The Russian reaction in Georgia has shaken a lot of people around the world. This assertion by the Russian Army is like an early warning system to the Caucasus and the Eastern European countries. The worst thing to watch was the reaction of American leadership. Not only did President Bush appear diffident but even John McCain sounded rhetorical. The worst was the reaction from Barack Obama. He sounded uninterested and aloof. Obama sounds quite effective when he is talking about the Middle East or Afghanistan-Pakistan conflict. America is not just a regional power, it also has to deal with many parts of the world simultaneously. An American President has a unique job in this world. He has to engage every continent regularly and with equal conviction. Georgia is not just a European problem. It is as much an American problem with far-reaching implications.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin must be sending a signal to the American presidential candidates. Russia is going to be a major concern for the next President of the United States. Barack Obama ought to understand that. If he does, he is likely to pick Joe Biden as his running mate, Chuck Hagel as his Secretary of State and request Robert Gates to continue as Defense Secretary. This is the only way he would assure the voters that he is ready to be the next Commander-in-Chief. But despite all this, is Putin going to take Barack Obama seriously? Unfortunately, this has a lot to do with race. Condoleezza Rice looked and appeared out of place in all-white male NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) gathering last week. With all the power and prestige of the President of the United States, she was not convincing.
Barack Obama has similar drawbacks. He is an intellectual, unlike John McCain or George Bush, but does not understand realpolitik in this complicated world. Vladimir Putin might welcome Obama’s diplomacy but would take advantage of his naivety. China is going to be even more difficult. Barack Obama gets carried away by his celebrity in the democratic base and appears arrogant to the rest. If he was ready to lead America, he would have announced his running mate a month back, irrespective of any other consideration. He obviously needs help but refuses to admit it and take appropriate steps to correct this vulnerability. CNBC and CNN and their legions are not going to be enough to carry the day. A Chris Matthews or Wolf Blitzer are like comedians to the rest of the world. Their opinions matter little to independent voters.
Barack Obama: Foreign Policy Summit in Washington, DC
Filed under: American, International | Tagged: Afghanistan-Pakistan, American Leadership, American President, American Presidential Candidates, Barack Obama, Caucasus, Chris Matthews, Chuck Hagel, CNBC, CNN, Commander-in-Chief, Condoleezza Rice, Defence Secretary, Eastern European Countries, Georgia, Joe Biden, John McCain, Middle East, NATO, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, President Bush, President of the United States, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Realpolitik, Regional Power, Robert Gates, Russian Army, Russian Reaction, Secretary of State, Wolf Blitzer | Leave a comment »
THINK! 