Official White House Photo by Pete Souza
Obama Is At A Low Point In World Influence -- Jon Frosch, France24
US President Barack Obama’s handling of the Syria crisis has earned him criticism both at home and abroad. But how much damage has it really done him? FRANCE 24 interviewed Dr. Larry Sabato, a leading political analyst at the University of Virginia.
F24: Interviewed in the French press, Peter Feaver, a political scientist at Duke University, likened the impact of the Syrian crisis on President Obama to the effect Hurricane Katrina had in undermining former president George W. Bush. What do you make of that comparison?
LS: The Syrian crisis certainly hasn’t helped Obama. Domestically, Obama will be okay with the electorate as long as the US-Russian alliance works and Syria discloses and destroys its chemical weapons stockpile. That will avert war, and this is what the American public wants. Opposition to the Syrian intervention was as strong and widespread as I have ever seen in the US. Of course, public opposition never stopped presidents such as Truman, Johnson, Nixon, Reagan and George W. Bush from going to war.
F24: What about on the world stage? Has the Syria crisis weakened Obama internationally?
LS: The world stage is a different matter. Other leaders saw an indecisive, dithering president who was unwilling to take military action after having clearly threatened it. This encourages testing of Obama’s resolve and power by the many around the globe who oppose Western interests.
Read more ....
My Comment: As I have mentioned in previous posts .... on the domestic scene President Obama is probably "OK" .... and that is where the focus of his Presidency is on. Internationally .... his reputation and credibility is now being questioned .... and with just cause. But the next crisis .... if handled properly .... will make these doubts go away .... but if not .... this may become a trend that will be difficult to reverse.
Update: This is a must read .... On Syria, Obama shouldn’t text while he’s driving -- Nicholas Wapshott, Reuters
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