I think their assessment of the situation in Iran is - privately - fairly accurate. However, it appears that Obama hasn't yet realized that it is no longer necessary to play the game as if he were in campaign mode. With apologies in advance for the mixed zoological metaphors, he cannot seem to understand that he is a lame duck who no longer needs to wag the tail.
His psyche seems to need the adoration that goes along with doing something 'big' without regard to whether it works (ACA) or whether it is not in line with our national interests (Iran, Syria). This is the territory into which psychologists delve, but it seems borderline megalomaniacal and certainly narcissistic.
More than anything, it is IMO a failure of negotiating skills brought about by inexperience. This was seen recently in the inability to talk to anyone when the TP tried to shut down government, in his failure to engage Congress, and in his many faux pas.
Tip O'Neil and Reagan were as opposed ideologically as any two pols could be but they could sit down with some of Scotland's best, chat, trade jokes, and work out problems in a reasonable way. Of course, they were politicians with enormous experience behind them who knew in their bones that politics is at its core the art of compromise.
As an aside, I read or heard somewhere that a GOP Senator suggested to Obama a negotiating ploy which I thought was brilliant but which Obama rejected, probably because he didn't think of it. He should suggest to the Iranians that he cannot do much about the sanctions because he has some rabid Republicans who will not only prevent him from doing it but who actually want to tighten the existing ones. Accordingly, the Iranians should - if they are serious - move first as a gesture of good faith, without any expectation that we will make any concessions. The message to them is that if they don't take the first step in a serious way, well, then not much can be done, and the existing sanctions regime stays in place because Obama's hands are tied by the loons in the GOP. This seems like a fantastic way to test their intentions because, if they respond, concessions can be minimal.
Going forward with concessions in the first place has been shown to be stupid. Not even the French will allow that to happen. And the Saudis, OMG, they must be beside themselves.
How did we end up with such a numbskull as Prez I'll never know. |
