Obama: Calm, Sane, Rational, Intelligent, Focused, and Tough

by tristero

One of the most striking aspects of Obama's approach to politics and problem definition is his sane, reasonable focus. His is the very oppositie of the paranoid style of American politics that characterizes the right wing world view. Obama doesn't blow up issues out of proportion, claiming an "existential threat" where none exists. Instead the focus remains on the problem at hand, contained, comprehensible, and therefore amenable to rational attempts at problem solving.

In the debate last night, over and over Obama's impressive power to concentrate intensively on the issue at hand and remain focused was on display. For example, during the discussion on Russia, Obama displayed a clear grasp of the situation. The Russian invasion of Georgia was unacceptable and our relationship with Russia had to be re-evaluated in that light. All the "fledgling democracies" in NATO- Estonia, Lithuania, Czech Republic - must have our support and solidarity. Regarding Georgia and Ukraine, they must have the right to join NATO if they meet the requirements. Of paramount importance in the relationship with Russia going forward is the issue of loose nukes which, Obama mentioned, he had taken up directly in the Senate.

This is not only an accurate picture of reality that avoids unnecessary complications.* It is an analysis that organizes the issues in relationship to America's self-interest and security - our major interest with Russia right now is, Obama says, keeping those loose nukes out of terrorist hands. It may be arguable that that should be the main focus, perhaps energy should be, but Obama's approach is carefully thought out, sensible, and invites further discussion and focus.

The views of Obama's opponent were, by contrast, alarmingly disorganized. Or rather, they were organized - badly and stupidly - in accord with textbook rightwing paranoia, narcissism, and manicheism. Russia is a KGB apparatchik, ie evil torturers, the associations to McCain's own experience more than implied. Russia "controls" sources of energy. Both are fearful statements and neither are accurate. Russia is not the KGB redux - that is a gross oversimplification and a deliberate attempt to frighten by invoking the Cold War. Russia's "control" of energy pipelines pulls the same stunt, using scary rhetoric to blow Russia's energy concerns out of all proportion.

Then, paranoia - there really is no other word - thorougly floods McCain's rhetoric: "And watch Ukraine. This whole thing has got a lot to do with Ukraine, Crimea, the base of the Russian fleet in Sevastopol." No, it doesn't. "The whole thing" doesn't - that's crazy talk. Those are separate issues and situations. The invasion of Georgia has got a lot to do with...Georgia. McCain's style of reasoning - to use the word very loosely - is the kind that leads to the mistake that Iraq was behind 9/11.

McCain was consistent in his inconsistency, distracted by irrelevant personal details, utterly incoherent, and reacting by the seat of his pants. His foreign policy is infused with unreasoning, poorly articulated, and unnecessary fear. The world is indeed a dangerous place, Nevertheless, it is not dangerous in the way McCain think it is, but in other ways. That makes McCain's paranoia exceedingly dangerous.

Throughout the debate, Obama kept focused, elucidating an essentially "realist" foreign policy informed by American self-interest and containment of problems. He was prudent and clearheaded. The world to Obama is a complex and often aggressive place. But it can be managed by thinking carefully about the problems, refusing to exaggerate threats, and maintaining focus.

Whatever else the debate did, and it's very unclear to me who "won" or "lost," it made it glaringly obvious that Barack Obama was the only person on that stage with the qualifications and intellectual gravitas to be president of the United States.


UPDATE: Very nice from Biden:



UPDATE: Sadly, Obama just lost a great voter. RIP, Paul Newman. You're already deeply missed.
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* For example, yes, Georgia fired first, but Russia deliberately provoked the situation to have an excuse for invasion. The hot-headed and erratic Saakashvili foolishly took the bait. The simple version, quite appropriate for the context of Obama's remarks, is Russia invaded.