The following is taken from an article written last Thursday by James Taranto published in the opinion page of the Wall Street Journal.
When NBC's Tim russrt asked John Edwards on Sunday if he, as president, would accept a nuclear-armed Iran, the silver-tongued lawyer got tongue-tied: "I-there's no answer to that question at this moment. I think that it's a-it's a-it's a very bad thing for Iran to get a nuclear weapon. I think we have-we have many steps in front of us that have not been used. We ought to negotiate directly with the Iranians, which has not, not been done. The things that I just talked about, I think, are the right approach in dealing with Iran. And then we'll, we'll see what the result is...I think-I think thee-we don't know, and you have to make a judgment as you go along, and that's what I would do as president."
Less than two weeks earlier, Mr. Edwards said "Let me be clear: Under no circumstances can Iran be allowed to have nuclear weapons..."
Pandering to public sentient may be fine for a senator, but the president needs to be able to make decisions in the national interest-which sometimes means shaping public opinion, sometimes defying it. Mr. Bush has done both, whether or not his decisions were wise ones. Perhaps voters next year chastened by Mr. Bush's dangerous boldness, will opt for someone more risk-averse. But if a crisis arises and the president proves unable to lead, they may find themselves longing for Mr. Bush's steadfastness. An excess of caution is itself a form of recklessness.
That's not he whole article, but I think you get the point.
My thoughts: Much like Aaron, I'm trying to pay closer attention to world events. I've thought a lot about the war lately and I still haven't come to a solid conclusion. I support our soldiers and the war, but I hate the loss of life for a region that will probably never know peace. I do strongly agree with the closing paragraph above. I think Bush is the leader we need during this time.
Well, I should probably get back to less troubling things like watching the Hills and the Texas basketball game.
When NBC's Tim russrt asked John Edwards on Sunday if he, as president, would accept a nuclear-armed Iran, the silver-tongued lawyer got tongue-tied: "I-there's no answer to that question at this moment. I think that it's a-it's a-it's a very bad thing for Iran to get a nuclear weapon. I think we have-we have many steps in front of us that have not been used. We ought to negotiate directly with the Iranians, which has not, not been done. The things that I just talked about, I think, are the right approach in dealing with Iran. And then we'll, we'll see what the result is...I think-I think thee-we don't know, and you have to make a judgment as you go along, and that's what I would do as president."
Less than two weeks earlier, Mr. Edwards said "Let me be clear: Under no circumstances can Iran be allowed to have nuclear weapons..."
Pandering to public sentient may be fine for a senator, but the president needs to be able to make decisions in the national interest-which sometimes means shaping public opinion, sometimes defying it. Mr. Bush has done both, whether or not his decisions were wise ones. Perhaps voters next year chastened by Mr. Bush's dangerous boldness, will opt for someone more risk-averse. But if a crisis arises and the president proves unable to lead, they may find themselves longing for Mr. Bush's steadfastness. An excess of caution is itself a form of recklessness.
That's not he whole article, but I think you get the point.
My thoughts: Much like Aaron, I'm trying to pay closer attention to world events. I've thought a lot about the war lately and I still haven't come to a solid conclusion. I support our soldiers and the war, but I hate the loss of life for a region that will probably never know peace. I do strongly agree with the closing paragraph above. I think Bush is the leader we need during this time.
Well, I should probably get back to less troubling things like watching the Hills and the Texas basketball game.
posted by Matt at 8:55 PM
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