Do Obama's Reversals Mean Bush was Right? (Wizbang)

Something to ponder... in my Townhall column this week:

Shortly after last year's election, I quoted something former Centcom Commander Tommy Franks said that gave me hope that President Obama would do a better job on the issue of the military and national security than what I had feared Candidate Obama would do.

Franks said, "As we have a new commander-in-chief, and as the new commander-in-chief comes to know and appreciate these men and women who serve, he too is a lifelong learner and I predict that some of his views will change as he comes to know the people in our military."

Last week when I heard of yet another change of Obama's position on a matter of national security, I hoped that what Franks said was the reason behind it.
...
If he is just playing politics and responding to polls, the danger is that he could always shift those positions again if public opinion changes. Jim Geraghty, reacting to so many abrupt changes since the election, said President Obama's policies all come with an expiration date. Maybe the shift on national security and on domestic issues is all about responding to the political climate.

What is really interesting to consider though, is an unintended by-product of the possibility that Obama is doing as Tommy Franks suggested he might and is changing his mind as he better comes to know the military and the facts. As Obama came to side with Dick Cheney last week on the release of those photos, and as he changed other positions to side with Bush policy, one conclusion that could be drawn is that reality was as Bush expressed it.

This might seem a logical and not terribly surprising explanation for most people, but for those who have invested the past eight years into hatred of George W. Bush, it could be too much to take. They might have to accept that their "Bush lied" mantra was a lie.

Follow the link above to read it all.

Comments (9)

Guess Bush did get somethin... (Below threshold)

1. Posted by GarandFan | May 19, 2009 6:16 PM | Score: 8 (8 votes cast)

GarandFan:

Guess Bush did get something ELSE right. Not that they'll give him any credit. Fucking hypocrites.

Posted on May 19, 2009 18:16

Campaign promises are one t... (Below threshold)

2. Posted by JLawson | May 19, 2009 7:09 PM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)

JLawson:

Campaign promises are one thing - cold reality something else.

Guess he's actually learning that reality isn't what he thought it was ... who'd have thought it!

Posted on May 19, 2009 19:09

If Obama's views on Bush's ... (Below threshold)

3. Posted by Peter F. | May 19, 2009 7:21 PM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)

Peter F.:

If Obama's views on Bush's GWOT tactics and policies were a horse race, Hot Rhetoric might have been leading in the backstretch, but Reality Bites won by a good 15 lengths at the finish.

Posted on May 19, 2009 19:21

Bush should issue a stateme... (Below threshold)

4. Posted by davidt | May 19, 2009 10:04 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)

davidt:

Bush should issue a statement saying how happy he is to see Obama continuing so many of his policies and positions. That would sit well with the Obots.

Posted on May 19, 2009 22:04

Hey, caught your black man'... (Below threshold)

5. Posted by Larry Dickman | May 19, 2009 11:53 PM | Score: -5 (9 votes cast)

Larry Dickman:

Hey, caught your black man's news conference today, and I must say . . . I'M BACK IN, BABY! No more moderate. I'm full blown right. Yep, mark me as TOTAL WINGNUT!!

I was most interested in the republican "new ideas" and "fresh ideas." Sounds most MOST intriguing.

So I guess we won't be hearing much more about

"taxcutstaxcutstaxcutsTAXCUTS
T.A.X.C.U.T.S.taxcutstaxcuts."

But your black man did not really expound on the aforementioned ideas, new and fresh.

Please illuminate.

depp=true

Posted on May 19, 2009 23:53

Dickmange Are You ... (Below threshold)

6. Posted by help find obamas birth certificate? | May 20, 2009 2:37 AM | Score: -3 (3 votes cast)

help find obamas birth certificate?:

Dickmange

Are You bitchin about Lebron, Barack or Michael Steele?

Posted on May 20, 2009 02:37

"Do Obamas reversals mea... (Below threshold)

7. Posted by help find obamas birth certificate? | May 20, 2009 2:49 AM | Score: 0 (2 votes cast)

"Do Obamas reversals mean Bush was right"

Only if you cherry pick the intelligence..

Otherwise Obamas free and clear as a red state "Warhawk" Whatever that is?

ha ha..

Posted on May 20, 2009 02:49

Talk about something real s... (Below threshold)

8. Posted by TrueBlue | May 20, 2009 8:25 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

TrueBlue:

Talk about something real scary

Posted on May 20, 2009 08:25

<a href="http://mises.org/s... (Below threshold)

9. Posted by Clay | May 20, 2009 1:02 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)

Clay:

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

There will be very few protests from the left because of Obama's obvious continuation of the Bush doctrine about which they were so apoplectic. As long as he continues to expand the state in the domestic area they will overlook his expansion of our international empire. Obama is Bush. Bush was Obama.

Sheesh. It must be confusing as a liberal or a neo-con these days. How can the liberals condemn their man for ignoring his own campaign rhetoric? How can the neo-cons embrace their new best buddy?

This is must-see TV for us libertarians.

Posted on May 20, 2009 13:02