Obama Diplomacy: Speak softly and carry a twig

Having heard President Obama's G20 speech in Turkey a few days after the multi-pronged Islamic jihadi terrorist attacks in Paris, the best way to describe Obama's foreign policy, as it relates to fighting Islam-inspired terrorism, is "speak softly, and carry a twig."

There is no doubt that Obama left many in the conference shaking their heads wondering just what's happened to the United States of America that we've come to know.

They know what's happened.  It isn't until they see their own cities attacked by Islamic terrorists do they come to wonder why.

The US had been, right up until January 20, 2009, the global leader.  Because the world turned its head against the US and President Bush because of two wars, sixty-seven million voters elected a complete dunce into the White  House.

I remember the spell he cast over Europe during his campaign speaking to Berliners trumpeting a new beginning, his promise to forge new relations with the world by ending the US practice of might-makes-right.  He signaled to the world that his rule would be one molded in peace through reasoning, because after all, he was a college professor who'd rather think things through rather than act on the human predatory instincts.  For this, he won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize for having done absolutely nothing to earn it other than promote "Hope & Change".

He was, we were often told throughout that campaign, an intelligent and articulate (black) man.

Well, almost seven years later, we've seen how the world was wrong.  We've seen just how inexperienced Obama is when it comes to hard military decisions to protect this country and those fighting jihadism.

So let this be a severe lesson the next time we elect a president.  Do we, as Americans, continue with this Speak Softly and Carry a Twig Diplomacy championed also by Hillary who terms it as Smart Power?  Or do we implement a policy that is straightforward and muscular, and leaves nothing to the imagination of friend or foe of what we will stand for and will do to thwart evil?

The GOP Establishment's War on Trump

Today's Washington Post has a very good column on the Trump and Carson phenomenon written by Philip Rucker and Robert Costa on the growing frustration between the GOP establishment's concerns with the two top republican candidates versus the rank-and-file GOP voters' anger and frustration at the Republican party.

As I see it, both Republican former New Jersey governor Thomas Kean and current South Carolina governor Nikki Haley nail it right on the head.

Now, the GOP establishment, we know, have a strong dislike, if not a deep aversion to Trump (and Carson and Senator Ted Cruz of Texas) for three reasons:  1) They're not professional politicians; 2) they have created waves and storms disturbing the status quo; and 3) they have stopped wealthy donors from donating hundreds of millions of dollars into the coffers of the Republican National Committee (the life's blood for both major parties).

The GOP establishment has been waiting for months for Trump (and Carson) to self-destruct.  Wait. Wait. And more wait they do, yet nothing happens to Trump.  The GOP establishment grows more frustrated because they've yet to realize that a new political paradigm has taken hold among the Republican voters.

Instead, the Old Republican Guard continue on trusting their Old Political Paradigm will take hold and cast aside Trump (and Carson) into the ash bin of history in order to make JEB the anointed candidate.

It hasn't happened, and the chance of it happening grows bleaker by the day as Iowa and New Hampshire primaries get closer.

So what to do?

Ahhh, the RNC elites have suddenly raised the specter  of Drafting Romney, the loser of the 2012 presidential campaign.

Don't the RNC elites ever learn?  McCain failed in 2008 against a relative unknown from Chicago; and Romney couldn't even defeat Obama in 2012 despite the latter's high negatives.  What gives?

It is clearly obvious that if that the pattern the GOP establishment has set for the party, that is, to select a preferred presidential candidate who will fail to win (and force the congressional leadership to not take a strong stand against a Democrat president who is knowingly taking the country in a radically wrong direction), then the GOP voters are going to take a stand themselves by supporting candidates they can trust who articulates the same anger and frustration by challenging the GOP establishment and the Democrat president.

JEB and Kasich have been running far away from the base in an effort to look inclusive and non-divisive, but it is that type of political campaign behavior that has many GOP voters see as offensive, divisive and counter-productive.

The Club for Growth president labels both Trump and Carson as "pretenders".  However, when you analyze the anger and frustration on the part of the GOP base, the real pretenders have been Eric Cantor (defeated in the 2014 primary by a TEA Party candidate), John Boehner (forced to resign his speakership in October 2015), John McCain (2008 presidential loser and amnesty supporter), and Mitt Romney (2012 presidential loser and amnesty supporter).  Kentucky senator Mitch McConnell is barely hanging on to his leadership post.  And anyone who runs against the rising tide of the anti-political establishment is sure to have a hell of a fight in the primary.

There is a reason why over 1000 Democrat have lost seats nationwide, and why there are 32 GOP governors and a majority of state legislatures in GOP control.

The TEA Party, despite numerous news reports of waning influence, is still vibrant and energized and waiting for 2016.

"I'm not a happy camper," Florida doctor and 2012 Romney donor, Peter Wish, said.  "Hopefully, somebody will emerge who will be able to do the job," but, he added, "I'm very worried that the Republican-base voter is more motivated by anger, distrust of D.C. and politicians and will throw away the opportunity to nominate a candidate with proven experience that can win."

Hey Peter, care to explain what happened to the candidate with proven experience who can win Mitt Romney in 2012?

AHUH!!!

YEAH!!!

And the GOP voters are supposed to listen to the enlightened GOP establishment in 2016?

A bunch of sure establishment losers, if you ask me!!!