Obama; Wrong Then and Befuddled Now

Barack Hussein Obama absolutely opposed the surge of troops into Iraq. This is an undeniable truth and his own words on the subject depict not only a man who opposed the surge but told us that he believed it would have the opposite effect. He said it would cause more violence, not less. Doug Ross documents Obama’s position on the surge:

  • Barack Obama, Jan. 2007: “I am not persuaded that 20,000 additional troops in Iraqis going to solve the sectarian violence there. In fact, I think it will do the reverse.”
  • Democrat Barack Obama, Jan 2007: “I don’t think the president’s [surge] strategy is going to work.”
  • Democrat Barack Obama, Jul. 2007: “My assessment is that the surge has not worked.”
  • Democrat Barack Obama, Oct. 2007: “[The surge is a] complete failure… Iraq’s leaders are not reconciling. They are not achieving political benchmarks.”

There is no doubt that Obama opposed the surge, thought it would not work and declared it a failure. So what does the presumptive Democratic nominee do when confronted with the fact that the surge has been a success despite the defeatist attitude of him and his fellow Democrats? He refuses to admit he was wrong and then says that, knowing what he knows now, he still would not have supported it. Then, just to show how really out of touch he is, he advocates for a surge in Afghanistan. In other words, he wants us to do in Afghanistan what worked in Iraq but which he opposed and would still oppose were it presented today. Or would he since he is supporting it now but in another country? Confused yet?

We should have seen this coming since Obama told us six months ago that success was based on Democrats being elected to the majority:

What we have to do is to begin a phased redeployment to send a clear signal to the Iraqi government that we are not going to be there in perpetuity. Now, it will — we should be as careful getting out as we were careless getting in. I welcome the genuine reductions of violence that have taken place, although I would point out that much of that violence has been reduced because there was an agreement with tribes in Anbar province — Sunni tribes — who started to see, after the Democrats were elected in 2006, you know what, the Americans may be leaving soon, and we are going to be left very vulnerable to the Shi’as. We should start negotiating now. That’s how you change behavior.

And that’s why I will send a clear signal to the Iraqi government. They will have ample time to get their act together, to actually pass an oil law, which has been — they’ve been talking about now for years. [emphasis added] Flopping Aces

So, which is it Senator? Were the troops the reason for the decreased violence or was this brought about because Democrats were elected to the majority? Why do you want to put more troops in Afghanistan (to emulate the strategy in Iraq) if you opposed it as wrong then and still would not support it today?

Obama is busy trying to appease everyone in order to get elected. He needs to appeal to the left wing moonbats who oppose any military action and want an immediate withdraw. He needs to appeal to people who want victory as the exit strategy so he can pick up those votes and he needs to appear as if he knew what he was talking about all along so that people will not think he is inexperienced or a flip-flopper.

If he admits he was wrong about the surge then his base will think he abandoned them. He will suffer a reverse of Hillary’s fate. She refused to admit her vote for the war was wrong and she lost support. If he admits that the surge was the right thing to do he will lose support as well.

The problem is, he was wrong. He was wrong about it all and now he is being called on it. The Gateway Pundit has video of an interview with Katie Couric of CBS and Obama comes off as smug and uninformed. Obama’s position is that the surge worked but it was bad strategy. In the interview, he makes a weak attempt at deflecting to how money could have been used to do other things. It is quite pathetic.

Here is an idea. Pick a position and stick with it. If you are wrong then have the testicular fortitude to say that your initial assessment was wrong and move on from there.

The problem is, Obama is trying to be everything to everyone and in the end it will be his undoing. As the next 15 weeks move on more Americans will see that Obama really lacks the experience to lead us in these perilous times.

Obama had better get it right because if he is elected and then takes actions that cause us to lose the war it will alienate a lot of this country. Americans, all real Americans, can’t stand the thought of losing. Obama’s plan is to lose and if we had followed his desires we would be doing just that.

I just wish that the Democrats had as much desire for our country to win the war as they do to win elections.

Others:
Stop the ACLU | Hot Air | Marc Ambinder | Jake Trapper | Commentary Magazine | Brutally Honest

Big Dog

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9 Responses to “Obama; Wrong Then and Befuddled Now”

  1. Victoria says:

    “I welcome the genuine reductions of violence that have taken place, although I would point out that much of that violence has been reduced because there was an agreement with tribes in Anbar province — Sunni tribes — who started to see, after the Democrats were elected in 2006, you know what, the Americans may be leaving soon, and we are going to be left very vulnerable to the Shi’as. We should start negotiating now. That’s how you change behavior.”

    Nobama just remains in lockstep with Harry and Nancy who declared the reduction in violence after the troop surge happened because of some agreement made in Damascus or some such hooey as that. They cannot credit the troops for anything. I have to wonder what he is over there saying to them right now. It makes me sick to think of him over there actually after all the Democrats have done and said to undermine what they are doing and then he has the gall to go over there to try and win votes from them. He is disgusting and getting more disgusting all the time.

  2. Bosun says:

    Excellent post. I just cross posted it to Hannity Forum http://forums.hannity.com/showthread.php?t=751721

    We’ll see what their comments are. Have a great blogging day, my friend.

    Bosuns last blog post..Cold war escalate; Russia plans to send nuclear capable bombers to Cuba.

  3. […] 2. Bad Judgment: He was wrong about the Surge and can’t admit it. He surrounds himself with people of questionable character. He repeatedly demonstrates faulty reasoning. […]

  4. Christinewjc says:

    Every time I see a news clip of his travels in the Middle East, I can’t help but notice how much he looks like a wide-eyed tourist! He does NOT have the experience(s) that are necessary to be president.

    John McCain has 30 years MORE EXPERIENCE! How could Obama ever compete with that? Plus, Obama has absolutely NO MILITARY experience. Score huge points for McCain in that arena.

    The idea that this one “fact-finding” tour of the Middle East would rate him as now “ready and qualified” to be president is ludicrous. He can’t even answer any questions! The topic about dividing Jerusalem is his latest idiotic flub. The man is all fluff and no substance. When will the MSM ever admit this fact? Perhaps Katie Couric will come out of the Obamessiah Kool-Aid drinkers coma and start doing some genuine journalism about the guy.

    Wasn’t it very odd that the questions of the press at that Jordan news conference could not be heard? What was that all about? How hard would it have been to get a microphone to these people?? Just imagine if Bush or McCain ever did that. The liberal nutroots would scream, “what are they trying to hide….” Well, I think I have figured out what Obama is trying to hide….his severe incompetence!!

  5. Reason says:

    We face a problem that the liberals and left will not be able to lead us through. I’m not even sure that our preferred form of government will be able to lead us through the coming crisis.

    Islamic aggression in the form of worldwide jihad and its goal of the extinction or enslavement of all that is not governed by Islamic rule.

    Many westerners do not understand the basis of Islam and its violent and expansionist principles. They believe appeasement, enrichment, and “live and let live” will eventually bring Muslims around. It will not and only undermines our strength, laws, and institutions. One has merely to look to Europe to see how Muslims work to undermine its culture and implement Sharia Law.

    We are at war, not a “War of Terror” but a war for the survival of our culture and western ideals. The left is an unwitting (or maybe not so unwitting) ally in multiculturalism and apologist thinking. Sadly the left should ideologically be the greatest enemies of Islam, and both the Left and the Right should be united in combating this threat upon our Nation.

    The principles of the Left are in direct opposition to that of Islam. Women are little more than chattel in Muslim society, good bye equal rights should we surrender and become dhimmi or even convert to Islam. The right to choose? Gone, except maybe for dhimmi since who cares if they abort their children in a global caliphate.

    Homosexuality is forbidden under Islam and in most true Islamic nations (Saudi Arabia, Iran, Mauritania, northern Nigeria, Sudan, and Yemen) carries a penalty of death. In other nations it is punishable by whipping, jail, and fines. Gay marriage will be the last thing on your mind in nation ruled by Sharia Law, you’ll be more concerned with keeping your head attached to your shoulders.

    Traditionally Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians, and Hindus receive some protection as dhimmi, read slaves since “second class citizen” doesn’t quite do it justice, under Sharia law as long as they pay tribute (jizya) and remain passive to their Islamic overlords. Atheists, Scientologists, Bhuddists, Native American Spiritualists, etc. are all fair game and will be killed. Good bye to freedom of religion.

    Robert Spencer has a good page that gives you the basics. http://www.jihadwatch.org/islam101/

    Obama nor anyone left has produced is up to this challenge. I’m afraid the West has become too soft, too apologetic, and too self-hating to face this threat to its way of thinking.

    We have foolishly given the Islamic states trillions of dollars for oil, sold them modern armaments, and given them military training. They use our own tolerance and laws to undermine our ability to fight them intellectually and socially, ask Mark Steyn. Now they pursue nuclear arms and we lack the testicular fortitude to stop them.

    We have three options in the future:

    1) Fight. Sadly this amounts to a genocidal war against the Muslims since if one understands their philosophy and history simple military defeat is not enough. We must employ their own philosophy “convert or die” against them, and since the Islamic practice Taqiyya provides for this being done it requires shortening to just “die”.

    2) End all immigration of Muslims and those from Muslim nations to Europe and the Americas. Keep them where they are. Place economic sanctions upon those nations so that they never gain strength economically or militarily, effectively keeping them 3rd world nations forever.

    3) Submit. Give up all we hold dear and live under Sharia Law as converts or dhimmi. There will be those that will fight and die but in the end there will be total submission as mankind edges backward culturally and technologically over the next couple centuries that follow.

    I think we lack the will for option 1 and I can’t say with conviction that that is wholly a bad thing. Personally I will fight and even die to defend what I believe in, but I can’t say I have it in me to take the lives of women and children to do so.

    Option 2 to some is as detestable as option 1 since it involves the oppression of a religion and peoples. I also see it as not being feasible since they have the oil that modern nations need. Not to mention that most leaders are too short sighted to see what they are doing when they enrich and empower those that want to destroy your way of life be it the EU, USA, Russia, or China. None are safe from a global jihad and the establishment of a global caliphate.

    That brings me to our last option, submission. One day freedom will no longer ring from every mountainside but rather the call to prayer shall ring out across America as we will have submitted and surrendered all that our Founding Father’s wrought. All that every dead American soldier and veteran has fought for since 1776, all that the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 19th Amendments granted. I hope I never live to see that day, and I hope my descendants don’t either.

    I know some may construe some of what I’ve said here as prejudice, bigotry, or racial/religious hatred. It is none of those things, it is an honest assessment of our current geopolitical situation in regards to Islam, and what needs to be to confront that threat. If there was a “live and let live” solution I’d be all for it but knowing the psychology and beliefs of Islam I realize that many these people are my enemies whether I want/consider them to be or not. The link I provided explains this quite well in the FAQ section. However, I urge you to read the entire thing.

  6. Joe reinhart says:

    Reason, as scary as you make it, I think the reality will be worse than we can possibly imagine.
    Unfortunately our children will have to live with that, and they will opnly be able to look back to this time and ask, “How did our ancestors not see this coming?”
    We look at the Fall of Rome and wonder, “didn’t they see it coming?”
    I think some of us do, but the chittering masses…they don’t understand that in fact option one is the best option.

    Because like the Borg in “First Contact”…the muslims will not stay on deck seven.

    Why do we assume the oil is theirs? Who ownes the whales? Who owns the sky? Let the muslim own the suface but I think humanity owns the sky, the whales and the oceans. Being a member of humanity bring certain rights and certain obligations. One is to treat people humanly. In that the Muslims forfit right to be called human. Barbarian animals.
    To show their humanity, they should forsake their murdering religion.
    If they can’t do that, plant ’em in the sand and in some thousands of years, my children’s children can use the oil their body produced to drive an SUV into an abandoned Mosque and park it on the grave of Mooham-mud.

    Reason, I think there are a lot of people who have no plan to give up as easily as some think and liberals hope. You may guess my attitude about it. ;->

  7. Reason says:

    Joe I too believe that option one is the only practical solution for the survival of Western Culture and ideas. However part of those ideals is that non-combatants are “innocents” and children especially are “innocents”. It is ingrained in me and thus I would have difficulty in doing what would essentially be necessary, wiping out every Muslim over the age of 3-4 years old. Since I could not do it myself I would not ask another to do it for me, though there are surely those who would.

    Interestingly enough history is filled with tribes and nations that have pushed out or conquered others. Yet only in the last 50 years have we come to “feel bad” about what people did a generation to 1000 years ago. Did our ancestors do things considered morally wrong today? Sure, but that is no reason for us to feel guilty for it or apologize, our only responsibility is not to repeat such things if they can be avoided. There were no truer words spoken than “Those who do not remember the past are doomed to repeat it.”

    As for those of us that won’t give up so easily, our own laws will undermine our fight, at least until the physical fight and bloodshed becomes widespread upon American soil. Our laws protect against religious persecution, racial persecution, and provide protection to radical Muslims living in our country.

    You cannot vilify their practices without also vilifying their religion which is protected by the First Amendment. We’ve also added “hate crimes” laws to the books and EOE laws which shelter and protect Muslims from action against them. We cannot as private individuals drive them from this nation by refusing to employ Muslims so they cannot afford to live here. You cannot push them from your neighborhood or prevent them from building a Mosque or Islamic Academy in your neighborhood solely because they are Muslim. In fact they are using our own education system to foment guilt over the Crusades and are working in Britain to get Islam taught in the schools.

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1036328/All-state-pupils-taught-Islamic-traditions-compulsory-citizenship-lessons.html

    Their assault upon our ideals is not merely through the use of terrorism and armed conflict. They use stupid and corrupt politicians, leverage our own laws and the ideals of “multiculturalism” against us to weaken us and affect a change towards Islam from the inside. There is also the little thought about birth rate of Muslims in comparison to the Western nations. This piece by Mark Steyn is interesting.

    http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110007760

    As is this piece by Daniel Pipes

    http://www.danielpipes.org/article/1796

    This one as well tells of the struggle of Muslim women in France.

    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12812170/

  8. Bunny Colvin says:

    You two should get a room at the Apocalypse Inn. My God. When will the end of the world be upon us, wise swineapple and unREASONable prophet?

    ” In that the Muslims forfeit right to be called human. Barbarian animals.
    To show their humanity, they should forsake their murdering religion.”

    Thats the beauty of Swines ladies and gents. He doesn’t hold back. Full tilt seriously wack right wing hater. He don’t know no Muslims so he don’t like no Muslims. Lets kill all the world’s Muslims he says.

    And his buddy unREASONable is almost as batsh!t crazy as he is.

    PEACE

    Bunny Colvins last blog post..Are these boots made for walkin’?