The Wattree Chronicle: BRAVO, MR. PRESIDENT!!!

BENEATH THE SPIN • ERIC L. WATTREE

BRAVO, MR. PRESIDENT!!!

OKAY, SMILEY, WEST, GOP, DO I HEAR A "WELL, DONE, MR. PRESIDENT?"
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IF BUSH COULD HAVE PULLED OFF IN IRAQ WHAT PRESIDENT OBAMA HAS DONE IN SYRIA, IT WOULD HAVE SAVED A MILLION LIVES AND OVER A TRILLION DOLLARS.

The exact same thing is true with respect to bringing Osama Bin Laden to justice. While Bush spent seven years, a national fortune, and over four thousand American lives chasing Bin Laden, Obama brought him to justice with three helicopters and a handful of America's finest - and, while casually dragging Donald Trump through the mud at a dinner party in the process.
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I hate to come off like an Obama cheerleader, because I assure you, I’m not (http://wattree.blogspot.com/2011/01/obama-supporters-vs-cheerleaders.html), but President Obama is less than aggressive in tooting his own horn, which allows the GOP and his other detractors to distort history. So it is incumbent upon those of us who support him to toot his horn for him, because it's just not Obama's nature to land on the deck of an aircraft carrier in a flight suit for a photo op.
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In that regard, here's what I had to say the other night during an exchange with an Obama critic regarding his handling of the Syrian Affair:
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"There are a number of very important elements to this situation that critics are failing to take into account, and frankly, I'm shocked to see that so many people who are suppose to be sophisticated and highly intelligent are failing to recognize.
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"First, international diplomacy is a game of chess, so things aren't always as they seem. Secondly, many things are said for public consumption that are contrived for the specific purpose of disseminating disinformation in order to misdirect the opposition to our true thinking. Many things are also said and done in order for the super powers to allow one another to save face before their client allies.
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"So for all we know, the U.S., Russia, and China may be on the exact same page on this issue - after all, who wants to see chemical weapons unleashed on the world? But in order for Russia and China to save face in backing down, it has been agreed between the three powers that President Obama should purposely overstep some pre-agreed upon bounds that would force him to step back. That way, everybody gets a little something.
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"So, as a good rule of thumb - not only in politics, but in life in general - is one should never start shootin' off their mouth without having all of the facts. That's what first tipped me several years ago about Cornel’s limitations as a serious intellectual. To listen to him run his mouth, you'd think he was getting a CIA condition report across his desk every morning. How in the hell does he presume to second-guess the President of the United States when the ONLY information he has access to is what he reads on the internet?"
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This morning the New York Times reports, "Deal Reached to Destroy Chemical Arms in Syria." The story reports the following:
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"GENEVA — The United States and Russia reached a sweeping agreement on Saturday that called for Syria’s arsenal of chemical weapons to be removed or destroyed by the middle of 2014 and indefinitely stalled the prospect of American airstrikes."
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So what Obama critics are failing to recognize is if the president is engaged in diplomatic talks and using the threat of military intervention as leverage to further the United States’ interest, when we have Republican politicians using the issue to jockey for political advantage, and loudmouths like Cornel West running around talking about, "If you do it, we’re gonna impeach you!," for personal advantage, that hurts America’s ability to negotiate. So titles and PhD.s notwithstanding, these people are either so selfish that they don’t care about American interests, something much less than effective thinkers, or both.
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But they're not fooling the American people for a minute. While we've understandably developed an increasing distrust for politicians - ALL politicians, including Obama - our instincts tells us that there's just something about this guy that we can't quite put our finger on that sets him apart. That's why we elected him to a second term. Well, I think I have put my finger on it.
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Americans, by nature, tend to gravitate toward the underdog, and while President Obama is undoubtedly the most powerful man in the world, he's also our first Black president, and as such, Americans can clearly see that he's under siege in Washington, D.C., so they've rallied behind him to protect his flank. Because, while the racists, bigots, and blowhards get a lot of press, they don't reflect the actual character of America. The vast majority of Americans are corny, like myself. They truly believe in the ideals that this nation was created to represent. If they didn't, Obama never would have become president in the first place. That's why, for the most part, while race baiters get a lot of press, for the most part, they're spittin' in the wind.
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Because, when the vast majority of Americans look at President Obama, they don't see "a black mascot of Wall Street oligarchs." They see a decent man, who loves his wife and family. They see the guy next door who's been chosen to be a modern-day David, and to everyone's complete shock and surprise, has dredged up the strength and courage to wage a desperate battle against the Goliath of wealth, power, and presumption.
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When America looks at Obama, and as they watch him turning grey before their eyes, they see themselves fighting the good fight for American ideals. They see him as the personification of everything America once was - a feisty little underdog all alone, in a desperate battle against those out to destroy America.
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That's also how I see him, not as some kind of Messiah, but like my neighbor doing battle against a group of thugs who's trying to takeover the neighborhood. That's why I defend this man, because I admire both his character and his courage. So I'm not going to just sit back and peep through my blinds and watch a man of his character be bludgeoned to death while he's defending MY home. That's not how Americans do things.
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And finally, I want to thank him for his service and give him his roses while he can smell 'em. History is certainly going to honor him greatly, but like Martin, he won't be around to see that. As a result, I never got the chance to thank Martin, but I'm not gonna make that mistake this time.
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So, Bravo, Mr. President!
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