Obama’s quick trip from tyrant to weakling

[n2doc]

Dana Milbank
Opinion Writer

After two years of being called a tyrant and a dictator, President Obama returns to Washington from a five-day overseas trip to find that he has become a weakling.


Would-be opponents such as Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty and Sarah Palin had been trying out this somewhat contradictory line of attack for more than a month, as Obama gave mixed signals about events in Egypt and Libya. But the “weak leader” charge gained traction over the weekend, as Obama chose to launch the attack on Gaddafi’s forces while on an excellent adventure in South America with his family.

At about the moment the Tomahawk missiles began to rain down on Libya, Obama was joking with Brazilians about Carnival, the World Cup and the Olympics. Rather than hearing an Oval Office address announcing the new war, Americans got word from the president in a scratchy audio recording. As thousand-pound warheads pounded Libyan forces, Obama was kicking a soccer ball, seeing the sights and watching cowboys in sequins.

Obama administration officials calculated that he would take a hit for proceeding with the voyage. But they appear to have been surprised by the force of the weakling complaint, coming not just from usual suspects such as Karl Rove but from liberals such as my Post colleague Richard Cohen, who saw Obama “quite literally distancing himself from the consequences of his own policy.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/obamas-quick-trip-from-tyrant-to-weakling/2011/03/22/ABpj3qEB_story.html

[ProSense]

1. Yeah, the RW is desperately searching for a meme

<...>

Would-be opponents such as Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty and Sarah Palin had been trying out this somewhat contradictory line of attack for more than a month, as Obama gave mixed signals about events in Egypt and Libya. But the “weak leader” charge gained traction over the weekend, as Obama chose to launch the attack on Gaddafi’s forces while on an excellent adventure in South America with his family.

<...>

Is Milbank trying to help them out or expose them here?

The New Spin: The White House Would Be A Step Down For Sarah Palin

[Proud Liberal Dem]

10. Sounds like "help them"

He seemed to feel the need to mention the fact that one of his "liberal" colleagues seems to agree with the RW meme in the article. Why would he do that if he wasn't trying to get in some criticism?

The RW used to deride President Obama as "the messiah" during the 2008 campaign (and beyond) and we all rolled our eyes at them, particularly Limbaugh, but I almost think that a lot people actually EXPECT him to be "the messiah" after all and that he is to be perfect and never make any mistakes and "do the right thing" (which varies from person to person, of course), and be everything to everybody and there are some people whom are really pissed that he isn't, in fact, "the messiah". :banghead:

[Laura PourMeADrink]

2. Obama's Timing and PR effort is totally out of synch. Please hire

some good PR people FAST...or you will be a one term prez. And, I for one
hate the thought of having to say President Romney.

[Kdillard]

5. Really. He needs PR for a diplomatic trip that was planned months in advanced.

The people doing the complaining would be doing the same thing no matter what. They are desperately trying to make something stick to take down Obama for 2012. It has nothing to do with him getting new PR .

[Laura PourMeADrink]

7. Yes Really. I think Obama (he's said this a number of times himself))

wants to show that he can do more than one thing at once, which he can and does, for sure.

BUT, I believe that there are times that many, many Americans,(perhaps the older half) believe that certain events
rise to the level of supreme seriousness. The Japanese earthquake. The tsunami. The radiation threat. Bombing
a country. All times where people are looking to our leader to speak to - to show concern - to explain - to
detail what our country is doing to help. Prime time as soon as facts are gathered.

PR reps would have told him this, I am sure. It was a missed opportunity to quell this idea that he is cold
and non-caring...which he needs to do to get reelected.

[treestar]

9. I agree; had he cancelled the trip, they'd simply shift to

"he's ignoring Latin America."

[Laura PourMeADrink]

12. in some situations, I'd agree with you...but can't believe it in

this case. can't see many putting an elective, diplomatic trip on the same level as a bombing of another country.

[treestar]

15. The media would spend more time on the trip

so as to affect everyone's perspective.

We'd barely notice the bombing.

Like we've now all forgotten Japan and how the radioactivity is going to destroy the planet.

[robcon]

3. Milbank misses the point.

The Repuglicans are calling him a domestic tyrant and a foreign policy weakling.

The campaign is shaping up... and the WaPo doesn't get it. I hope the president's advisors get it.

[bhikkhu]

4. Funny thing about the "surprising force of the weakling complaint"

I've been keeping up with the news from numerous sources for many days now, as things have been very busy on the world stage, and its the first I've heard of it.

It sounds more like the old Rovian strategy of "attack a person on their strengths". Such as, if a person is perceived as truthful, smear him as a liar. If a person is a careful thinker, brand him as a capricious pouf. If a man is dedicated to coalition, compromise and cooperation, taunt him as a dictator and tyrant.

[ReturnoftheDjedi]

6. Milbank is a toad and the Repigs are desperate.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

8. 2 me..it doesn't matter if they are desperate - it matters if they are effective

and everything they try, probably sticks to at least some people.

[ProSense]

11. They're only effective

if people continue to claim they're effective or justify them.

It's like CNN hyping the teabaggers (where are they now?). What if CNN had given the Wisconsin protests the kind of coverage it gave the teabaggers? Instead, CNN ignored the biggest protest in the state since Vietnam.

When the RW pushes a meme, people like Milbank should be calling them on it unless he agrees.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

13. Not sure if I understand the point here after re-reading the article

In his first paragraph....he talks about wingnuts dubbing him weak. then he bombs Libya and goes on an adventure....

Would-be opponents such as Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty and Sarah Palin had been trying out this somewhat contradictory line of attack for more than a month, as Obama gave mixed signals about events in Egypt and Libya. But the “weak leader” charge gained traction over the weekend, as Obama chose to launch the attack on Gaddafi’s forces while on an excellent adventure in South America with his family.

This paragraph makes no sense, really. Is he speaking of two different occasions?...weak not to get in? and then weak to bomb while on an adventure?

[Proud Liberal Dem]

14. Yeah, and "excellent adventure"?

Is he trying to suggest that Obama is channelling Bill & Ted?

:wtf: