The administration’s handling of the Egypt crisis — as typified by the bizarre set of mixed messages sent by Secretary of State Clinton yesterday as she wandered without point from Sunday morning show to Sunday morning show — has demonstrated a stunning lack of elementary preparation or thinking on a matter that has been under discussion among serious Egypt-watchers for at least six years now. That said, the demand that the administration “get out in front” on the need for democratic change with extreme haste is more a result of the increasingly hysterical tempo of the news in the age of Twitter than it is a central need for U.S. foreign policy.
The idea that Egyptians will like us better and that their new government will be friendlier to us because we said X on Sunday rather than on Wednesday is wishful thinking. A country of 80 million people with a complex economic and political structure and a radical Islamist wing will not make its future foreign-policy decisions based on when the U.S. said what. That might change if the army really opens fire on protesters and we do not instantly divide ourselves from Mubarak, or if we’re seen taking significant steps to bolster Mubarak’s regime, but that’s not the situation on the ground at present and looks unlikely to be the situation going forward.
Like many who supported the Bush push to open these closed societies to democratic change, I’m delighted to see the realists who pooh-poohed the agenda as unrealistic and foolish made to look unrealistic and foolish themselves — since if Mubarak had embraced rather than rejected the democracy agenda to the knowing nods of the foreign-policy cognoscenti, he might have ended his days as a hero of his nation rather than as a despised and rejected despot. And the fact that the Obama administration has come through two years without a clue when it comes to foreign policy in the Middle East should be sobering for everybody.
But at this point, whatever part the U.S. plays in the Mubarak endgame is likely to be very, very minor. What our refusal to speak out forthrightly against dictatorships and for popular change says about us is more the issue.
How about Bill Clinton for NY Senate. That would be fun!
I know it is constitutional, but would it be prudent for former presidents to run for Senate? After being president, would you want to serve in public office again?
I will never vote for a Bush again.
Hmmm.
1. Immigration “reform” is simply a code word for “screw conservatives”. And I won’t have anything to do with anyone that promotes that crap.
2. I absolutely refuse to vote for any Bush ever again. The first one did enough damage. The second one has done horrendous damage to this country with his crazy bailouts, non-bailouts, cannot bailout and must bailout. And that doesn’t even cover the massive new entitlements and the rest.
No more Bushes.
No one named Bush is a conservative regardless of what he says. After two times I think the lesson has been learned.
Get a grip. Here is an entirely successful governor who will help to advance our cause. We don´t have an unlimited supply of available successful executives. You can keep looking out for your dream conservative leader coming over the horizon on a white horse but for that seat in Florida, Jeb would be a real stroke of luck. My only worry is what being in the Senate might do to him… but we can blow up that bridge when we come to it.
Pro-immigration reform without real enforcement and against drilling. Probably buys into the cap and trade response to climate change. How is that conservative? The Bushes have set us back twice and make no mistake Jeb will use this seat as a springboard to national office. No more Bushes!
Frankly, I think Jeb should just start visiting Iowa. About the only thing that will keep the MSM’s feet to the fire on Iraq is the prospect of Jeb running on a platform framed by the proposition that the Dems lost Iraq. Either the victory in Iraq is important or it is not. For Obama it basically is not. So the disposition of his administration, of the left field left and the MSM will be to abandon it at the first sign of stress.
Lots of haters out there. All points do have some merit, however, and this is why Jen needs to calms her enthusiasm for Jeb. Still, he has indeed been a very effective and by most reasonable bench marks very succssful public servant and would be a welcome adition to the Senate. Questions remain regarding national offeice and at 55 no way is he young enough to be viable by the time the country is ready for another Bush.
Re #2 above: “After being president, would you want to serve in public office again?”
Only two examples to date and only one of them was elective:
First, John Quincy Adams, sixth President, who, after his one term, returned to Washington as a Congressman from Massachuetts; serving 17 years in the House.
Second, Robert Howard Taft, twenty seventh President (also one term in office), later served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
No nay never no more. How many times do the Bushes have to betray conservatives before we wake up and so no? Jeb Bush would be the same nonsense-insane cheap lettuce immigration, fiscal mismangement, imbecilic trade policies coupled with open-ended military entanglesments. Pass on a 3rd kick to your privates. And if the GOP insists on putting up RINOs like the Bushes with their country club outlook at the expense of their Sam’s Club middle class base, keep your checkbooks firmly closed.
For anyone who has lived in Florida, which I do, I do not think at this time Jeb could win a seat in the senate. The only think that Jeb did was force the F-cat tests, which have left are schools teaching our children only how to take a test and no real education. Like his brother he has loosed the enviromental regulations, so I know that I would never want a Bush in an position of power again. If he runs, I will work diligently for whom ever is running against him. There has already been too much damage done by him as a Governor.
Hmmm.
Called up a good friend of mine, also a conservative, and spoke one sentence: “Jeb Bush in 2012″.
He screamed like a little girl. Seriously. Shrieked. As if all the devils in Hades were stabbing him with a pitchfork.
Look, the GOP Senate was frequently less conservative than W. and Jeb is somewhat more conservative than W. So Jeb in the Senate will be a net win for conservatism. It will also improve the quality of the Senate because we must get people in there who have more experience than lifelong legislators, and Jeb has been a highly efficient and popular governor.
That is what this is about. Nobody knows what will happen in 2012.
But if you, like memomachine´s friend, are too emotional to contemplate this you might consider becoming a liberal. You will fell right at home among people who scream like little girls when things don´t go their way.
Hmmm.
@ el gordo
“But if you, like memomachine´s friend, are too emotional to contemplate this you might consider becoming a liberal. You will fell right at home among people who scream like little girls when things don´t go their way.”
I seem to recollect back in 2000 quite a few fellow conservatives were shouting down those, like myself, who were not very enthused about Bush. I seem to recollect quite a few of them saying very similar things as you have above.
And they were all completely full of crap.
Here’s a clue for you: don’t project.