NBC's Gregory: Obama Foreign Policy May Be Hard to Attack Because 'Very Successful'
Appearing on the Sunday, November, 13, Today show on NBC to discuss Saturday night's GOP presidential debate that focused on foreign policy, Meet the Press host David Gregory suggested that, because President Obama's foreign policy, "by a lot of accounts," has been "very successful," the Republican candidates may not be so eager to go after Obama in that realm. Gregory, speaking of the candidates:
This was not necessarily the format or I should say the subject to try to distinguish one from the other. What they wanted to do was level attacks against President Obama, but that's going to be difficult as well. I don't think the Republican nominee for President really feels like that is the most vulnerable area for President Obama. His foreign policy by a lot of accounts has been very successful, particularly on the war on terror, and I think they want to focus on the economy.
A few weeks ago, on the Sunday, October 23, Today show, Gregory had similarly asserted that "I don't think there's any question" that President Obama had erased the Democratic Party's vulnerability on the issue of foreign policy. Host Lester Holt had set up the segment:
There was the death of Muammar Gadhafi, and in Iraq all U.S. troops will be home by year's end. Two milestones reached in just a matter of days. What will it all mean for the President and the Republican candidates? ... The opposition to the war was central to President Obama's original campaign. How will it affect his legacy now that that war probably barely registers on the list of issues among American voters?
As he noted that Americans will likely be more interested in the economy than foreign policy, and that even the future in the foreign policy arena could still be uncertain, he praised President Obama's performance so far:
I don't think this is top of mind for American voters as we start thinking about the election, but this is a leadership moment for the President, and at a time when government can't do a lot about the economy, it's certainly a time when he's accomplishing a lot, the President is, in foreign policy at a, at a momentous time for the rest of the world if you look at what's happening particularly in the Middle East.
Holt followed up by asking Gregory if Obama had succeeded in removing a "weak point" on foreign policy that Republicans are often able to use against Democrats:
And Democrats traditionally have been vulnerable to Republican charges of being weak on defense, soft on defense. This is the year that bin Laden was killed at the orders of the President, Gadhafi, a war in which the U.S. participated in, is now gone, the President has stepped up drone attacks in Pakistan. Taking that together, has he removed a weak point, an Achilles' heel, in the minds of Republicans who are trying to unseat him?
Gregory responded, "Oh, I mean, I don't think there's any question about that," before going on to hit the performance of the Republican presidential candidates over foreign policy in debates:
First of all, Republicans are becoming more isolationist, even though they've all piled on here and said that this is a precipitous withdrawal from Iraq, it was President Bush who put the country on the glide path out of Iraq by coming up with this agreement in the first place.
He added:
Number two, if you look at this Republican debate and the series of debates, there has been the betrayal of a lack of understanding in foreign policy in some sections of these debates that is stunning to a lot of people. In 2011, after a decade at war, simple mistakes about geography or a lack of a really well thought out point of view about America and the rest of the world.
So these are issues, if you go back to Hillary Clinton's 3 AM phone call ad against President Obama, who do you trust, who can handle that crisis? This is a President who has been tested now repeatedly in that arena, and I think it's something that he'll try to use as a club against Republicans in the debate.
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Comments
David Gregory is an ignorant fool
Submitted by Dave. on Sun, 11/13/2011 - 1:08pm.
The Dear Ruler's foreign policy has been a flaming disaster.
And his economic policies have been even worse.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
Unless, as you like to point
Submitted by killa37 on Sun, 11/13/2011 - 2:32pm.
Unless, as you like to point out, that he is achieving exactly what he's set out to do.............wreck our economy and our status in the world, while helping to foment chaos in as many places across the globe as possible, while helping the hard-line moooooooooooooooooooslems gain more of a foothold.
I agree, Killa.
Submitted by Newsbubba on Sun, 11/13/2011 - 3:59pm.
HIS plan is working out pretty good for the forces of evil that He represents.
Somebody on our side needs to step up and call a spade a spade on this.
Successfull for WHO, Mr.
Submitted by motherbelt on Sun, 11/13/2011 - 1:10pm.
Successfull for WHO, Mr. Gregory?
That is the question.
mb,
Submitted by Dave. on Sun, 11/13/2011 - 2:03pm.
I'm pretty sure the Muslim Brotherhood thinks B. Hussein Obama is the cat's ass.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
Obama's "foreign policy, 'by a lot of accounts,' ...successful."
Submitted by Newsbubba on Sun, 11/13/2011 - 1:26pm.
So was Neville Chamberlain's, until it wasn't.
"We should seek by all means in our power to avoid war, by analysing possible causes, by trying to remove them, by discussion in a spirit of collaboration and good will."
Neville Chamberlain
Good analogy
Submitted by Galvanic on Sun, 11/13/2011 - 10:40pm.
It's also interesting to note that the leftwing friends of Obama are defining his foreign policy in terms of military events and not statecraft. Normally, the Left is always pushing statecraft over muscle. But on the statecraft level (ATTENTION: Secretary Clinton), there have been no successes. By leftist standards, Obama's foreign policy is a failure because the only things he's touting are the military events.
Gregory is PowerPoint-deep on his understanding of . . .
Submitted by Galvanic on Sun, 11/13/2011 - 1:31pm.
. . . foreign policy. He relies on WH talking points.
Foreign policy effectiveness can't be measured in headlines, especially headlines from the MSM.
Obama has to hope that between the withdrawal from Iraq and November 2012, that the Iraqi government doesn't collapse and send Iraq back into chaos.
I love that phrase....
Submitted by motherbelt on Sun, 11/13/2011 - 2:44pm.
Power-point deep.
That is fabulous!!
Power-point deep
Submitted by djwolf12 on Sun, 11/13/2011 - 8:45pm.
is much better than Bubbles Brzezinsky's text-message WH/TP (talking points) blitz, given the fact that our Occupier-in-chief is teleprompter-shallow.
You should have caught Gregory's grilling of Wasserman
Submitted by Jer on Mon, 11/14/2011 - 6:52am.
regarding Obama's handling of the economy and his dismal poll numbers. I thought someone had slipped him a script drafted by the RNC. No way anyone could justifiably claim Gregory was a WH lapdog during that segment. Check the transcript when its available. You'll get a kick out of it. The video with audio would be better so you can hear the intensity in Gregory's voice as he ripped into Debbie.
Jer
Few people have the time, Jer---
Submitted by matthewdean on Mon, 11/14/2011 - 8:09pm.
to watch a couple thousand episodes in order to catch a single instance of ol' monkey-butt Gregory giving a lib or a Dem a hard time.
Furthermore, I have it on good authority that he only "ripped into" Debbie baby cuz she is a putzette.
MD
Gregory says Obama is successful?
Submitted by Guapo Diablo on Sun, 11/13/2011 - 1:42pm.
If the US were to lose a war, Gregory would claim that "coming in 2nd is pretty good" - as long as the democrat party is in charge.
Contrast Gregory's observation with Reid claiming "This war is lost" after the Iraqi Army no longer existed and our military was still deployed.
Gregory is drunk again .....
Submitted by jmigyanka@msn.com on Sun, 11/13/2011 - 10:10pm.
......on IMUS .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-BbjUSAD6w
Did you see the Iran nuclear talk?
Submitted by Texndoc on Sun, 11/13/2011 - 1:51pm.
Mitt Romney said "When Mitt Romney is President Iran will not have nuclear weapons."
This upset David and his panel (Romney fans) who see it as "war talk". EJ Dionne claimed Romney will "lose independent support over that."
Sorry, Israel, there are elections to be won and "independents" to fret over. See you later, if you're still around. The independents! The independents!
"This is a President who has
Submitted by helomech on Sun, 11/13/2011 - 1:52pm.
"This is a President who has been tested now repeatedly in that arena, and I think it's something that he'll try to use as a club against Republicans in the debate"
You're kidding me right? That's one of the most inaccurate things I've heard in awhile....the public doesn't realize he's carrying through with some of President Bushs' foreign policies
Agog
Submitted by Jerry Mack on Sun, 11/13/2011 - 2:16pm.
President Obama's foreign policy, "by a lot of accounts," has been "very successful says David G. If you need proof just ask any Dim senator or writer for the NYT. Tingles the Racer is agog over his successes. Even compares him to Jimmy Carter. OOPs can I have that last remark back?
David Gregory
Submitted by AdrianVance on Sun, 11/13/2011 - 2:22pm.
David Gregory has taken leave of his senses. Obama's foreign policy is so good oil is $100 a barrel instead of the $20 to $30 of the Bush years. Our balance of payments continues to be very bad. He is lending money to Brazil to drill oil they will sell to China. It just goes on and on and on.....
See The Two Minute Conservative at http://adrianvance.blogspot.com has political analysis, science and humor. Now in the top 2% on Kindle.
You reminded me of something.
Submitted by ricklail on Sun, 11/13/2011 - 3:08pm.
You reminded me of something. Penn State whitewashed over Michael Mann's lies. How many years have they gotten by overlooking Sandusky?
Gregory on crack again? Why
Submitted by rbosque on Sun, 11/13/2011 - 2:23pm.
Gregory on crack again? Why doesn't he just be honest and tell people he's working for the DNC? When has this ass-wipe EVER look at the Obama objectively? His foreign policy has been an utter disaster because he DOESN'T have experience. The only thing he's done successfully is encourage our enemies and has funneled billions into Muslim causes which benefit Sharia-compliant terrorists. Nothing he has done has benefited the U.S.
Well ....
Submitted by Fredy on Sun, 11/13/2011 - 2:35pm.
As long as the subject does not drift to ....
That Russian reset button,
Missile defense of, and in, Europe,
Iran - Islamic counter revolution non-support and nukes,
The middle east policy of support for Islamic 'democracies'.
The ignorance of various aggressive actions by North Korea. These things appear small but they are showing a clear pattern. It would not be a big surprise to see major issues there soon.
Most any discussion about forcing Israel to return to 1948 borders.
And also NOT about policy towards Honduras. Do not go there either!
But hey, as long as the moderators refuse to allow any discussion of these matters then Obama will be ok for a debate.
What a load
Submitted by Reaver on Sun, 11/13/2011 - 2:39pm.
This convinces me that NBC is doing the news for people who don’t follow the news. The Obama Administration’s position on the withdrawal from Iraq was that they wanted to keep troops there beyond the original withdrawal deal. After those negotiations fell apart “by a lot of accounts” because of heavy handed negotiating tactics on the American side, Obama just announced that the original deal would be followed. And David G. and the rest of the media step up and hail it as a foreign policy success, with the obligatory “negotiated by Bush” caveat to imply that no republican could possibly be opposed to it for that reason.
About those "milestones"......
Submitted by motherbelt on Sun, 11/13/2011 - 2:49pm.
There was the death of Muammar Gadhafi, and in Iraq all U.S. troops will be home by year's end. Two milestones reached in just a matter of days.
Obama didn't kill Ghadafy, and the Iraq withdrawal plans were put in place by George W. Bush.
That won't stop him from
Submitted by killa37 on Sun, 11/13/2011 - 4:10pm.
That won't stop him from sayin' that he was doin' Ghadaffy, just like he was doin' bin Laden. Aaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnddd...............ummmmmm...............folks are hurtin' out there...............soooooooooo...........uuuuuuummmm...........we gotta pass my jobs bill...............
mb, as you know another O'bama milestone, took years to fix.
Submitted by upcountrywater on Sun, 11/13/2011 - 5:02pm.
Israel refuses to tell US its Iran intentions...
Alarmed by Mr Netanyahu's noncommittal response, Mr Obama reportedly ordered the US intelligence services to step up monitoring of Israel to glean clues of its intentions.
Sweet O'kole bama... Spending more time and treasure, watching over an ALLY.
Guess that would be Rogue Ally, in lib-speak.
On the up side we get to test our Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense, system defending iran.
The bowed to kingdom, pulls this: Saudi Arabia Opens Up Its Airspace So Israel Can Attack Iran...
You Didn't Build That.
ucw
Submitted by jon_torlin on Sun, 11/13/2011 - 6:16pm.
There might have been something questionable about that last bit regarding Saudi Arabia, but you raise an interesting point about watching an ally more closely. That's just part of the package he's been delivering about dissing our allies and helping the enemies which he's been doing, adding to that great foreign policy success.
It's pretty obvious that Israel and its leaders do not trust the US Government, especially after those comments caught on a hot mic, and well they shouldn't especially with the pro-Muslim direction DuhOne's been going.
I still don't remember where the reference was or who said it, but my biggest fear is that the bogus potus might actually order our military to shoot down the Israeli planes if and when they go to Iran. It would fit in his pattern of going after other allies in one form or another, like helping get rid of long time ally Muburak and destroying any chances of the US Intelligence Agencies of getting any info by droning the terrorists instead of capturing as has been done in the past which would have helped us.
Aside from business ventures with Russia and China, does Iran have any allies that would come to its aid militarily speaking? We already know Iran's got a crap military as it is.
-Jon
ICBM's... the only way to make sure.
Submitted by upcountrywater on Sun, 11/13/2011 - 7:32pm.
Maybe some jet action over the kingdom to set off, radars in the US Fleet.
Israeli counter-measures are well up to date. As are their Mossad 007 types. Nice big explosion, within sight of the media in Teheran, heh heh.
Let's hope iran is not shipping their product out of the country.
You Didn't Build That.
Regarding the U.S. shooting down Israeli planes
Submitted by virginia republican on Mon, 11/14/2011 - 11:13am.
crossing Iraqi airspace en route to bombing Iran, this is why Israel should plan any air raid a couple of weeks before election day in 2012. Dear Leader wouldn't dare shoot down those jets for fear of losing the election. Israel's missile subs wouldn't be an option (short of using nukes) because bunker busters can't, afaik, be delivered that way.
Personally, what gets me the most po'd about Iran is that they have NEVER paid any price for all the death and destruction they have caused both Israel and the U.S. with their support of terrorism and their manufacture of IED's. They are virtually untouchable for political reasons.
v.r, Treated like China and the Soviet Union during Viet Nam
Submitted by upcountrywater on Mon, 11/14/2011 - 4:13pm.
Why are we treating iran as some sort of a superpower!....that ticks me off to no end.
iran continues to produce these suckers, EFP's... set them up 100 meters away from the road.
iran is a backward country that has just a few sites that make these things, just whack them and see if the restricted iran press even covers the story.
No invasions just cruse missiles. Sure they have some hardened sites, there are tunnels that can be blasted shut over and over again until the kooks quit digging them out.
You Didn't Build That.
ucw, I love it that Netanyahu is keeping the Dear Ruler
Submitted by Dave. on Sun, 11/13/2011 - 9:28pm.
...in the dark concerning their plans.
It demonstrates that the Israelis don't trust Obama.
I'm guessing he would tip off Akhmedinnadinnerjacket ASAP, and I'm sure the Israelis probably think so, too.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
Two things
Submitted by jon_torlin on Mon, 11/14/2011 - 1:15am.
It's both sad and interesting at the same time (two things) that Israel is doing this and I really hope that Netanyahu doesn't think the same is true that what the Fed Gov't is doing reflects what the American people want. Hell, I hope he recognizes that America is being basically held hostage by a stooge thug government.
I keep wondering if the Mossad will do anything, as mentioned above earlier. For instances, I'm of the firm belief that they were the ones behind Yasser Arafat's demise and if they can do that, they can do pretty much anything. Weren't they the ones that were behind the deaths of some of the Iranian scientists working on this nuke stuff?
Either way, this next month is gonna be one that bears watching because even if the Fed Gov't has crapped on Israel, Iran still considers Israel a lackey of the US. And even if DuhOne betrayed Israel to Iran(or the US for that matter), Iran would still consider DuhOne an enemy, which leads me to believe, DuhOne must be one of the rival factions of Muslims that war with each other when they aren't killing infidels.
God almighty, what a mess.
-Jon
O'blameless' foreign policy 'successes'...
Submitted by drsamherman on Sun, 11/13/2011 - 2:58pm.
...let's count 'em up, shall we?
-Insulted multiple foreign leaders with arrogant, narcissistic behavior (open microphone with Sarkozy, standing up Netanyahu)
-Tried to push Israel back to its pre-1967 borders without consulting that country's government
-Ignored Iran allowing it to develop nuclear weapons capability as verified by UN agency
-Committed the US to a war in central Africa with "advisors" (anyone see the Vietnam parallels)
-Has been openly told by Germany and France to put US house in order before it tells them what to do
-Has had China and Russia side with Iran on additional sanctions
-Badly, badly mishandled the Egyptian crisis and coldly cashiered a long-time ally
-Zero action on containing and/or eradicating the Marxist regime in Venezuela
-Bumbled, stumbled and mumbled way through Libyan situation - the Germans & French did more but Obasm took the credit
-Has sent US money to back Brazilian oil exploration while ignoring our own needs
-Insulted Canada by punting on the oil pipeline costing them a market and costing us jobs
-Indebted the US to China for generations
-Went on massive apology tour that made no difference
-Insulted Sarkozy early in term and has yet to fully recover
-Sidelined UK as "just another government" and de-emphasized our major European ally
-Openly dismissive of other foreign leaders (Netanyahu)
-Bowing to other heads of state diminishing his role as head of state
Need I go on?
Get your head out of your rectum, David.
Hey doc..............he also
Submitted by killa37 on Sun, 11/13/2011 - 4:12pm.
Hey doc..............he also told the Chinese that they must 'play by the rules'...........
He also bowed to the mayor of Tampa, I believe.
Submitted by UpNorth on Sun, 11/13/2011 - 5:20pm.
And insisted that Honduras re-install a communist, after they threw him out.
Gregory, try selling Obama's foreign policy record...
Submitted by Conservator on Sun, 11/13/2011 - 3:08pm.
...to the Coptic Christians in Egypt who are being killed while their churches are burned to the ground. Try selling it to Libyans who now have Al Qaeda flags flying above the Libyan flag. Try selling it to the Israelis why you are at it. The leftist media have no decency and will try to prop up Obama under any and all circumstances.
The hypocrisy is STUNNING
Submitted by djwolf12 on Sun, 11/13/2011 - 5:02pm.
You mean Obama's "Illegal" Wars? Atleast Bush went to congress to go to war.
I think Dick, a more
Submitted by rockyracoon on Sun, 11/13/2011 - 7:23pm.
I think Dick, a more appropriate name for him I couldn't think of, should stick to dancing. This foreign policy stuff is too hard for him to understand. He proves such every time he opens his mouth.
Facts are like kryptonite to the liberal.
These MSM so called journalists should..........
Submitted by cbeyer on Sun, 11/13/2011 - 7:26pm.
Just give up any pretense of objectivity and start wearing re elect Obama/2012 campaign buttons prominently displayed on their suit coat lapel!
It depends on what success means
Submitted by octavioj on Sun, 11/13/2011 - 7:29pm.
If success only means killing bad guys than yes president Obama has been very successful. Otherwise it is pretty hard to argue the international standing of the US is higher now than it was in 2008. In most fronts it is actually much lower.
Starting wars
Submitted by Vonu on Sun, 11/13/2011 - 8:32pm.
Is always popular.
Yeah, he started to state his own opinion, caught himself, and..
Submitted by krendler on Sun, 11/13/2011 - 9:51pm.
Laughed out loud when I caught this live this morning.
Gregory started to state his own opinion, caught himself, and, quickly inserted - as these a$$clowns so often do - the ever-vague phrase "by a lot of accounts" before proceeding. There you have it: It's just not him saying it. A lot of people are saying it. See, he just said so.
See also "many are saying", "those who say", "a growing chorus", blahbitty, blah, blah, blah.
Easy enough to do when there's no one to challenge you on it.
Milestones do not a foreign policy make
Submitted by Galvanic on Sun, 11/13/2011 - 10:34pm.
The killing of bin Laden was a necessary military objective, but it does not end the war with AQ.
The military support to Libyan rebels ended the evil Gaddafi regime, but it doesn't assure that what takes control of Libya is better.
Withdrawing US troops from Iraq by the end of the year does not mean that the Iraqi government can stand up on its own.
The MSM talking heads are too shallow to understand this. They are defining milestones as policy because ti helps Obama's re-election bid. But that doesn't make it a policy. There is no coherence to his foreign adventures to see them as part of a policy.
Sure!
Submitted by Morganfrost on Mon, 11/14/2011 - 9:48am.
"His foreign policy by a lot of accounts has been very successful, particularly on the war on terror, and I think they want to focus on the economy."
By a lot of accounts in the NY Times and on MSNBC! Of course, if you're going to be wedded to obsolete concepts like reality, the picture may be a bit more bleak...
Hey David you forgot to add
Submitted by ohio granny on Mon, 11/14/2011 - 1:06pm.
You forgot to add that Obama's foreign policy is very successful for our enemies. Not so much for our allies.
Medicinal intake
Submitted by sfcpete on Mon, 11/14/2011 - 8:47pm.
Davey how many tokes of that medicinal herb are doing daily?
His Rules of Engagement SUCK!
Submitted by billwhit1357 on Tue, 11/15/2011 - 4:59am.
If you consider going around, bowing to other leaders, apologizing for America, degrading her by saying she is not "Exceptional", and making our Great Nation the Laugh Stock of the World thru it's own elected Leaders, and being considered a weak whimp by all of our adversaries, then he would get an A+. If you consider his idiotic childlike fantasy world Rules of Engagement for our military, then he recieves a Tripple F-! His inexperience and kumbia attitude towards terrorists have gotten more soldiers killed, in Obama's three years of nonleadership, than Bush's Eight years total! I was not a Bush fan, never voted for him, but his shows who had more Leadership abilities, and being a Community Agitator, as your only job ever, no Record, no Acomplishments, I would have to say that Bush's eight years were a dream compared to this Foolish, Idealistic NonLeadership! At least Jimmy Carter is happy. The man I helped vote into office, and vote out of office, won't go down in history as the Worst President in American History, Obama has easily taken that title.