In 2008 another wise man said: “The presidency is not something that lends itself to on-the-job training.” Too bad Obama is receiving an F, because he makes America look bad
(WSJ) Why, across the world, are America’s hands so tied?
A large part of the answer is our leader’s terrible timing. In virtually every foreign-affairs crisis we have faced these past five years, there was a point when America had good choices and good options. There was a juncture when America had the potential to influence events. But we failed to act at the propitious point; that moment having passed, we were left without acceptable options. In foreign affairs as in life, there is, as Shakespeare had it, “a tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the flood leads on to fortune. Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries.â€
When protests in Ukraine grew and violence ensued, it was surely evident to people in the intelligence community—and to the White House—that President Putin might try to take advantage of the situation to capture Crimea, or more. That was the time to talk with our global allies about punishments and sanctions, to secure their solidarity, and to communicate these to the Russian president. These steps, plus assurances that we would not exclude Russia from its base in Sevastopol or threaten its influence in Kiev, might have dissuaded him from invasion. …
Able leaders anticipate events, prepare for them, and act in time to shape them. My career in business and politics has exposed me to scores of people in leadership positions, only a few of whom actually have these qualities. Some simply cannot envision the future and are thus unpleasantly surprised when it arrives. Some simply hope for the best. Others succumb to analysis paralysis, weighing trends and forecasts and choices beyond the time of opportunity.
I’ve mentioned before that Obama always seems to either be behind the curve or unengaged. Or on the wrong side. And he really has no international friendships or allies. The Washington Post noted that Obama’s foreign policy is based on fantasy. And I wrote that he doesn’t seem to care about the details of the job, and that his policy is all based upon things happening now. There is no strategic thinking. This is what Romney is stating: there is no forethought, no planing, it’s all about now. And that Obama is always behind the curve. He doesn’t come out and say that Obama just doesn’t care, but I will: Obama just doesn’t care, unless it is for the Betterment Of Obama.
