Some comments from readers to Andrew Sullivan's blog:

[Pirate Smile]

Obama: Cunning Again?
A reader writes:

I love the time line that Obama has proposed for withdrawing our troops from Afghanistan. Crafty. The neocons (McCain for one) are already saying that it gives comfort to the enemy, that they will just wait until we leave and then attack again. And the reason this is bad is what?

I think the hope of the White House is that the Taliban will lay low. If the Taliban want to wait until we leave, perhaps there is time for the Afghans to train and begin to defend themselves. If the Taliban attacks, there are enough troops to counter their attacks and weaken them by attrition. A win/win for us.

Obama is also telling the Afghans in the street that we are leaving, which hopefully will say to them that we are not their enemy, not their occupiers, and hopefully keep ordinary patriotic Afghans from joining the Taliban.

Very cool.

What One Reader Heard

And she's onto something:

I think his message was very clear - to the military. They wanted more - they got it - faster than they asked for. He has now placed the full burden of victory or defeat at the hands of McChrystal and Petraeus, for he has set a timeline within his term of deciding their fates regarding success or failure - something that is rarely done in presidential politics. Bravo!

As for the perpetual war complex - he's now given them their termination papers and boy do they not like it! Look at our conservative war hawks. Scowling. Look at the blowhard "former military commanders" on TV - boy they don't like it! Deadlines! Oooh - scary - send wrong message. Even Cheney thinks it's "weakness".

Legacy is at stake! Divert attention! And the media - Politico in particular - follows like the good microphone Zombies they are!
Well, I get it. And the President gets it. He's outta there, but he's going for the Hail Mary. If the military doesn't deliver, he's got the political cover to say "game over".

And if the military does deliver, if his first term ends with a stabler Afghanistan and the capture or death of bin Laden and the successful prosecution of KSM in a civilian court of law ... well Cheney really will have something to worry about. And his political shield against a war crimes prosecution will be gone.

See? I haven't lost all hope after all. I've just gained an awful lot of chastening.

(Photo: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty.)

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/12/what-one-reader-heard.html

[PM Martin]

1. Mr. Sullivan worships at the alter of Obama.

No matter what Obama says or does, Sullivan and his followers go along.

[Cha]

4. The comments are based in reality and no amount of

your trying to smear the messenger will change that.

[FrenchieCat]

6. Perhaps they are smarter than the faux intellectual

that walk around here thinking they have said something,
when they haven't really said shit?

How about that withdrawal plan?
What do you think about that?



Should I give you a second to go check on the postings of the kool kids,
so that you'll know how to respond?

Ok. Take your time.

[PM Martin]

7. There are those around here

who have a strong emotional attachment to the President which is unhealthy.

[tridim]

10. Limbaugh says that all the time.

He claims we think the President is the messiah. :eyes:

I respect the President and I support him. That's my right, and it's not unhealthy in the least.

[PM Martin]

11. You do not have to support every thing he does.

[tridim]

12. I don't.

Nobody does.

[FrenchieCat]

14. Odd, that doesn't sound like you commenting on a withdrawal plan!

How about that? Do you have an opinion,
or do you need to go search out a script?

[Cha]

17. rw talking points. Got anything of substance?

[FrenchieCat]

23. Poster PM Martin just sent me an offensive PM, smearing me and Prosense!

He's a coward!

[Cha]

21. I'm getting this right out in the open..I'm not following you

around..okay.

I didn't answer your pm bc I saw that it was ridiculous. You happen to come into the space I was reading and I replied.

If that makes you paranoid then I won't reply to you anymore. You can just go one saying how "unhealthy our support for Obama" is without any more rebuttal from me.

[Baltoman991]

22. No, what's unhealthy

is your utter hatred for all things Obama. And you're spewing of right wing talking points further proves your hatred.

[tabatha]

9. I thought I saw some justification

more than one sentence long.

[tridim]

2. Big picture thinking.

[Cha]

5. Yeah, that's what some

people do.

[Cha]

3. Thanks Pirate.. I like

reading comments based in reality.

[Pirate Smile]

8. There is a rec/unrec war going on with this post. Interesting to watch.

[Clio the Leo]

15. Pity the military cant use that in some way.

'Cause if Osama, Ayman or Abu Ayyub do an OP here I am SOOOO going to unrec it. ;)

[Clio the Leo]

13. They sound like lovely people....

.... they should come here. :)

[bevoette]

16. hmmm...i may need to migrate over there...fewer cannibals it seems (nm)

[Pirate Smile]

19. There are no comments. People send him e-mails and he posts the ones he thinks are relevant or

thought-provoking or countering (intelligently) a post of his.

[Cha]

20. Yeah, that would

be amazing..me posting on Andrew Sullivan's blog. I use to get so mad at him in the early part of the century.

Just goes to show ya how some people do evolve.

[andym]

18. Sullivan's analysis is incisive. nt.

[Pirate Smile]

24. Kick