It was never meant to be an easy balancing act but President Obama, already running high on approval ratings, has scored a major diplomatic feat. Just hours after urging Hosni Mubarak not to run for office the Egyptian president has announced publicly he will not seek re-election. This represents a significant change in Egyptian politics as Mubarak—a generational despot—has been ubiquitous in Arab politics for the exactly thirty years.
By moving beyond the delicate and politically correct rhetoric that has been Washington’s stock in trade, Barack Obama has passed an international test which should embolden his foreign credentials. The benefits cannot be underestimated. First it puts the Obama administration in a good working relationship whoever emerges as Egypt’s next leader. When it mattered, when it was politically risky to chose sides the American president decided to side with the people. Second, foreign affairs have never been Obama’s best suit and a single occurrence or phone call does not a diplomatic expert make. However it should stop the republican attack machine from labeling him as another Carter. Any democratic running for a second-term will want to stay as far away from such as label as he possibly can. More importantly it grants Obama another raison d’être to stake a stronger claim for re-election by making up for what was his most glaring deficit back in 2008.
It seems to me the longer Mr. Obama stays in the White House, the better he governs. In a Republican fray that looks as disconcerted and as uncertain as it can get, 2012 might not be the year of the neo-cons just yet.
No comments:
Post a Comment