The late columnist and tv personality Charles Krauthammer railed against the Obama administration’s, ‘The Obama Doctrine: leading from behind’ in a column written in 2011 based on an interview of Obama staffers conducted by Ryan Lizza. Krauthammer’s piece was one of many political hit pieces that ignored nuance and sought ways to make Obama look weak and led late Senator John McCain to popularize the word “feckless.” President Trump has used the “red line” being crossed criticism as part of his rally skits, accusing Obama of de facto cowardice.”
First of all, President Trump could not adequately explain the Red Line controversy if you wrote it on the wrapper of one of the few things he reads, a McDonald's Big Mac. Most of Mr. Trump’s insults and defaming talk is a result of his eight-year-old mentality; “Sleepy, Crooked, Little Marco, and Low Energy” is only effective to those who are either looking to be entertained or want to revel in childishness.
Mr. Obama may have messaged his policy wrong, but Mr. Trump is just plain wrong. It was obvious at the last G7 Meeting that French President Emmanuel Macron is now the leader of the free world just as German Chancellor Angela Merkel had been a year earlier. Hillary Clinton warned us, Jeb Bush admonished us, but America ignored the warnings and elected a tv star because we did not want a ‘real politician.’ I am dismayed that the word “politician” has become a dirty word. When your pipes burst you hire a plumber when your lights go out you hire an electrician; Why was it wrong that when the wheels of government were coming off we hired a politician [Barack Obama] capable of wielding the wrench of power to fix it, but 8 years later we hired a carnival barker in top hat and cane to maintain the engine?
Part of Mr. Trump putting America in a position of sniffing the lead dog is his silence on the Hong Kong protesters’ effort to maintain a form of democracy. His zeal to create his own form of fascism has rendered us the friends of dictators and not allies. France, England, Germany, Canada, and Mexico are constant targets of derision from Mr. Trump. Putin, Xi Jinping, Kim Jong-un, and alleged murderer Mohammad bin Salman have alternately been loved, praised or alibied for by Mr. Trump.
The intellectual heft that made America respected around the world has been replaced by a man dressed in Emmett Kelly makeup, who pulls bouquets of willful ignorance from his sleeve. The world is pointing and laughing at the U.S. as if we were the jester in the king’s court. I have advocated for Americans to take back the country, not in a self-serving manner that satisfies racism or xenophobia, but that satisfies the dream of America being “a more perfect Union.”
Just around the corner will come the time for America to recall and renew our destiny. The constant lies, belittling of facts and an ill-prepared leader can be over if you vote out Donald Trump. The world deserves better than we have given them over the past 2 1/2 years.
Vote in 2020 for Change.