- Home
- News Grid
- Local News
- Green Hawk
- Business
- Politics
- School Zone
- Nonprofits
- Missing Pets
- Multimedia
- Arts
- Movies
- Outdoors
- Sports
- News Releases
- Columnists
- Blogs
- Opinions
- Classifieds
- Advertise
- Donate
- Partners
Michael Barone: The Adolescent Angst of Barack Obama
There is a tendency for newly installed presidents, like adolescents suddenly liberated from adult supervision, to do the exact opposite of what their predecessors did. Presidents of both parties indulge in this behavior, though Democrats who campaign as candidates of hope and change are more likely to do so.
Some of this is a legitimate response to the political process: Voters tend to elect presidents who seem to possess qualities and views they thought lacking in their predecessors. But some of it, and especially in the case of Barack Obama, seems to come from an adolescent-like confidence that everything done by those who came before is (insert your own generation’s expletive here).
We have seen this spectacularly in the dozen days since the June 12 Iranian election. In July 2007, Obama said he would meet with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and other tyrants without preconditions. Grownup squares such as George W. Bush wouldn’t talk to these guys, so as the avatar of the generation of hope and change, Obama would. Obama figured he was cool enough to get the mullahs to agree to renounce nuclear weapons and all that hate stuff.
Obama has held to this ever since. Before June 12, he said he would give the Iranian leaders till the end of the year to be enchanted. When millions of Iranians started demonstrating in the streets, denouncing the obvious election fraud and in some cases calling for an end to the regime, his initial responses verged on stony indifference.
He expressed “deep concern” but said he didn’t want to “meddle.” He issued a statement June 20 calling on the Iranian government “to stop all violent and unjust actions.” Finally, in a hastily called news conference Tuesday, he for the first time uttered the verb “condemn” and said he was moved by the video of YouTube martyr Neda Soltan being shot down by the mullahs’ gunmen.
But he clearly hasn’t abandoned his policy of seeking the good opinion of tyrants. He didn’t even rescind the State Department’s invitations of Iranian diplomats to attend U.S. embassy Fourth of July celebrations (halal hot dogs, anyone?). If Bush refused to entertain the emissaries of the Iranian theocrats, it must be right to do the opposite. But even anonymous State Department officials are saying that the chances are dismal for fruitful negotiations with Ahmadinejad or the tyrant Obama insists on calling “the Supreme Leader” by Obama’s deadline — something that seemed obvious to me and many others well before June 12.
A regime of tyrants dedicated to hatred of America, Britain and Israel is not going to be persuaded to abandon a central goal by even the most dazzling display of adolescent charm.
The other example of adolescent rejection of a policy has come on missile defense. In the 1970s and 1980s, Democratic politicians opposed missile defense on the grounds — mistaken in my view, but arguable at the time — that it would destabilize the balance of nuclear terror between the United States and the Soviet Union. Democrats have clung to that position even after the fall of the Soviet Union, and Obama, as a senator and presidential candidate, joined them, routinely expressing doubts that missile defense could ever work.
As president, he has singled out missile defense for cuts, even in the face of missile launches by North Korea and evidence of continuing missile development by Iran. Bush abrogated the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and pushed ahead on missile defense, so it must be bad even if there’s no U.S.-Soviet balance of terror to destabilize anymore.
Fortunately, there has been some adult supervision: Defense Secretary Robert Gates, in anticipation of a North Korean launch, has activated missile defense operations in Hawaii.
Obama has not taken an adolescent approach across the board. Despite the yearning of many Democrats for American defeat in Iraq and withdrawal from Afghanistan, he has pushed for something like victory in those theaters.
But he is persistent in seeking negotiations with the mullahs and obviously disinclined to increase the small chance of the far more promising outcome of regime change. Plus, Obama shows a continued distaste for missile defense when tyrants are aiming missiles at us and our friends.
These moves show an adolescent determination to renounce the policies of those who came before, no matter what. As parents know, it takes time for an adolescent to grow up.
— Michael Barone is a senior writer for U.S.News & World Report and principal coauthor of The Almanac of American Politics. Click here to contact him.
Comments
Noozhawk's comments are moderated, but by posting here you accept your responsibility to follow our rules as part of Noozhawk's shared online community. Please keep your comments civil and helpful. Don't attack other readers personally, and do not use vulgar, abusive or discriminatory language. Use the "Report Abuse" link if a comment violates these standards or our Terms of Use.
» on 06.25.09 @ 05:15 PM
Michael, once again very opinionated and wrong. Obama has accomplished more in the past 6 months than W did in 8 years. You equate being adolescent to someone that is intelligent, listens to various opinions, seeks expert advice and works towards widespread agreement. Someone that is flexible and will change his approach or opinion when the facts or situation changes. This a great contrast to W who was the decider, stubborn and had no idea what he was doing. One who punished anyone who was not loyal to him even if they were right.
You don't have permission to flag this entry.
» on 06.26.09 @ 05:15 AM
“someone that is intelligent, listens to various opinions, (listens, then goes ahead and does what he wants) seeks expert advice ( because he doesn’t have enough experience to do much on his own) and works towards widespread agreement (then why do so many disagree with his policies?)”
You don't have permission to flag this entry.
» on 06.26.09 @ 11:42 AM
Michael Barrone complaining about someone else’s “adolescent angst” is typical of his hypocrisy, and is just another instance of his never ever being right about anything.
You don't have permission to flag this entry.
» on 06.28.09 @ 02:51 PM
Local, you disappoint me on this one. Pull yer head outta the sand.
You don't have permission to flag this entry.
More Local News »
Michael Barone: Unlike Obama, GOP Candidates Talk Seriously About Governing
Republican nominee could have an advantage over an incumbent president in pure campaign mode
Michael Barone: South Carolina Hoping to Pick Next President
All arrows appear to point to Republican front-runner Mitt Romney
Michael Barone: ‘Tactical Voters’ Went to Romney in New Hampshire
He wins support from Republican undecideds, but he still has a lot of convincing to do
Michael Barone: Romney’s Watchwords in Iowa — Divide and Conquer
But it's too soon to say he has a clear flight path to the GOP presidential nomination
Michael Barone: Voters Want Growth, Not Income Redistribution
Economic distress makes Americans less, not more, supportive of big government
Weather: Fair 44.0º
Search Noozhawk »
