Obama and the Somali Pirates ...

[JoePhilly]

It was back in April of 2009 and Somali pirates had taken a ship's captain hostage. It was considered the first test of the Obama administration in a foreign crisis situation. Over the next few days, Obama was criticized for not taking a more forceful public stand. The right wing was demanding more bluster and saber rattling. They claimed Obama was weak.

And then ... POP, POP, POP ... three dead pirates, and a rescued hostage. And the right wing's response ... since they were no longer able to complain about the actual situation or the outcome, they attacked the "approach" used to reach the outcome, screaming ... "Why did it take so long?" Their attacks were pretty comical.

One of the things we later learned is that Obama had worked behind the scenes to ensure that the navy commander on the scene had the authority to take out the pirates if the opportunity presented itself. Rather than bluster on TV and potentially make a bad situation worse, he let the people on the scene do what needed to be done.

Watching the crises in Egypt develop over the last few weeks, I was at times reminded of the Somali pirate episode.

Each day we listened to people on the right and the left demand that Obama bluster more. They wanted more forceful rhetoric in his public statements. Obama should be "demanding" one thing or another was a common framing.

Here on DU, it was common to find a thread in which some one would predict that Obama was work to ensure that Mubarak stayed in power, or he was "throwing the protesters under the bus", or something similar because Obama's public rhetoric was not forceful enough.

Some claimed that the Obama administration was working behind the scenes to make sure Mubarak stayed in power. When pro-Mubarack thugs attacked the protesters, that was indirectly, Obama's doing. When Obama said that the transition needed to start "now" ... there were those who said that was really code for "never". And so on.

When Mubarak gave a defiant speech the other night, some said it clearly reflected Obama's backing of Mubarak. That's what it had to be.

And then ... POP. Mubarak leaves Cairo and steps down. The celebration begins. The desired outcome is achieved. Rather than bluster, and potentially make a difficult situation worse, Obama did the same thing as before, he let the people on the scene do what needed to be done.

Nice job, again, mister President.

[jaxx]

1. Great post!

All the arm chair quarterbacking against President Obama and when they're proven wrong...again...they run off in another direction.

Nice job indeed.

K&R

[JoePhilly]

4. exactly

[treestar]

2. Rec'd.

Good analogy.

Some just want drama. They don't care if it makes things worse.

They'll show on TV medical shows people yelling at a doctor who is taking care of their loved one. It's supposed to show their concern. But in reality the last thing you'd want to do is upset a doctor who is trying to concentrate on how to save the loved one.

Same thing in courtrooms. Whispering in your lawyers ear fervently, "he's lying!!!!!" Yeah, like that really helps - helps your lawyer miss what was just said.

[Pisces]

3. Try as they might the right can not beat him. He is playing on a different field by his own rules.

[boppers]

5. Talking heads, well, they talk.

Other people simply get it done.

[MadMaddie]

6. This is how it should work

We don't need to know all of the nitty gritty behind the scenes activity, Americans have been spoiled to expect immediate satisfaction of knowing everything.



<snip>
Rather than bluster on TV and potentially make a bad situation worse, he let the people on the scene do what needed to be done.
<snip>

I have actually heard people trying to give Junior credit for the fall of the Egyptian tyrant.

[Nancy Waterman]

7. Same thing happened in the campaign

Everyone complained he should do more of this or that, be more aggressive, etc., but his strategy always proved right in the end.

[Alenne]

8. You would think after being wrong so many times

they would shut up and let things unfold, but no.