I have to say something again about our President. This Syria thing has gotten ridiculous. When the gassing first occurred, that is when the President should have acted.
But he is not a person who can make decisive decisions quickly. He’s a pleaser who doesn’t like to act without doing a lot of thinking and asking others. He needs to take the temperature, or in golf terms throw some grass up in the air and see which way the wind is blowing.
I wrote some time ago that he wouldn’t do anything. I thought then and I think now he should have done something, but now it’s too late. He’s got most of the world and most of Congress and most of us citizens against him.
If he does something now, he will be demonized everywhere. If he doesn’t do something, he will have lost all credibility. Nobody will listen to him for the rest of his Presidency. And our enemies around the globe will certainly become bold, realizing he will have lost all respect and most of his power.
It’s a terrible situation he has put himself. He’s damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t.
I desperately wanted him to act, but now it’s too late. I’m sorry I voted for him, not once but twice.
Rarely do I agree with John McCain, who is more of a war hawk than John Kerry. But if the President does act in the face of world opinion largely against him, he should do it to demolish Syria’s air defense, its missiles and its aircraft, as McCain insists. Do some harm, just don’t send, as the President once said, a warning shot across the bow.
But then we would have to be concerned about the stockpile of gas the Syrians have. If they get into hands of extremists, look out.
Then there is this: we really don’t have a dog in this fight. If Bashar al-Assad stays in power, how much worse does it get for us? At least we know who he is. And if he loses, who will take his place? Mostly likely it will be some extreme religious group that will cause us at least as much trouble, if not more.
This all could have been averted if the President had acted decisively and quickly when the latest gassing happened. Get in, get out, and let the various dogs fight it out.
Now, we have our second “Do Nothing” President, Eisenhower being the first.