The real Obama Doctrine revealed: Gimme space
Danielle Pletka | American Enterprise Institute
March 28, 2012

(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

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Article Highlights

  • The leader of the free world is running a game of 3 card monte with the Russian government against the American people

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  • ”Think about the implications of what #Obama said to Medvedev, and what other intimate moments may be in store” @dpletka

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  • Imagine the implications of President #Obama having these conversations. @dpletka

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I keep replaying the video in my mind of the leader of the free world running a game of three card monte with the Russian government against the American people—especially that godawful little gesture where Obama reaches toward Medvedev for an intimate moment.

More than the image and the statement itself, however, I think about the implications of what Obama said to Medvedev, and what other intimate moments we may have in store. Imagine:

President Obama: On all these issues, but particularly your nuclear program, this, this can be solved but it’s important to give me space.

President Ahmadinejad : Yeah, I understand. I understand your message about space. Space for you…

President Obama: This is my last election. After my election I have more flexibility.

President Ahmadinejad: I understand. I will transmit this information to the Supreme Leader.

Or this:

President Obama: On all these issues, but particularly your war on your own people, this, this can be solved but it’s important to give me space.

President Assad: Yeah, I understand. I understand your message about space. Space for you…

President Obama: This is my last election. After my election I have more flexibility.

President Assad: I understand. I will transmit this information to Ayatollah Khamenei.

Or this:

President Obama: On all these issues, but particularly your plans to dominate the Pacific, this, this can be solved but it’s important to give me space.

Chinese General Secretary Hu Jintao: Yeah, I understand. I understand your message about space. Space for you…

President Obama: This is my last election. After my election I have more flexibility.

Hu: I understand. I will transmit this information to the Central Committee of the Community Party.

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About the Author

 

Danielle
Pletka

  • As a long-time Senate Committee on Foreign Relation senior professional staff member for the Near East and South Asia, Danielle Pletka was the point person on Middle East, Pakistan, India and Afghanistan issues. As the vice president for foreign and defense policy studies at AEI, Pletka writes on national security matters with a focus on Iran and weapons proliferation, the Middle East, Syria, Israel and the Arab Spring. She also studies and writes about South Asia: Pakistan, India and Afghanistan.


    Pletka is the co-editor of “Dissent and Reform in the Arab World: Empowering Democrats” (AEI Press, 2008) and the co-author of “Containing and Deterring a Nuclear Iran” (AEI Press, 2011). Her most recent study, “Iranian influence in the Levant, Egypt, Iraq, and Afghanistan,” was published in May 2012. She is currently working on a follow-up report on U.S.–Iranian competitive strategies in the Middle East, to be published in the summer of 2013.


  • Phone: 202-862-5943
    Email: dpletka@aei.org

  • Assistant Info

    Name: Alexandra Della Rocchetta
    Phone: 202-862-7152
    Email: alex.dellarocchetta@aei.org
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