Funny. I don't see any 9th dimensional chess mockery at this point about the Prez

[cliffordu]

and his moves regarding Syria.

[tularetom]

1. I'm delighted with the prospect that he's actually playing X dimensional chess

I've been disappointed so many times in the past but I'm always an optimist.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

2. Ok. Here's some.

I hereby mock the notion that Obama is playing 9 or 11 dimensional chess. He got lucky with Kerry's inadvertent comment, and the Administration, Putin, and Syria's FM jumped all over it. It's a relief that this came up when it did, but it's naive to think this was the President's plan all along, especially with the complete absence of any evidence to support the claim.

[cliffordu]

3. Or, he has been simply applying pressure to the players and they folded.

He's been the smartest guy in the room for a long time.

[polichick]

11. Seems to be too many moving parts - but I do hope it all works out.

[phleshdef]

13. He got lucky even though he talked to Putin about the same thing just last week?

Its not naïve to think it was his plan all along whenever you consider that he has been threatening Syria with a strike but making every allowance possible to stall actually going through with the strike. Its not naïve when he was talking to Putin last week about pressuring Syria to give up their chemical weapons. Threatening to turn Assad into the next Gadhafi and then having a seemingly sympathetic Russia offer Assad a way out... its not even a complex plan, its pretty simple really. I could believe it because it makes a lot of sense.

[johnd83]

29. He spoke to Putin about this at G20

[MNBrewer]

37. And chemical weapons are bad because they don't distinguish between someone in uniform

and an infant... unlike our "uniform-seeking" Predator drones and "guaranteed-not-to-harm-infants" Tomahawk missiles.

[johnd83]

38. The problem is density

The amount of chemical weapons required to kill people is way smaller.

[MNBrewer]

43. equally indiscriminate

[johnd83]

45. There was an attack in Japan

The only reason that thousands didn't die was the people releasing the gas didn't process it properly. Imagine suicide vests that kill thousands instead of dozens. It is a scary thought.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarin_gas_attack_on_the_Tokyo_subway

[MNBrewer]

47. Yes

chemical weapons are bad, but are no more indiscriminate than conventional weapons.

The world would be better off without chemical weapons, but we didn't ban them because they were used on infants instead of people in uniform. We banned them because they WERE used on people in uniform.

We also have banned the use of certain chemicals against people in uniform that our own people in uniform us against unarmed civilians. Tear gas is one such chemical weapon; banned on the battlefield but often deployed in civilian settings.

[tavalon]

66. I was going to argue, but despite my sleepiness,

I am believing that you just didn't put a sarcasm tag on that. Because my argument was going to be something to the effect of "What about drones and missiles?". Like I said, I think we are on the same page.

[MNBrewer]

74. absolutely!

[Throd]

4. I think some blind squirrels found some nuts

[cliffordu]

9. As the Virgin Mary said...Come again?

[karynnj]

10. Yeah but when they ALWAYS find the nuts, you realize that it is not

chance. I've always wondered when hearing that saying if squirrels find nuts by smell or sight.

[bigtree]

5. who the hell knows what he's going to decide in the end?

Will he accept anything Syria offers? Will he launch an attack anyway?

Who knows, at this point, what he wants?

Does he want Assad out, or, is he looking to preserve the regime and military to avoid the vacuum they might create with their militarism?

Who knows what the fuck he wants?

Does he believe Congress should initiate war in Syria, or, is he still convinced he could act without their initial permission?

Who knows what the fuck he believes?

Is he committed to a diplomatic solution, or is it just an afterthought in the wake of resistance to his drive to war?

[cliffordu]

7. Dollars to doughnuts this is like that fucking chained cost of living canard.

The fucker bluffs like nobody I've ever seen.

Never play basketball or five card draw against him

Or 9th dimensional chess.

I'll bet he and Putin had a nice conversation away from staff and the press.

I'll bet.

[bigtree]

12. if I had to bet, cliff

. . . I'd bet open to some way to back down from his unpopular initiative to war.

I'm skeptical that Syria and Russia will satisfy his expectations; so I'm a bit cynical about the acceptance of this offer, which looks to be an all or nothing proposition.

Is this just theater to satisfy demands that he 'exhaust' all diplomatic efforts and options? I still think he has to be cornered into abandoning his earlier insistence that Congress approve his military option.

What happens if this falls apart? Does he strike?

[cliffordu]

14. He 'ended' the war in iraq and is completely winding down the war in Afghanistan.

I don't think he wants to start killing the Syrians.

He has put the turd in the pockets of Congress, and NOW in Putin's pocket.

Mebbe not 9th dimensional chess, but two moves ahead, fo sho.

He ain't going to attack a sovereign nation by himself.

[bigtree]

15. UN could help in that

[cliffordu]

17. Yet they are completely silent on the matter.

They are useless

[truebluegreen]

16. Preznit Booosch negotiated the SOFA that called for American troops to leave Iraq.

That agreement was in place before the Preznit left office. President Obama wanted to re-negotiate, but the Iraqis did not.

And he wound UP the war in Afghanistan before winding it down.

I hope that in Syria he is looking for a face-saving way out after his "red line" pronouncement but he sure seems to be fighting hard for some military action there.

And, after watching multiple failures in his attempts to "deal" with Republicans on the budget, health care, the debt ceiling, taxes, etc. I am not persuaded that he is a chess player.

[cliffordu]

18. I'm sorry you don't understand politics.

I really am.

[truebluegreen]

20. I'm sorry you don't understand facts.

Oh, I get that politics is the art of compromise (I assume that is your point).

i just don't think the "art" of compromise involves giving the store away before negotiating.

[cliffordu]

21. Read some of 'The prince' by Machiavelli

And then get back to me.

Or Sun Tzu, 'The art of War'

And then get back to me.

What compromises? My social security check remains unchained, LOL......

Sometimes I think I'm the only person who actually read the same shit he did in college.

[truebluegreen]

24. So you think he is a chess player...

all I can say is that if so, his goals are radically different than his base.

And is the lack of a chained CPI a major victory for Obama, when Obama is the one who put it on the table? REally?

I really don't have time for this but, how about his compromise on the tax code? NO breaks for people over $250,000 in income was the promise. And the compromise was well no breaks for incomes over $400,000, and we'll increase capital gains taxes just a smidgen....in other words, leaving the vast majority of the Bush tax cuts in place and calling it a victory. Yea! The sequester is an effin' disaster as well.

But seriously, I wish I was as well-edumacated and erudite as yourself. It is really something to aspire to. But then I only spent 6 years in college....and read Machiavelli in high school.

[cliffordu]

25. Mebbe you need to re-read.

Just sayin'



He played Congress and the best ally that that Assad has like fiddles.

I find it very odd that Putin announced support for international oversight of Assad's chem weapons DAYS after he and Obama had a little tea and palaver. Very odd.

And congress can't even get their dicks out of their pants to piss on his feet before the fucking thing will be decided.

They were on vacation and refused to come back to Washington to address the 'emergency'

This shit doesn't happen by accident.

[VanillaRhapsody]

51. Ooooh nice triangulation!

going to have to give it a solid 5.6!

[cliffordu]

80. YOUR 'facts' come from what you're being fed from the MSM.

And your obviously emotional reaction to that.

Bummer.

[DevonRex]

56. That is a GOOD thing.

Didn't you study the Cuban Missile Crisis? Game theory? Chicken? Brinksmanship? This is a classic game because of the difference in power.

They have to believe he will act before they will come to the table.

[cliffordu]

81. Fuckin' A, baby, Fuckin' A

Word.

[DevonRex]

93. President Obama basically has to have

a threat hanging over Putin, too. Syria isn't enough. Unless he's going to destroy the ports and Putin's airfield.

[1-Old-Man]

6. 9-Dimensional Chess is an idiotic phrase with no meaning at all

Governance of a nation is not a fucking game.

[cliffordu]

8. True, but the usual suspects love to brandish that about every time

they believe he is fucking it up.

Like when he cut social security, because we know that happened last year, right?

It's why my check hasn't been cut. Because he pushed chained CPI through congress. All by himself.

[Logical]

28. Are you kidding, the worshipers bring it out every time Obama does something that makes no sense....

as a ways to act like he is thinking much deeper than we can comprehend.

[MNBrewer]

40. True, it was the people who idolize him that made up that particular meme about him

What they don't seem to see, or if they do see it they don't mind, is that if this is true, then NOTHING Obama says can be taken at face value and we're ALWAYS being led around by the nose.

[VanillaRhapsody]

53. Maybe YOU are....that is the point

you got USED in this scenario....YOU were part of the whole scene...without your and your cohorts help...he couldnt pull it off...He even foresaw YOUR reaction and played that right into it to....its genius...It would not have worked if a bunch of lefties didnt join the Rightwingers in their outrage...making Obama appear even willing to stand up to you and all your teeth gnashing and rending of garments and possible teabagger "impeachment" talk and such...

And now watching the reaction...after what I have been witnessing the last couple days around here....Just please continue...I am so enjoying watching you all react!

[cliffordu]

61. ^^^^^THIS^^^^^

[1-Old-Man]

62. This his has to be about the least coherent bit of babbling bullshit I've seen

Maybe if you had completed a sentence or two it would have made sense but those little "..."s where normally a person could complete a thought really make it indecipherable.

[VanillaRhapsody]

63. Right....of course

Looks like someone else understood it...

I see you have a distinct lack of punctuation in that "sentence" too.

I wouldn't throw stones if I live in a glass house, mkay?

[1-Old-Man]

68. Hmmmm, there' is a period at the end no need for anything else in the middle.

On Edit:

Bwahahahahaha, and then my fat fingers mispell a word.

Sorry, didn't mean to offend, but that entire first segment of your posting, the one that looks like a paragraph until you go looking for a period or something to end a sentence, really was lacking in a complete thought. I know you had something to say, but it was just dam near impossible to figure out exactly what you meant.

[VanillaRhapsody]

69. commas perhaps?

I think even you could see where commas are needed.

Otherwise, I would stop criticizing other people's grammar and start paying attention to WHAT is said and less how...

[1-Old-Man]

70. I'm not sure where

But then commas have been a mystery to me since grammer-school. My bad.

[cliffordu]

82. When the message fucks your 'argument', attack the messenger...

[Number23]

65. Right you are, but lately judging by DU

When the hell DOESN'T the "left" team up with the right every chance they get? Folks are routinely posting shit from actual bona fide tea baggers and conservatives crapping all over this president and getting hundreds of recs in the process.

I'm enjoying the reaction too. But it won't last. Already the topic is getting changed to the next manufactured idiocy for some to get outraged over. And these folks are HUGE fans of recycling so we'll be seeing lots of "he wanted to cut SS" "loves bankers" or whatever they can pull out of their hineys from five years ago.

[VanillaRhapsody]

67. because I believe a group of them around here are not from here at all...

they are from over-seas and are just generally anti anything American. Thats why I termed the phrase FauxMericans...because they are posing as them thinking that somehow this will effect election outcomes apparently.

[cliffordu]

83. ^^^^^ THIS!!!!^^^^^

Perfect

[agent46]

19. You aren't looking hard enough

This is a cross post:

I think Obama painted himself into a corner trying to drive the now exposed and wildly unpopular PNAC agenda. I think this is Putin's way of letting him back-peddle out of it and save face. I don't buy the nine dimensional chess master theory. Never did.

[cliffordu]

22. Thanks for sharing, but the first thing he did after he 'painted

himself into a corner' was put the turd in the pocket of congress, and NOW has given Congress an out by meeting with Putin behind closed doors to put the turd in HIS pocket and give Congress a way out.

Clean getaway, Putin gets the credit (so fucking what) and Syria gets buried behind the sports page.

Win Win.

Fucking politics. That's all.

[agent46]

39. Your scenario works too

One never knows!

[cliffordu]

84. Your theories on this are a bogus posit.

The turd went into the pockets of Congress, and then into Putin's.

Or maybe Obama needed enough time to get to Putin so he drug the vacationing congress into the mess.

Either way, he just won.

Sorry you are not getting it.

Keep watching MSNBC or whoever, they ALWAYS give you the truth.

[geek tragedy]

23. There are lots of people here who think they're smarter

and better informed than President Obama. Same group of people who have never been wrong in their lives about anything.

[cliffordu]

26. Yep.

Perfect.

[Logical]

27. So you really think he planned this out? LOL, yes, after 70% of Americans were pissed! n-t

[NoOneMan]

30. It seems like a lot of the pro Bomb bomb bomb Ir--Syria folks are 9th dimensional chess claimers

So, while bombing is so awesome cool, what is even super awesome cooler is pretending to in order to manipulate them into giving up their weapons, though you've already said any chemical weapon users are Hitlerish and should be punished.

Its a bumbling disaster. Let them believe what they need to. As long as people don't have to die over this bullshit fuckup, thats great by me.

[Logical]

35. I agree, great outcome. But it was not the initial plan. n-t

[TheKentuckian]

58. Pretty much dead on except I'm not going to let it slip my mind about the contortions and flips

The Bombamaniacs are now leading the Peace Parade but the critical thing is not getting into and eventually purchasing a mess.

[cliffordu]

86. Who gives a shit what 70 percent of the peeps think?

Statecraft is statecraft.

He is a genius at it.

Attacking Syria is beyond anything he has ever done.

It was a bluff. He won.

[Logical]

88. LOL, yes, genius who was forced to decide to allow congress to vote. n-t

[cliffordu]

89. Uh, no, that's the law. Really.

This canard that he is folding needs to end.

He's smarter and tougher than 90 percent of just about everyone.

Sure glad he cut my mom's social security with the chained CPI.

The old bag didn't need it anyway.

Notice how that's no longer a part of any discussion?

[Cha]

31. Oh haven't you heard.. it's Putin who should be getting

the glory.

President Obama doesn't have the brains that god, buddha, whatever gave an anonymous poster on the internet. rofl.

[Union Scribe]

32. If he bluffed us, how bad did he bluff all of you who

were cheerleading for missiles? I mean, you're saying he doesn't really want war right? So doesn't that make you guys the suckers for believing him and supporting that?

[NoOneMan]

33. I know! What the hell are we supposed to support now!

5 days ago my memos had me cheering on the invasion. Now Im cheering on a solution. Im so confused! Obama, please send clearer memos

[LukeFL]

34. Your anger is noted

[BainsBane]

36. I don't see any reason to believe it's anything other than it seems

Obama was ready to go to war but the Russians stepped in with a diplomatic option. Now they are waiting to see if it will work.

[MNBrewer]

42. But that doesn't flatter the President enough!

[GoneFishin]

41. He pushed propaganda that about 70% of the country disagrees with.

He tried to pedal the PNAC agenda and has not been able to so far. There's nothing clever about it.

[Logical]

46. +1000 n-t

[Skip Intro]

44. His moves regarding Syria? He looks like a clueless buffoon.

He's been told no on attacking by the people of the US and the other nations of the world.

Votes are being postponed in Congress rather than expose the no vote that is waiting there.

The Pope comes out agaisnt it.

Meanwhile, Kerry and others contine to declare that not striking will put us at risk. Kerry pleads for just a small strike, one tiny little strike.

Putin offers a diplomatic solution to counter Obama's drive for attacks.

And this is the awesome outcome he planned?

[Skittles]

54. it might get him out of a bind

now that England, Congress and the American people seemingly declined to play along

[mwrguy]

48. He really is playing chess

while his detractors are playing checkers.

They can't admit that a black man is the greatest statesman in the world today.

[cliffordu]

49. Including a lot of numbskulls here.

[LaydeeBug]

50. I am glad it looks like there will be no war with Syria. It can be chess or tidily winks

I am against war.

Now, if we could just get the eff out of Iraq.

[Skittles]

55. Iraq?

[LaydeeBug]

59. Yes.

Iraq.

[Pisces]

52. Obama doesn't care what people think or speculate. He had to get the Repukes on record against

intervention and he did. Now he pulls out the peace trump card. Obama does not need praise or recognition for
his chess moves. His goal is to make the moves and win when nobody is paying attention.

[SomethingFishy]

77. So you are saying that the President of the United States doesn't care what the people

in his country think? A bit of advice. You may want to change your "defense". Telling people that their president doesn't give a shit what they think hardly endears them to him.

It's also hardly the mark of a leader or a President. A person who rules according to his own values and listens to no one else is a DICTATOR.

Maybe you should avoid calling Obama a dictator.

You actually think that this entire scenario was just to "get repukes on record against intervention"? Why? Almost everyone is against intervention

[Pisces]

78. No, everyone was not against intervention. Neocons and most repubs were for strikes. Your leap to

Dictator talk are ludicrous. The fact that Obama does not need to take credit for his wins is something to be applauded.
He is not moved by the pundits and the 24 hour news cycle or the blogs. He does not need the constant approval of adoring masses to get things done. I didn't ask for or need your "bit of advice", nor do I need to defend anything.

[SomethingFishy]

79. 80% of Americans were against military action.

I guess that's not enough to make a difference.


And what I said was true. You want a leader beholden to no one? There are plenty on the planet. The leader of this nation is it's people.

[David__77]

57. I am glad that US aggression against Syria is temporarily delayed.

I don't think it's about chess or some such thing.

[bullwinkle428]

60. Kerry's remark was an "OH SHIT" moment for Obama, JUST LIKE Biden's blurting

out the note of support for marriage equality was during last year's campaign. PBO was suddenly backed into a corner on that issue, and within a day or two, had this huge roll-out interview with Robin Roberts where he proudly declared "I've completely evolved on this issue!"

[ocpagu]

64. BOMB THOSE MOTHERF*CKERS! KILL THEM ALL!

Bomb them to the stone age!!!! Let's save the children from gass with cruise missiles!!!!

What?

Oh... the dear leader supports diplomacy now?

...

Well, let's give hands and sing together people, "all we are saying is give peace a chance..."


Unfuckingbelievable.

[BumRushDaShow]

71. Seems the ODS is particularly odious today. nt

[cliffordu]

90. Yep. Off the hook.

[Bluenorthwest]

72. Any thing that prevents more war is good, anyone who wants credit can have it.

I have to say that I find the 'game' analogy to be inappropriate for geo politics involving the lives of others and that additionally the 'game' analogy is historically offensive when applied to that region by the west.

[Capt. Obvious]

73. Obama works in mysterious ways

[Tommy_Carcetti]

75. Would you rather use The Old Woman or The Serpent?

Don't forget, The Old Woman has the ability to become the Grand Empress by sucking out the poison incurred by The Serpent, and thus giving her the combined powers of the Knight, Queen and Serpent.

[cliffordu]

87. As the Virgin Mary said...Come again?

[polichick]

76. Well, you asked for it.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

85. I applaud him taking the opportunity that has been handed him.

I only hope it all goes according to "plan".

[arely staircase]

91. recommended nt

[RetroLounge]

92. Funny, you're probably blind.

RL