Simon Tisdall writes at The Guardian that Barack Obama is making a big mistake by not being more assertive about Gaza.
Obama has remained wholly silent during the Gaza crisis. His aides say he is following established protocol that the US has only one president at a time. Hillary Clinton, his designated secretary of state, and Joe Biden, the vice-president-elect and foreign policy expert, have also been uncharacteristically taciturn on the subject.
But evidence is mounting that Obama is already losing ground among key Arab and Muslim audiences that cannot understand why, given his promise of change, he has not spoken out. Arab commentators and editorialists say there is growing disappointment at Obama’s detachment – and that his failure to distance himself from George Bush’s strongly pro-Israeli stance is encouraging the belief that he either shares Bush’s bias or simply does not care.
I sincerely understand that the world’s hair is on fire, and it is dashing about frantically wanting someone to take charge of things, and where the bleep is the POTUS?
But, in effect, there is no POTUS. Or, rather, there is the aggregate of protoplasm known as “George W. Bush” taking up space where there ought to be a POTUS, and that’s how it’s going to be for a few more days. As eager as everyone is for Obama to get on with things, there are arguments to be made for his staying out of the way until he gets the actual power of office in his hands.
First, like it or not, it really would not do to have two administrations going on at the same time. If (Buddha forbid) something might happen that would require the current Administration to act, there can be no confusion as to who is in charge. Well, OK, at the moment no one is in charge. But, legally, Obama cannot step into that vacuum, as tempting as it might be to have him do so. That is a precedent that should not be set, or else it could cause genuine havoc in the future.
We’ve had quite enough of ignoring the rule of law in the Bush Administration. One of the things we all hope President Obama will do is restore proper Constitutional checks and balances.
As fluid and combustible as the Mideast situation is, I think it would be unwise for Obama to issue statements about what he will do as soon as he takes office, because by the time he takes office the situation might be drastically changed. Again, I don’t see the point.
Anyway, those are my thoughts. What do you think?
I suspect Obama’s response may be quite different than bu$hco’s (I hope so anyway). If it where more of the same why would he keep so quiet, I haven’t heard him say a peep on this. Hopefully a cease fire will be in place soon, W don’t seem to care how many children die, as long as they aint Israeli’s.
Maha,
my anti-virus software is blocking a nasty little site (e0.extreme-dmdotcom) every time I access the mahablog? Anyone else getting this problem here?
I remember a Thanksgiving about 18 years ago… woke up that morning, and Maggie Thatcher was still Prime Minister of Great Britain. Went to dinner in the mid-afternoon, and my dinner companion mentioned that Thatcher had resigned, and had been replaced by some guy with dorky-looking glasses.
Which is all very well and good for Mr. Tisdall of The Guardian, but on this side of the pond, we simply do not change horses in the middle of the stream. Harrrumph.
uncledad, I’m not encountering the evil site you mention. I have very good anti-virus software, too.
Obama is doing the right thing.
This whole mess took place because Israel knew that Obama was getting sworn in within a few weeks. They had to act when they did to get the “OK” from the USA. They wanted a “Bomb’s Away” that they knew they’d get from the Bush mis-aminstration, and knew that an Obama admistration would want talks between the two parties.
Unless Bush steps down, there’s little Obama can do. To opine on this, or any other matter, would to to increase the chaos that he will inherit.
I finally figured our what the “W” in George W. Bush stands for – “W”hat a cluster”””5@
We’ll be hearing from Obama soon enough. Although this situation has more things in it urging him against speaking out just now, I do like the fact that he generally takes his time in responding to matters. What a relief it’s going to be to have someone use that thing between their ears for thinking, instead of their fabled gut.
We’ve had quite enough of ignoring the rule of law in the Bush Administration. One of the things we all hope President Obama will do is restore proper Constitutional checks and balances.
On this count, I’ve been reading some great news about Obama’s recent appointments (too lazy to find links). These picks look like they’re serious about restoring the rule of law to the executive branch. Greenwald said that of Obama’s picks made to date, these could be the most significant.
OTOH, I read that two dozen conservatives are about to endorse Ken “The Katherine Harris of the Buckeye State” Blackwell for RNC chair. The only thing these people have going for them are their ugly tactics and their darknened minds.
I’ve read that light and dark is always in balance, and it seemed like that’s the character of these announcements.
The danger is that when he finally peers over the parapet on January 21, the battle of perceptions may already be half-lost.
Seems like Simon is goading rather than practicing the fine art of sincerity.I’m surprised Simon didn’t include a little second hand unattributed quote like,”let them eat poi” to clarify Obama’s attitude regarding the Palestinians. My feeling is that Simon is just doing some sophisticated shit stirring, much like Michele Malkin does, but on a higher intellectual plane. The premise that people don’t understand why Obama isn’t issuing statements regarding the conflict when he hasn’t formally been handed the reigns of power just seems a little too contrived to be taken seriously.
It should be a universal understanding that at this point, considering the upcoming transfer of power and the uncertainty in direction of American policy, that Obama should remain silent. To do otherwise would show that Obama doesn’t understand the dynamics of power.
This is right out of the Obama playbook. He’s keeping cool, playing by the rules, keeping his mouth shut, waiting until it’s his turn, at which point he’ll become the adult in the room.
Totally agreed, Barbara.
I think this is an indication of a more general problem.
During the Obama Presidency there will be only one rule:
Obama is wrong.
If he doesn’t comment, he is wrong.
If he comments now, he would be wrong.
When he does announce his policy after 20Jan09, he will be wrong.
Check Drudge daily for the current way in which Obama is wrong.
Senator Feinstein says he is wrong to select Panetta, but “voted for all of Bush’s nominees to run the CIA, including the hapless Porter Goss, and of course illegal-wiretapping advocate General Michael Hayden.”
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/1/6/1655/94728/802/680582
His economic policies cannot possibly turn the economy around in even 100 newscycles. He will be wrong.
Likewise Bush’s wars will become Obama’s wars in a matter of months. And he will be wrong.
Sad to say, but Barack Obama, in my opinion the best person to ever be elected President of this country, will end up being hated.
Oh, and I’m not looking for anyone to “talk me down.”
I’ve already accepted what will happen.
There is nothing he can do for now. speaking out would not help. yes Israel went ahead before the clock ran out. Best to wait and plan carefully what to do. In a way it gives him a chance to plan a response rather than just reacting.
e0 [dot] extreme-dm [dot] com
Links to some site in the Netherlands. Looks pretty sketchy to me.
Agreed, maha. About all Obama could do would be to demand a cease-fire, admonish the parties involved, express shock at the carnage…the list is endless. Would anything change, or anybody who needed to, listen? No.
I am amazed at the hue and cry calling for him to say something. The problems in the ME will never be solved with oral admonitions, in fact, since they’re consistently ignored, they only serve to show the world and the Israelis and Palistinians that the POTUS has about as much power as a limp rutubaga.
He will deal with the issue, not blow smoke about it like the blowhard who’s about to leave us has for eight dreadful years.
I agree with you too. He really cannot speak now because it is not yet his job; meanwhile he is being kept in the loop (maybe) and will make up his own mind when he is officially the POTUS.
If he’s smart he will question every premise of the Bush team and start from scratch. If he is smart, he will listen to Jimmy Carter even though no one on either side likes Jimmy.
The press had a field day noticing how Jimmy was “off to the side” of the other former POTUSES the other day at lunch even though he is the one that made the most progress on an Israeli/Palestinian detente.