June 24, 2009

Quote of the Day

Excellent column by Jonathan Chait, on how Obama deals with foreign adversaries much the same way he deals with political opponents in the U.S.:

This is a perfect summation of Obama's strategy. It does not presuppose that his adversaries are people of goodwill who can be reasoned with. Rather, it assumes that, by demonstrating his own goodwill and interest in accord, Obama can win over a portion of his adversaries' constituents as well as third parties. Obama thinks he can move moderate Muslim opinion, pressure bad actors like Iran to negotiate, and, if Iran fails to comply, encourage other countries to isolate it. The strategy works whether or not Iran makes a reasonable agreement... Obama's defining political trait is the belief that conciliatory rhetoric is a ruthless strategy.

Posted by Stephen Silver at June 24, 2009 01:25 AM
Comments
Post a comment









Remember personal info?