Obama is Outsmarting Everyone and Winning on Syria Without Firing a Shot

[warrior1]

http://www.politicususa.com/2013/09/09/president-obama-outsmarting-winning-syria-firing-shot.html

snip

President Obama admitted that he had been discussing the international option on Syria with Putin since last year.

It turns out that all of the people on the left and right who were fooled by the pundits and hosts on cable news into believing that war was just around the corner were absolutely, completely, totally, utterly wrong. War is not around the corner. In fact, President Obama had a strategy to get Syria to the table. That strategy was to get the United States talking about striking Syria by asking Congress for authorization.

If President Obama wanted to strike Syria, he could have done so at any time. He didn’t, because military action in Syria was not what he wanted. The president wanted Syria to surrender their chemical weapons to the international community, and the best way to get Russia to listen was to turn up the heat by letting Congress debate a potential military strike on Syria.

Obama is going to keep the pressure on Assad by letting the congressional debate take center stage for the next several weeks. The best way for Congress to avoid military strikes in Syria, while keeping Assad at the table would be to seriously consider authorizing the strikes. If Congress really wants to scare the pants off of Assad, they’ll authorize the strikes.

snip


Well played sir, well played.

[greymattermom]

1. how does the timing of this fit with the budget discussions?

This must also have some benefit for President Obama regarding the budget, shut down, sequester, etc. I can't figure out how that is planned to play out. They are discussing Syria now, when those negotiations are supposed to be happening.

[L0oniX]

62. Now that Obama is a hereo CPI and TPP will be accepted by the Dems.

[malaise]

2. All I know is that he has fucked up

the neo-cons for now and that's good enough for me.

[Cryptoad]

69. Now,,,,,,if we can only get their Syria vote on Public Record! nt

[malaise]

97. I too wish for that

[arrows2flowers]

86. me too, me three

[tridim]

3. It's funny how the pundits tend to notice Obama's genius only AFTER he wins.

It happens over and over and over and over.... Neo-DU does the exact same thing.

When the next poutrage rolls around, they will all do a reset and go into full-on disrespect mode again. Hair is ignited, panties get into a twist, the skies seem to be falling... and then Obama simply does the right thing and wins again.

The pundits and Neo-DU have cried wolf way too many times. They deserve zero respect.

[VanillaRhapsody]

36. NeoDU I love it!

Perfect..

NeoDU with a cadre of non-Americans posing as them.

That was why I came up with the term FauxMericans for them...that is why they only seem to support pols that are left of Dennis Kucinich because they don't even have skin in the game.

[ocpagu]

54. No, it's just the cheerleaders of the great leader trying to re-write history...

... so he doesn't look bad.

[brush]

55. Agreed

Where have all these people come from on DU that rush to name-calling and disrespect for this President? You'd think, this allegedly being a progressive site, that posters wouldn't rush to such harsh judgment and criticism of the President's motives.

Seems that there are poseurs amongst the posters with "hair on fire" who are trying to incite everyone else. We can't fall for it. The President has shown his unwillingness to go to war in Libya and Egypt, and also with his flipping of the Bush script by putting it up for vote in Congress. Of course he, Kerry and Rice, as it turns out, have been maintaining the position that they are willing to strike Syria to get them to relinquish their chem weapons. And their seemingly steely determination has great credibility because of the President's decisive action against Bin Laden. Remember that, people? Obama's no punk on national security and will take action. He's established a rep of decisively cancelling out the bad guy's, whether through direct action as in Bin Laden's case or indirect action with Khaddaffi.

His moves have actually been pretty smart and he is going to come out smelling like a rose and all the poseurs with hair on fire will have to wait until the next incident to start yelling again.

All those that went along with the poseurs, remember next time to have a little patience, and faith, to wait and see how things play out. Obama is not George W. being pushed by Cheney and the neocons into war. He's shown time and again that he studies situations and deliberates and comes up with effective moves.

Assad has been unnerved and will cough up the weapons. All the repugs and alleged "dem" haters will hate it but the President has shown again how to us the power of the U.S. without firing a shot.

Next case!

[tridim]

66. He certainly deserves our patience and trust, but "faith" is not necessary. nt

[randome]

77. Another good one!

[hr][font color="blue"][center]A ton of bricks, a ton of feathers. It's still gonna hurt.[/center][/font][hr]

[brush]

91. Hope you didn't take that the wrong way

I'm not speaking in religious terms, far from it. By "faith" I meant confidence that he wouldn't do something without thoroughly thinking it through.

[tridim]

101. I didn't. I just use "trust" instead of "faith".

Because trust is earned, while faith is (usually) assumed.

[Surya Gayatri]

74. Well observed, tridim. You've got NEO-DU pegged but good!

[Cali_Democrat]

94. +1

[Pisces]

96. Perfect analysis! The beauty about the way Obama handles situations is that he could care less

what people say and think. He focuses on the outcome, that the end result is all that matters. I think he only cares what
Michelle thinks. He has no need to take credit for everything. I think more politicians need to have this mind set.

[tridim]

100. Obama's modesty is something special. It's rare even for non-politicians.

I hope more people see it after this.

I like people like Alan Grayson and DK because of their passion, but they are usually not modest about it. It is a character flaw that Obama doesn't have.

[Pisces]

102. It is Machiavellian at the highest level. Achieving results by any means possible with no concern

for who gets the credits. I think the staffers and people in his administration are constantly trying to make sure that people know
Obama was on top of it and behind the scenes. He doesn't seem to need the props or the credit. I have seen him do this time and time again. It is a slow frustrating process to watch from the sidelines. I think Obama knows that when history looks back all will be revealed and that is more important than the day to day news cycle. I don't want to over inflate how smart he is, but it is incredible that most on this board act as if Obama was a plodding Frankenstein where Syria was concerned. He got the majority of Republicans to go on record saying they would vote not on strikes against Syria!!! I find this to be incredible. He truly is a uniter to his cause
by any means possible!!!

[Jamaal510]

107. +1

[cali]

4. baloney. it strains credulity that the President

wanted to find himself in this position. he's barely escaping a disastrous vote in Congress. His credibility on foreign affairs is in bad shape.

He's got some breathing room and a chance to make some repairs. that's a good thing, but to suggest that this was the plan all the time is nutty.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

11. Nutters abound with revisionist personality worship.

Nothing has happened yet to suggest that the Syrian government has followed through on denouncing chemical agents, and the loony thing is that nobody is making demands that any rebel group that has them give them up as well.

[Raksha]

65. Nobody has been demanding that the rebels give up their CWs yet.

But Assad will make that demand as a condition of giving up his own. Just wait...he'd be stupid if he didn't. Whatever else you might say about him, somehow I don't believe Assad is stupid.

[cali]

95. don't get me wrong: I think this is a good thing

I think the President is a smart man, but I just don't think this was the plan all along. That defies any reasonable analysis.

[Schema Thing]

106. And yet, until today, you, cali, where not at all aware that Putin and

Obama had talked about Syria giving up it's Chem weapons at the G-20 and apparently long before that?

[randome]

14. Sounds like you think when a politician doesn't win every time, he/she loses.

It's not always that clear-cut, IMO.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]A ton of bricks, a ton of feathers. It's still gonna hurt.[/center][/font][hr]

[Demeter]

16. "It is better to be lucky than smart"

How fortunate for Obama that he has Lady Luck at his back on this one...

[dionysus]

18. i think he has been working on putin with this, but i also think he thought he was going to have

congress and the public's backing for the threat of strike... and as we can see, it wasn't there.

[elias7]

19. "Disastrous vote"... I imagine they didn't even think through that scenario (sarcasm thingy)

Hyperbolic language like "strains credulity", "disastrous", "credibility in bad shape", "nutty" is not helpful in this discourse.

At this point the ODS diagnostic club are far more disruptive to threads than anyone you would call irrationally devoted to Obama. Can't you just stop?

[philosslayer]

21. Several of us saw this plan unfolding a few days ago

And laid it out. And its happening just like it was supposed to. And yet... you still refuse to believe. Its amazing to me how much Democrats doubt this man!! When he's proved time and time again that he's playing in a league his contemporaries are just not familiar with.

Go ahead, keep doubting. In the meantime, watch and learn.

[azurnoir]

50. Lol well I'll give you this much

I'm not religious

[Thinkingabout]

67. Cool Hand Luke Obama went golfing waa a sign something was happening. He continued

His day when bin Laden was struck and he seems to be able to act under pressure. He has surrounded himself with strong people. I don't like wars either but sometimes you have to take a stand.

[sulphurdunn]

26. It's not nutty

if you're one of the believers who think reality is a game of 3D chess and the President is the grand master.

[VanillaRhapsody]

32. You aren't a strong poker player are you?

You never heard of "game theory" either I suppose:

game the·o·ry
noun
1.the branch of mathematics concerned with the analysis of strategies for dealing with competitive situations where the outcome of a participant's choice of action depends critically on the actions of other participants. Game theory has been applied to contexts in war, business, and biology.

[riqster]

34. Bless Mr. Nash and his work.

I use it in business every day.

[VanillaRhapsody]

38. and I bet you Obama has some among his advisors that know it well.

[riqster]

40. Agreed. Not sure they always utilize it, though.

But you can tell when they do.

[VanillaRhapsody]

44. Well its just a prediction of the possible outcomes based on what moves the other players could take

So if the other player chooses an unusual play....then you have to adjust.

[riqster]

47. Just so. I am thinking of the ACA communications from the WH

Either they didn't apply game theory at first, or did not adjust later.

[spin]

49. True. It is more likely that Putin will end up looking better than Obama. ...

I hate to say this but I believe Obama owes Putin some thanks.

[cliffordu]

57. Your lack of insight into politics is astounding.

[cali]

93. wow. that so makes your case, honey.

funny that some of the more astute commentators and members of Congress agree with my analysis.

[brush]

58. Maybe not

He discussed Syria's chemical weapons with Putin last summer and again the the G20 meet. He's always known this was a possibility but he had to keep the pressure on to make it happen. It you've paid any attention to his moves in Libya and Egypt you must know that he doesn't want war.

[RedCloud]

63. Agreed. He has done nothing about our torturers.

Just "we're moving past that."

NO! They belong in jail even if they be Cheney or Bush.

Maybe Syria should respond, "Well some did get gassed but we're moving past that like good guys do!"

[David Krout]

5. Let's see. Putin comes up with a plan, and Obama gets the credit?

Yeah, sounds fair.

[tridim]

8. Putin is so dreamy!!!!!1111

DERP.

Did you miss the story about The President negotiating this exact solution with Putin last week?

[Tikki]

12. You don't know that is how it happened...unless you are a bartender with a camera under a napkin...

on a table at the G-20 Summit.



Tikki

[MattSh]

29. But we do know that's how it happened.

The NSA recorded it and told him that's exactly what happened. And the NSA never lies.

[dionysus]

20. da, comrade.

[mwrguy]

30. Obama made Putin his bitch at the G20 meeting

He's allowing Putin to save some face here is all.

[frylock]

70. wow! okay then.

[Whisp]

73. yeh, that Putin, what a guy.

Let's all move to Human Rights Russia, why don't we. Gay people first.

lawdy.

[Tveil]

92. Putin looks better with his shirt off n/t *nipples*

[Marrah_G]

6. ~facepalm~

[Little Star]

13. ~facepalm~ +2

[VanillaRhapsody]

48. I am facepalming BOTH of your Facepalms!

[randome]

60. It's Facepalm Armageddon!

[hr][font color="blue"][center]A ton of bricks, a ton of feathers. It's still gonna hurt.[/center][/font][hr]

[VanillaRhapsody]

72. FacePalmNado!

[reformist2]

7. Sorry, can't give him a pass for making assertions that violated int'l law and the US constitution.

Obama was wrong, wrong, wrong, for even claiming he could go it alone.

[brush]

61. It's called a bluff

Putin and Assad blinked and folded.

[truebluegreen]

9. He gets a big break on a bad situation he caused

(the red line dilemma) and now he's an eleventy-one dimension Chess Master?

That said, I'm all for big breaks and I hope it works to prevent a war.

[JBoy]

10. Yes, I'm sure he meant to do that.

[alcibiades_mystery]

15. Nothing fills the haters with more rage than posts like this

They're spluttering and frothing all over the board, insisting that Obama really does suck aaaaargh!

Cliched chess accusations and "I voted for him twice" and BOG!!!1!!!! coming.

[DontTreadOnMe]

59. Does this mean the impeachment is over...

and Kerry should not resign?

[Surya Gayatri]

83. Oh wow, your description is both true and funny, a_m!

[Number23]

89. BOG!! *Sputter* "Putin is the real winner here!!1" *spit* "facepalm and no other content because,

really, what the hell could I ACTUALLY say!!one"

You would think that with the 9783 stories/issues that GD gets wrong on a DAILY BASIS these folks would be a hell of alot better at calming down and waiting for the facts. When this forum gets half as good at eating crow as they do at talking shit, this place will regain about 1/1 billionth of its former glory.

[Pisces]

103. Yes, they have very few pieces left on the board and only now see the check mate coming. Ha!!!

[BumRushDaShow]

17. Touche.

Because in the natural order of things, the DUers must keep their flame-throwers charged and activated at all times.

[randome]

25. That's because they have...

Another piece of equipment that needs frequent activation if it is not to degenerate.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]A ton of bricks, a ton of feathers. It's still gonna hurt.[/center][/font][hr]

[riqster]

35. How did you get that emoticon?

Perfect.

[BumRushDaShow]

43. It's out on the net

And it does fit DU to a T, of late. Elad really should add it to the collection.

[nevergiveup]

22. I don't care

if it is "Obama's outsmarting", luck, a little of both or none of the above. I just want it to work.

[calimary]

33. GREAT post!

Pretty well sums up how I'm feeling this morning.

Don't care. I just want it to work. Sausage-making and all that.

[Paladin]

56. Agreed.

I'm not buying into the multi-dimensional chess wishful thinking; I think Obama stepped in a big old pile of Lucky Shit on this one. Suits me fine, as long as it crimps the whole military adventurism thing---I am sick to death of reading about new schools going up in Iraq and Afghanistan, while our schools here at home are falling apart.

OK, got to run---need to inform my right wing acquaintances on Facebook of how late they are in finally backing some restraint in our ongoing war activities. Everybody do likewise, OK?

[LaydeeBug]

23. Honestly, when put that to Congress for a vote, it *SHUT* them up quickly.

That was when I thought of the chess/checkers scenario

[nadinbrzezinski]

24. Oy

[warrior1]

27. haters gotta hate

But President Obama is a hero in this instance. Talks with Russia since last year, made this outcome possible. Obama wasn't bluffing and Russia knew that, that's why they caved.

Drop mic.

[JustAnotherGen]

28. And the crowd cheers!

[Marrah_G]

99. LOL!

[Botany]

31. The man has skills

[AllyCat]

39. Wish he would play this triple decker chess game to

Help the poor and fix our schools

[LuvNewcastle]

41. LOL!

[tularetom]

42. The republicans in the house will now argue in favor of the strikes

and Fox and CNN will now criticize the president for failing to bomb Syria sooner.

[Iliyah]

85. Yep, that pretty much how it will go - LOL

2014 is looking good for Dems.

I'm pretty Anderson Cooper was ready to go the Syria re ratings.

[joeybee12]

45. This would be funny if it weren't delusional...nt

[ocpagu]

46. Bullshit. No one with two functional neurons will buy this crap. n/t

[Broward]

64. The hero worshippers are blinded to reality.

[markiv]

51. he was careless, but lucky

it happens sometimes

doesnt mean it doesnt go into the assessment of his presidency when it's all said and done, it does - good luck and bad luck counts

Carter is a perfect example - good president, good judgement, but not a single break in the luck department

From Woody Alan's film 'Match Point'

"The man who said "I'd rather be lucky than good" saw deeply into life. People are afraid to face how great a part of life is dependent on luck. It's scary to think so much is out of one's control. There are moments in a match when the ball hits the top of the net, and for a split second, it can either go forward or fall back. With a little luck, it goes forward, and you win. Or maybe it doesn't, and you lose"

[azurnoir]

52. Lordy

I think I need some Dramamine after reading that

[SaveAmerica]

53. Haysoos achay Cristo on a trailer hitch!!

Ahhh haaa haaa!!

I've been telling my husband for a couple weeks now that there was something really important missing that Obama knew that he was not revealing. We were watching the chess game but that one move was making me crazy because I couldn't see all that he saw/knew.

[Kingofalldems]

68. That filthy traitor Bolton now pulling his hair out.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

71. Yep. He secretly bought the British Parliament to withdraw from the "coalition of the willing".

And, got the pollsters to lie about the will of the American people.

[cilla4progress]

75. Obama's folly? I say not!

http://www.thepeoplesview.net/2013/09/time-to-drop-mic-crumbling-under-obamas.html

"Bin laden didn't take Obama seriously either."

[Spitfire of ATJ]

76. Uh huh,...and Bush needed authorization for Iraq to make Saddam obey the UN.

[Iliyah]

78. Lets see, ummmmmmmm

Pres O has got to be the luckiest homo sapien in the world right now - part of this heritage is Irish.

My gosh, hahahahahah.

It was a misstep by the most horrible secretary of state of all time - errrrrrr no, talks were ongoing with the Israelis and Russian, duh.

Read on an other site and it was quite interesting.

Majority of Americans were for the Irag War (not me) because he had WMD without any such proof but believed the Bush Administration lies alongwith the corporate media constant cover for the Bushies.

Majority of Americans are against the Syrian airstrikes, Syrian has admitted WMD and gassed its own people. Calls this Administration liars alongwith the corporate media. Corporate media and some folks, i.e. RWers praising Putin and Assad.

Pissed off some people who are pulling for Pres O's failure - alternative, blame Pres O for not working on the economy and single payer, et al. Obviously, Pres O can work on more than one issue, go figure.

Shakes head.

[cthulu2016]

79. pathetic delusion

[blkmusclmachine]

80. So, BHO finally learned how to play his infamous 11-Dimensional checkers ???

We shall see.

[Not Sure]

81. LOL

Yep, he outsmarted them again.

Gimme a break. Really, that's hilarious. John "Reporting For Duty" Kerry sold out his entire legacy to be a sacrificial pawn or maybe even a knight in Obama's 3D chess game. Right...

With this fiasco Obama finally alienated a shitload of people who support(ed) him, many of whom were barely hanging on through the Gitmo white lie (it'll end, someday...), the Neverending Warring, the NSA spying on me, Wall Street fatcats getting away with stealing my retirement, the equity in my home and my entire fucking career, the ongoing TPP sleight of hand that promises to destroy my new career, drones to shoot me (whoops! thought it was set to stun) if I protest against that, it goes on and on, fuck!

Not only that, he managed to give thinking Democrats something to share in common with brain-dead Fox-viewing wingnuts. Honestly, that's quite an accomplishment and I must admit, even the unflinching cynic in me didn't see that coming. I couldn't have possibly predicted the conversation I had with my father-in-law the other day where we both looked at each other puzzled we'd just agreed on a political issue.

I'm not impressed. I've moved on from Neocons posing as Democrats. Fuck the military industrial complex and fuck the banks. They don't need my help, my tax dollars, my bailouts, my get out of jail free card. I need the help. Millions of my brothers and sisters in this country need that help way more than I do. We ain't gonna get it from these jokers.

Fuck 3D, 4D, HD chess. It's bullshit. It's just a man with a megaphone behind a curtain. And he's not here to help us. I feel like a fool. You know, I gotta give the Republicans credit: at least they don't bother with the curtain. At least you can see it coming with them.

I'm really ready for the adults to take over and put these sorry bastards in the corner for a long timeout. Jimmy Carter, take me away.

[badtoworse]

82. Sorry, I don't buy it. Obama painted himself into a corner and Putin bailed him out.

If it were as you say, Obama would have found a way to do it without making a fool of himself.

[BlueMTexpat]

84. While I hope that the new proposal will indeed

come to pass and succeed in its goals, under NO circumstances do I believe that Congress should authorize unilateral military strikes. I believed this when Bush was President; I believe it when Obama - whom I support in all other aspects - is President.

Without strong support from the international community for them, unilateral military strikes are illegal. Period. Syria has not attacked the US and the evidence presented so far does not seriously meet the "red face" test to show that the Assad Regime is indeed responsible for the use of CW - to the exclusion of other very interested parties in the mix, especially as more information filters out.

The mere fact that prominent neocons are and have been pushing stridently and almost hysterically for the US to attack Syria to "show" Assad a lesson makes me doubt the "evidence" so far presented. The quality of and sources for that "evidence" are also suspect.

While there may be elements of gamesmanship in the Presidential threat to use force, actually condoning its use as you call for is much too far to go for me. I will hold my "critters" to account if they do vote "yes," as I have told them consistently over the past week+ and will continue to do.

[Marr]

87. Haha, ok then.

If it averts a war, fine-- spin it anyway you like. I think it seems like almost Soviet level revisionism to frame this as a brilliant strategy by the President, and actually makes the person claiming such seem comical-- but if the outcome is a good one, then whatever.

I do think there's a bit of premature chicken counting going on here, however. If I were on the side of defending Obama's Syrian adventure, I don't think I'd be latching on to this particular story just yet. Back peddling from this, should the US choose to pursue military strikes regardless, might cause cerebral hemorrhage.

[Union Scribe]

88. He certainly made the chickenhawks look stupid.

If your theory is to be believed, his fans were willing to follow him into a war he didn't plan on starting. So for them now to be proudly clucking for peace is laughable.

[Skittles]

108. I don't think they quite understand that part

not at ALL

[Number23]

90. K&R Too bad this wasn't some made up tripe that you pulled out of your ass

'Cause it is well known that's the only way to get 300 recs on the New DU.

[Corruption Inc]

98. War crimes and the use of chemical weapons, those are the topic, not a political win

Well duped sir, well duped.

[Scurrilous]

104. K & R

[felix_numinous]

105. I don't look at war negotiations as team sports

--with 'winners and losers', because I'm not in high school anymore. All I know is that I don't have the granite set of nerves required to navigate international talks, or to simply be amidst military officials who are eternally itching for another confrontation. But what I know for sure, no country should pretend to be squeaky clean.

This has been a horrifying series of events, that demanded consequences, cool heads and good communication, and I am grateful for what looks like a very good solution for the time being.