Obama Puzzling on Libya

I can't help but think that our president, whom I have supported in the past, is completely out of touch with the situation in Libya. Completely out of touch particularly regarding his appropriate role as leader of the United States, its role in the world, and how we should confront crises that involve mass slaughters still occurring in the 21st century. Does Obama really think that freezing Gadhafi's assets and imposing sanctions on Libya will make that tyrant decide to step down and hand over power to the opposition? Does he really think that trying to align U.S. policy toward Libya with what he terms "the international community" (whatever that's supposed to be) won't be interpreted by Gadhafi (and the rest of our adversaries worldwide, for that matter) as weak and faltering? Does he really think that by simply stating that Gadhafi should realize that he is "on the wrong side of history", then this brutal dictator will say, "Aw shucks, you got me, I quit"?

President Obama's press conference yesterday frightened me a little by his matter-of-fact, business-as-usual demeanor toward urgent matters like Libya's civil war. Libya is an important country whose citizens are rising up against a brutal, corrupt autocrat who has instigated terrorism against the U.S. and its allies while treating fellow Libyans as his own personal, private property to control and toy around with (and even kill) as he pleases. Why should America wait around for other countries, who most likely are taking their cue for action from Obama? If this isn't grounds for some kind of intervention, then what is? But instead, when we should have been hearing a strongly worded set of demands from the president to Gadhafi, all we get is an aloof, emotionally detached lecture. And the dictator continues to feel free to massacre his own people with impunity.

If Gadhafi prevails in this civil war with our president sitting on his hands, I predict that Obama will NOT be reelected. For this show of lack of will would start a chain of aggressive behavior on the part of other adversaries. Frankly, I am beginning to have second thoughts myself about Mr. Obama as my president. But I guess you probably already figured that out. Question is, which of the other turkeys now in the running would I vote for? Sigh...