It's a Wonderful Life

This Blog has endeavored to never engage in the politics of personal destruction, as such taudry and tacky sleaze is best left to the Clinton's smear operatives.  My dedication to a pedantic porch of high level policy critique has demonstrated that persons of good will can debate the wisdom of the government's myriad mis-steps without demonizing the top decision maker.  From all honest sources, it should be clear that our current President is a loving husband and father who is a genial companion for most every five hour dinner party held in the Italian countryside.  Born in the ultimate laid back paradise of Hawaii, President Obama is as cool and composed leader (from behind) as has ever occupied the Oval Office.  

That complimentary biography stated, we now must veer into the somewhat murky venue of Presidential bearing, as this "optic" measurement of leadership capabilities is taken every day by both our nation's allies and adversaries.  Evil rulers, most dangerously Putin and the Iranian mullas, watch Mr. Obama's speeches, press conferences and official public utterances to compare with his follow through actions to determine whether he is both resolute and a man of his word.  Indisputably, a Red Line drawn in Syria, when crossed with full impunity, undermines, possibly irreparably, the credibility of our Commander-in-Chief.

A not implausible argument can be advanced that when thousands of Syrian innocents were murdered by a poison gas attack in a rebel held suburb of Damascas, and no consequences ensued, the measure of Mr. Obama was taken and found wanting by Russia's Stalin-wantabe, leading to the invasion of Ukraine, the shoot down of the Malaysian airliner and the seizure of the Crimean province.

This crisis in eastern Europe has been compounded by the rise if ISIS, the Hamas war of terror against Isreal and the Mexican government's decision to hold hostage indefinitely a US Marine, while holding our entire southern border hostage to tens of thousands of illegal immigrants.  Let's face it, in a messy world, absolutely no one is afraid to mess with us, in our face even - at least until it falls to the ground with the rest of the head.

So, in the face of an entire World on Fire, Mr. Obama departs to Wales for the NATO summit, billed as a crucial gathering in which he will galvanize the Europeans to a steadfast commitment to degrade, dismantle and destroy ISIS and to free Ukraine from Russia's rapacious grasp.  In this context of the West being routed and the dead bodies of too many to count innocents dominating the evening news for weeks on end, this NATO Conference had to be a most solemn and grave event dominated by life and death consultations.

So, how did Mr. Obama end his post-NATO summit presser: "Thank you very much people of Wales.  I had a wonderful time."  What an excellent adventure for our accidental tourist, who also found leisure time for a visit to Stonehedge on the way back.  Soon, we will return to the high moral plane of national policy concerns; but for now, I defy anyone to convince me that the current occupant of the White House has the demeanor of a serious and resolute war time leader.