The point is the Russians thought he would do that and were scared shitless of him. Putin knows there isn't much President Obama can do (same with W in Ossetia). It took Reagan and Thatcher's strength of character in the 80's to face the Russians down. There is no one in the west today to fill those shoes. The Europeans are hooked on Russian gas, the Brits on Russian cash and Obama doesn't think the US is worthy to lead. Putin sees to be getting crazier by the minute. This will be interesting.
Strong characters yes, and at the best possible time, but it was the economic strangulation of 30 years of Cold War that did in the Soviet Union. WWIII was an economic war and we won it. Nonsense. The US has led in everything--the NATO occupation of Afghanistan, support of the Egyptian revolution, goading the Europeans to stepping up in Libya--France is even joining us these days, the war on al Qaeda, the Syrian WMD surrender, pressure on North Korea, the Iran talks, you name it. And the Russian are far more hooked on dollars and Euros than NATO is on Russian gas. Europe has alternatives to Russia for natural gas, albeit expensive. Russia has no alternative at all for vital European income. Russia will lose an economic pissing match. I don't know what to think about this guy. He does seem to exhibit the kind of megalomania that we have come to associate with authoritarian madmen. But he is shrewder than his clumsy Soviet predecessors. For all their bluster, the old Soviets were realists regarding conflict with America. If Putin is really whackadoo, we can't count on any pragmatism to moderate his ambitions.
Putin ain't Gorbechev. Gorbechev was actually no fucking threat to the US. Putin is fucking insane. He would have done it if fucking Truman was President. You are dead on with thinking the dude is crazy.
So much of leadership is how one carries themselves in times of crisis. There is no doubt that with today's communication capabilities the president being away from the White House means little in his ability to manage situations. However what you choose to do tends to reflect on how others including your enemies view your take on a situation. The president is taking vacation in the middle of the crisis in Ukraine. As noted in the article below taking vacation is "bad optics". You can be sure Russia and our allies are taking note as does the public and could infer that he isn't taking the situation seriously. Being a leader combines many things and understanding what impression you make is one of them. http://www.charter.net/news/read/article/ap-obama_to_promote_education_agenda_at_mia-ap
Come on, the guy is taking a long weekend, for heavens sake. As the article points out "Every president gets criticized for the amount of time he spends away from the White House, and Obama is no different." There is never a perfect time for a President to get some time off, but this is why Air Force One is equipped with everything a President needs to remain in touch. "The White House made clear that Obama is staying on top of developments in Ukraine, noting that the president called German Chancellor Angela Merkel after arriving in Key Largo." In a week or so, Obama is off on a tour to meet leaders in Netherlands, Belgium, Italy and Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile Michelle Obama will be doing public relations in China. They need an occasional weekend off just like every American does. Obama just initiated sanctions yesterday. It takes time for them to have any effect. This Ukraine situation is going to play out over months and a President can't let it stop him from functioning normally. Republicans just make political hay out of anything they can get their hands on because they have so little else to offer.
I get that being President is tough and occasional vacays are necessary. But the current office holder doesn't seem to be missing much. The Florida trip is their 3rd this year. I don't know anybody (who isn't retired) who has had 3 vacations already this year although I'm sure there are a handful somewhere. If you recall Dubya made a point of skipping golf while the war was on. Maybe not a big sacrifice but the message was there. Obama just spent quality golf time in CA and plans more in Florida. If he and Michelle are making this trip to stress the importance of education then why spend the rest of the weekend on sandy beaches with two golf courses at the Ocean Reef Club—a private, five-star paradise on 2,500 lush, tropical acres? Can he work on board AFO? Sure. But it doesn't send quite the same message. He should go back to Washington. Michelle? Seriously? Hilarious. Public relations....bullshit. She's taking both her girls and her mother on the taxpayer dime. It's a family vacation, call it what it is. This follows her extended birthday week in Hawaii and then the private, no cell phone event, in Washington to also celebrate her birthday. There was the $5M 2-day trip in June to Ireland where she stayed in Dublin for $3300/night. And then of course Martha's Vineyard. She should just own the fact that she likes to travel, does so on the taxpayer dime, and quit pretending to understand the woes of the middle class.
3-day weekends are not a vacation in the sense you are suggesting. Practically everybody takes multiple long weekends every year. And they are not on call 24-7 like the President is. Well, we are not at war! Funny you should mention Dub. He is on record as saying that Obama should play golf in office. “I know what it’s like to be in the bubble. I know the pressures of the job, and to be able to get outside and play golf with some of your pals is important for the president. It does give you an outlet.” Maybe a message is being sent to Putin, you know? Your action has been condemned, initial sanctions have been made, and now I'm playing some golf while you sweat out the mess you've made of Crimea. Next Obama visits Europe and the Middle east to demonstrate again that Putin has not paralyzed the US in fear. The right wing is really stretching to find a scandal, any scandal to help them undermine a sitting US presidents foreign policy. Nobody is fooled. My, aren't the grapes sour this season. The first lady traveling abroad alone is always public relations and informal diplomacy. Come on, she's meeting with her counterpart in Beijing, speaking publicly, and visiting Chinese Universities. Going to get a lot of publicity about just how tight we are with China during this standoff with Russia. China is not backing Russia on the Ukraine deal and this is some high-profile appreciation for the Chinese and a subtle nose-thumbing at Putin.
I am not criticizing him (or Michelle) for taking vacations. Taking them on the taxpayers' dime is part of the deal. AND AS I SAID RED he has full communications capability at all times. However I think your characterization of him taking time while Putin sweats is comical at best. The overriding criticism of him is his reluctance to lead from the front. He didn't do it on AHCA (he let Pelosi et al write it), he didn't do it in Egypt, Libya, Syria and now Ukraine (he's letting Kerry speak for him). In times of crisis he tends to fade into the background (even if he may be working hard). In his own words he has many times said the US should not take the lead on issues. Sometimes appearances matter and this (and the others) is one of them. If he doesn't seem serious about it why should anyone. He needs to do all of the job and act like the leader of the world's only superpower rather than one of the guys
I have a very different idea about whose characterization is comical. Winston, Kerry WORKS for Obama! You have no idea how the Presidency if you think he isn't giving Kerry instructions. Foreign relations is the Secretary of State's JOB. And now you say that Obama took no lead with OBamacare? It was his initiative! Of course he doesn't do the Congress' job. After five years of trying to put it all on his shoulders, now you want to rename it Pelosicare? Are you serious? How did he fail to lead on Egypt? Explain that one to me. Because he didn't lead an internal Egyptian revolution or because he didn't lead an internal Egyptian coup? How did he fail in Libya? Because he forced the Europeans to step up to the plate and then had to back them up anyway? How did he fail to lead in Syria when he was the only international leader to demand Syrian compliance on chemical weapons use, which worked! How has he not led over Ukraine. He condemned it instantly, has implemented sanctions, has spoken to Putin, has spoken to European leaders and he has redeployed US military assets. You either have your head in the sand or you don't know leadership when it is obvious. You apparently don't pay close attention to the news. Obama is in it everyday. Seriously. When did he say this and what was the context? The right wing again is really stretching to find some fault in Obama here. Nobody is fooled.
