pandering and trying to appease the same people who were partying in the streets and burning American flags on September 11, 2001?
It does send a message of weakness, not in appeasing the Pastor but in appeasing Islamic Radicals.
A nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master, and deserves one.
Hold on a second there, Su.
You’re calling Petraeus an appeaser?
Define strength.
Weakness is not a virtue. In this I cannot disagree.
Unfortunately, in this administration, it is a feature, not a bug.
Why are we pandering and trying to appease the same people who were partying in the streets and burning American flags on September 11, 2001?
So now, not being a complete cockbag is akin to pandering.
Burning the Koran is just a really stupid thing to do. Petraeus knows it, Obama knows it, I know it, you know it. It’s not just stupid, it’s ignorant, it’s pointless, and it accomplishes nothing of value. It’s an act designed to simply piss a whole group of people off. Nothing more than that.
People want to burn their personal property? Fine, go right ahead. In this case, it makes you look like a loon and a jackass, but it’s your right. I wonder how these idiots would feel about a massive Bible burning? And that’s what gets me more annoyed than anything here – the people that burn the Koran in this display are likely individuals that would be aghast if someone set their own holy book alight.
Oliver, you should take your own advice and “quit wetting the bed”. The audacity of you more-liberal-than-thou wankers to talk down to the President and actually give the impression that you’re somehow smarter, cleverer and more resilient than he is.
Please.
Petraeus is a Soldier, whether he personally agrees with the Administrations policies or not he is going to support those policies.
Petraeus is a Soldier, whether he personally agrees with the Administrations policies or not he is going to support those policies.
So now either he’s an appeaser or he’s just following an appeaser’s orders.
Keep digging, Su.
While I understand the danger of giving too much attention to whack jobs, I think this was a good move.
It is giving the administration, and all Democrats if they have the brains and balls to do it, the opportunity to slam the anti-Muslim hysteria that is dominating the news shows. And they can do it with this cracker preacher as the centerpiece, putting the GZM to the side.
mambochicken23:
I’ll agree it is stupid and just a pure “rook at me” ploy, but honestly Muslims need some thicker skin.
You don’t see Americans flipping out in the streets every time they burn an American flag.
No, Suicidal, that’s not the right analogy. You DO see so-called Christians get their panties in just as big a wad when they feel their religion is being trod upon. You get just as much emotion, just as much protesting and just as many death threats from so-called Christians.
You get it when a movie is somehow offensive to them. You get them up-in-arms over all things gay. You get them out every Christmas thinking there’s a “war” against it. You get them always bitching about getting God back in school. I daresay so-called Christians are even MORE thin-skinned than Muslims. Muslims seem to only get in a tizzy over depictions of Muhammad and things like, I dunno, burning their Holy Book. So-called Christians start sending the Holy Death Threat over just about anything.
Quaker:
I’m not the one digging, you are the one who brought Petraeus into the conversation; and the last time I checked his title is not Commander in Chief of the United States Armed forces.
He seems like a smart enough man not to repeat the mistake of Douglas MacArthur.
This isn’t really a stab at Obama either, what it is that our “Leaders” care more about being politically correct than standing up at saying what we are all thinking and we all know Obama didn’t invent that sickness it was around long before he became President.
How about if someone in our government actually confronted them head-on and said:
Your nutjobs are allowed to burn symbols sacred to us like our American flag in the streets and shout “Death to America” whenever they want but you expect us to stop our nutjobs from burning something sacred to you? How about
you clean your own house before you come over and tell us how dirty ours is.
But then again that would require balls and a backbone, which doesn’t exist in Washington.
I think you are wrong on this one, Oliver. This was in the news even before Petraeus weighed in on it. And even if Obama was silent, it would STILL be in the news. He is the leader of the free world, he HAD to comment on it.
This has nothing do with with the breibart/sherrod situation. They jumped the gun and fired a woman before seeing the whole truth. What does that have to do with Obama’s secdef asking a supposed man of God to stop being a hateful bigot in the interests of our soldiers abroad??
By the way, are you still telling people to stay home this November? And are you going to stay home as well?
If so, my respect of you and your opinion have gone down a notch. I thought you were better than the ‘bed wetters’ freaking out over Obama not doing enough.
I disagree with the flavor of this post for the following reasons:
The American news sources gave this guy a podium and the whole world went up in arms.
The statements by President Obama and General Petraus are indeed correct in regard to making life outside the wire more volatile for maneuver troops.
Applying American/Western logic toward how “we think” radical Arab Muslims should react to this controversy is useless.
Statements such as “The argument that this somehow protects the troops is bunk. In fact, it probably makes them less safe, because every kook around the world now at least thinks he can get the ear of the U.S. Secretary of Defense or higher up the rank.” is only bunk if you REALLY know the difference between life in combat when some dipshit pulls a stunt like this, and when he doesn’t.
While I respect the opinions and thoughts of people on this site regardless of their ideology, in this sense I have to say that if your viewpoint into the “war on terror” hasn’t been through an EOTEK, CCO, or backup iron sites, you may have a more relaxed view on this situation than other people.
Dude, he just called out John Boehner. In his own state.
“You don’t see Americans flipping out in the streets every time they burn an American flag.”
No, you see Republicans politicians moaning about changing the Constitution to ban the supposed waves of American flag-burnings that actually never happened.
Conservatives trying to claim the high moral ground on freakouts would be in a better position if they hadn’t spent the last few weeks marching and yelling about a house of worship in NYC.
you are the one who brought Petraeus into the conversation; and the last time I checked his title is not Commander in Chief of the United States Armed forces.
Congrats. You got that right.
Now the question is, why did I bring Petraeus’s name into it. You seem either confused or disinterested on this point. Nevertheless, I shall illuminate.
You claim you weren’t aiming at Obama with your appeaser comment–yet what was your excuse for Petraeus? Won’t buck the President? His title isn’t commander in chief?
Pretty revealing, don’t you think?
Anyway, Gen. Petraeus is the commander of U.S. Central Command. He’s responsible for leading the fight against the Taliban in Afghanistan. And he said exactly the same things Mr. Obama did.
So whether you’d hang the appeaser tag on “leaders” in general or Mr. Obama specifically, you’re including the general.
Calling the commander of U.S. Central Command an “appeaser” is a pretty serious accusation, wouldn’t you say? Tell me what you thought a couple of years back when MoveOn.org made a similar charge.
How about if someone in our government actually confronted them head-on and said:
Your nutjobs are allowed to burn symbols sacred to us like our American flag in the streets and shout “Death to America” whenever they want but you expect us to stop our nutjobs from burning something sacred to you? How about
you clean your own house before you come over and tell us how dirty ours is.
How about if we live according to our values and traditions regardless of what others think, say, or do. America was founded on a respect for religious diversity and tolerance for different religious practices. Christianity teaches us to love others as ourselves.
How about we put those values to work instead of letting nutjobs in Florida or Afghanistan make the choice for us.
This is what happens when you start to believe your own press and think you can smooth-talk anyone into getting what you want.
Hillary was right: Not Ready to Lead.
not reading these comments, but: great, succinct opinion piece, Mr. Willis. Hope HuffPo puts it up there, too.
Hillary was right: Not Ready to Lead.
Joe Biden was right when he said that, too, Save.
Shoot, Barack Obama was right when he said it.
Whereas if McCain and the Snowbillie had been elected, this would be their reaction:
After the Beach Boys “Barbara Ann”.
Both McCain and the Cuda have in no uncertain terms denounced the Koran burning, DA.
Yes, after everyone and their dog had done so, and in Caribou Barbies’ case, taking a shot at the so-called “GZ Mosque” at the same time.
If you’re looking for a Republican Profile in Courage, those two aren’t in your search parameters.
Right, DA, that makes a lot of sense. They’re only denouncing it because everyone else is denouncing it, but if they had been president and vice president, those two would stick their necks out against everyone else and tell the guy to go ahead and burn the Koran. Both of them with sons serving in the military in the Middle East.
You’re making this pronouncement under what pretexts, pray tell.
but if they had been president and vice president, those two would stick their necks out against everyone else and tell the guy to go ahead and burn the Koran. Both of them with sons serving in the military in the Middle East.
McCain was ‘willing to stick his neck out’ during the campaign and make a joking, positive comment on bombing Iran, but we have your reassurance that they’d do the right thing if they and not the Kenyan Usurper and his Delaware buddy weren’t in office.
Anyway, I’m just messing with your head again Dennis, it’s so fun when you’re the head I’m messing with.
Don’t let all that hero worship to shut down what little common
sense you have left, Dennis.
Pat Buchanan is squarely in Oliver’s ‘Obama Not Ready to Lead’ camp…..
The Bonfire of the Qurans
Gee, a Republican paleo-con thinks Obama isn’t fit to lead the nation.
I certainly didn’t see that one coming, Dennis.
I think he’s saying what a true leader would do in this case if he indeed thought the troops were in danger, as he, Hillary, Holder and Gen. Petraeus said would most certainly be the case.
And you’re not calling Oliver a Paleo-con Republican now, are you, DA?
Trying to force-civilize an uncivilized culture into deserving a free society is at best, difficult and tricky work. And “at best” requires unlimited funds. But we’re not in that situation are we? What was it that helped bring down the Soviet Union again? Something about trying to win hearts and minds with Hind missles, I forget…
Palin:
Obama:
You may have been right about “everyone” but not about “their dog“
Yes, Sarah came out after Petraeus, didn’t leave it at that by feeding red meat about the “GZ Mosque OMG!” controversy, and here you are defending your POV which for once is identical with Olivers’.
Did you take your stupid pills today, or does Dennis have the bottle?
Dude, he just called out John Boehner. In his own state.
Yeah, right after petulantly sobbing that his opponents were treating him like a dog. A DOG!!
That Obama makes Chuck Norris look like a real sissy…
Thanks for answering my question, Dave in SoCal.
“I think he’s saying what a true leader would do in this case if he indeed thought the troops were in danger, as he, Hillary, Holder and Gen. Petraeus said would most certainly be the case.”
Oh really, Dennis. Let’s look at that Buchanan quote again:
So what you and Buchanan are advocating is that Obama do just like Bush did on torture: if it looks like a particular action might have a chance of being determined to be illegal, get a government lawyer to come up with some bullshit explanation of why it’s legal. That’s what true leaders do- find ways around the law if it gets in their way of doing whatever the hell they want.
Awesome. Let’s just adopt the philosophy of Sean Connery’s character from The Untouchables as the cornerstone of our legal system. “He sends one of yours to the hospital, you send one of his to the morgue. That’s the Chicago way.” The Bill of Rights just gets in the way; it’s so inconvenient, when everyone can see that the culprit is standing right there. Why even bother with a process? Let’s just get on with the punishing.
When you get right down to it, you don’t want a democracy. You want a dictatorship. I bet you could not name one single issue where a case could not be constructed in such a way that you would assert the President’s ultimate authority to act on it. There is literally no issue where the President’s power cannot conceivably operate. That’s a dictatorship.
President Obama CANNOT order Jones not to burn Korans. He does not have that power. It doesn’t matter if the entire United States Army would be killed instantly by the Wrath of Allah the moment the match touched the paper- he is not permitted to interfere with this moron’s act of public stupidity. He might be able to prosecute him afterwards for a hate crime, but that’s it.
I didn’t advocate anything, liberalrob.
Oh, and guess what?
FBI agents visit Florida church over Quran burn
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100909/ap_on_re_us/quran_burning_52
Yeah, right after petulantly sobbing that his opponents were treating him like a dog. A DOG!!
You exaggerated his presentation and got the content wrong. Other than that–AWESOME!
Why cite Buchanan if you don’t advocate what he stands for? Or did you just think we needed to hear what he had to say? Uh, thanks for that, I guess.
The FBI only “visited” the church and talked to the guy. They might get him on hate crimes, afterwards. They can’t pre-emptively order him not to burn Korans.
Completely disagree with you, Oliver.
The man had to speak out after the nutjob, with the help of the media, managed to create an international incident. In the ME they were talking about sending suicide bombers over here because of said nutjob’s idiocy. Was Obama supposed to ignore national security issues too?
Sheesh.
You idiots reprinting negative comments from the democratic primary are incredibly tiresome.
BREAKING: “Politician A criticizes politician b while trying to defeat politician b in an election! Holy smokes!”
How about if we live according to our values and traditions regardless of what others think, say, or do.
But… Sean Hannity REALLY wants to go to Mecca!