Jack Kelly:
...
He has experience in executive positions in both government and private business, and an impressive military record.
As a graduate of both Harvard and MIT, his establishment credentials are impeccable. But his strong conservatism has a populist strain. He connects with ordinary folks.
He's a member of a minority group which usually votes Democratic.
A champion debater at Cheltenham High School in the Philadelphia suburbs, he is an inspiring orator. He gets under Barack Obama's skin.
Alas, Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu already has a job. He's prime minister of Israel.
Mr. Netanyahu concluded a powerful week Tuesday with an address to a joint session of Congress. He received 29 standing ovations. ABC's Jonathan Karl noted that during his (much longer) State of the Union address, President Barack Obama received only 25.
The Israeli prime minister returned home strengthened immeasurably by Mr. Obama's clumsy effort to diminish him. The highlight of his visit came during a joint appearance at the White House when Mr. Netanyahu delivered to the president's face a short, respectful, but powerful explanation for why Israel could never return to its 1967 borders.
Mr. Obama's body language indicated he was surprised and displeased that Mr. Netanyahu would dare confront him. And when the president tried to walk back what he'd said about borders during his speech Sunday to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the heavily Democratic audience of 1,200 mostly sat on their hands. Other speakers at the AIPAC conference -- including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. -- sided with Mr. Netanyahu.
"This is what a leader looks like," wrote Bryan Preston of Pajamas Media of Mr. Netanyahu's "very impressive" speech to Congress. "Not a word of it will have to be 'clarified' or walked back in a day or two. It will not be 'misunderstood,' as President Obama claims his speech of last week has been. I have had many friends on the Republican side tell me 'if only we had a candidate like that.' "
Bibi Netanyahu can't run for president of the United States. But he showed those who are running how to get the better of Mr. Obama: Talk straight. Talk substance. Go directly at him.
...
Obama does not take criticism well. He is also being constantly misunderstood even after he says "Let me be clear." Who is stopping him from being clear? Well it is his instinct to hide his real intentions so as not to lose a vote, which he is going to lose anyway.
Image via Wikipedia
Comments
Post a Comment