GOP challenge on Libya: Cheer or not to cheer? (Politico)

[jefferson_dem]

:eyes:

GOP challenge on Libya: Cheer or not to cheer?
By ALEXANDER BURNS | 8/22/11 6:51 AM EDT

The cheerleading for President Obama’s role in the Libya intervention has begun, with former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell crowing on “Morning Joe” that “everyone mocked him, said it wouldn’t work” – and now Muammar Qadhafi looks to be on the verge of defeat.

When it comes to the 2012 GOP field, Rendell is right. Now that Qadhafi appears all but ousted, the challenge for Republicans is to figure out how to respond to what looks – at least for now – like a victory for the United States.

For some of Obama’s challengers – Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum, and Tim Pawlenty before he exited the race – one of the key criticisms of the Libya action was that it wasn’t muscular enough to succeed. Romney, for example, said that he supported the intervention, but was concerned about Obama’s “inability to have a clear and convincing foreign policy.”

The task for those candidates will be to cheer Qadhafi’s downfall, while noting that the removal process was imperfect, without looking peevish and small.

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http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0811/61813.html#ixzz1VkpqUkx7

[rfranklin]

1. I think ignoring it will be their chosen path...

which would be a reflection of their debating technique--when faced with facts, change the subject.

[Bluzmann57]

2. I bet even as we speak

There are repuke spinmeisters at work trying to figure out how to make the President look bad while making the repukes look like it was all because of them. There is no real way any repuke can go after President Obama on foreign policy, not after shooting pirates in the head, killing bin laden and now apparently having a hand in ousting Qadaffi. But it won't stop them from trying.

[Life Long Dem]

3. One thing they can't take away is...

the fall of Khaddafy happened under Obama's shift. They can cry that it wasn't fast enough but it did happen and it happened under Obama's watch.

[babylonsister]

4. They might have to wait for someone to tell them what to think,

and say, but you just know it will be negative. Frankly, m'dear, I don't give a damn what they think.

:hi:

[JoePhilly]

5. They'll claim Reagan removed Qadhafi.

[Tipring]

6. Reagan???

That is what I would love to hear from next Sunday's talking heads. It was Saint Ronnie!!! I really hope some really sarcastic Democrat say this on the national stage

[Cosmocat]

7. It is never going to make the Sunday shows ...

Too positive for the president. They MIGHT mention it, but the economy and jobs will be the highlight.

[tanyev]

8. Yes! Somewhere in Libya someone was listening to the speech that 'brought down'

the Soviet Union, and it created a resonant vibration throughout Libya which Qadhafi was powerless to resist.

[yellowcanine]

9. Problem for Repubs is that Bush and Iraq do not compare favorably with Obama and Libya.

It probably isn't quite fair to make the comparison in that Libya is not Iraq and Ghadaffi is not Saddam. Nevertheless the comparison will be made and Bush clearly falls short.

[wiggs]

10. Another mess that he's cleaning up while the RW critizes how fast he's mopping. nt

[SpartanDem]

11. Let's not forget the Kucinich crowd who took the GOP's side

in suggesting that Obama could be impeached over this I'm waiting to see how they try to spin this as bad thing.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

12. Rest assured they WILL find a way

My guess is that they'll start the whole "leading from behind" crap up regarding Syria and yell and cry that he isn't doing anything yet about Assad. Then, of course, if and when he DOES do something about Syria next (though how is this our responsibility anyway?), they'll carp and complain endlessly about how he's handling it as well. They would rather be caught dead than saying anything positive about President Obama or giving him any (gasp....) credit for something. It's how they are. It's what they've become. I'm surprised more Americans aren't disgusted with them by now over stuff like this but then again, the corporate GOP enablers don't make it easy for anybody who isn't as "plugged in" to what's really going on like we are to know what is really going on. :shrug:

[FrenchieCat]

13. It will be buried like Osama Bin been forgotten till he was dead.....

and then he was forgotten again.

It's what they do.
It's what we do as well.

Unlike back during the good old days of Bush,
where he was able to maintain 91-71 Percent approval
for 16 straight months after 9/11,
all by telling us to go shopping,
and buy some houses, all the while scaring the shit out of us.

Nope, those good old days are gone, till a Republican gets back into office.