Oliver Willis, progressive. . .
Ideally, the Obama administration would have maintained radio silence over the planned Koran burning by an obscure Florida clergyman nobody ever gave a crap about. This kind of thing happens all the time, with some penny ante kook looking to make a name for him or herself. Generally the modus operandi is to ignore these fringe actors because they simply don’t matter.
In this case, President Obama was asked a direct question about this guy, and he should have just said he wasn’t going to comment on an individual nutjob like this (using more diplomatic language, of course). Instead, Obama commented on the koran burning and the possible danger to troops in the field. He shouldn’t have even gone there, but those comments are nothing compared to what followed.
Most modern governments, particularly the United States government, has a policy of not negotiating or even acknowledging the random, nonsensical demands of the crazies. In doing so, you deprive them and other crazies of oxygen and incentive. It’s also just common sense.
But in following the pattern they laid down with the whole Breitbart/Sherrod mess, this administration again gave oxygen to crazies and made their administration – and by default, the country, look weak. First was Robert Gibbs acknowledging that the administration might reach out to this idiot in Florida.
And now we learn that the Secretary Of Defense called this man. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Robert Gates is the Secretary of Defense. He is in charge of the most powerful army on the face of the earth. His job is assessing the threats that face us and our allies on an hourly basis. His job is not calling up homegrown radicals to chat about their publicity stunts!
The argument that this somehow protects the troops is bunk. In fact, it probably makes them less safe, because every kook around the world now at least thinks he can get the ear of the U.S. Secretary of Defense or higher up the rank. If it’s an honest to goodness terrorist with hostages, will Vice President Biden call him up to shoot the breeze? This is a terrible, terrible precedent to set. You don’t do this.
This is amateur hour stuff. This is the kind of thing that gives Republican/conservative attacks some factual basis to be rooted in, and more importantly it projects terrible weakness. Leave interactions with the freakshows across the country (and the world) to the experts in cable news. Deal with running the country and getting us out of the hole we’re in. Don’t send the Secretary Of Defense off to kiss the hind end of some jackass in Florida. Quit wetting the bed.
Quit it.
http://www.oliverwillis.com/2010/09/09/obama-administration-doesnt-get-it-weakness-is-not-a-virtue/
