So what was President Obama’s response — or non-response — to the beheading of a second American by the terrorist group ISIS?
Confusing.
He described his goals as making ISIS a “manageable problem” and to “degrade and destroy” it so it is no longer a threat.
So which is it, Mr. President?
Do you want to make ISIS a manageable problem, degrade it, or destroy it?
Doesn’t he know that his mixed messages are confusing to the world and encourage ISIS?
That’s why this president, unlike those in years past, is no longer a major player on the world stage! It’s no secret that he evokes little faith or confidence from world leaders.
It’s embarrassing.
No matter what people thought about the policies of Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush, they were at least respected on the international stage even if some of their policies were not.
Unfortunately for our nation, for the first time in recent history, there is very little respect for the president of the United States as a leader on the world stage.
This has been crystalized by events over the past few weeks regarding ISIS and the president’s meek reaction to its advance and barbaric acts in the Middle East — a precursor of things to come to our own country as they have promised.
The second beheading of an American journalist should send a strong message and wake-up call to the president: Whether he admits it or not, ISIS is at war with us.
Obama's confession that he had no strategy on how to deal with the latest terrorist threat was startling, disturbing, and enlightening all in the same utterance.
How does an American president, the supposed leader of the free world, not say there's a plan in the works even if he can’t disclose it; or, at least that it's only a matter of time before our enemies see how he intends to deal with them — even if it's a lie?
How could a man so used to stretching the truth about the IRS, Benghazi, Fast and Furious, Obamacare, and so many other scandals all of a sudden practically O.D. on truth serum on ISIS? In so many words, he declared to those who want to slaughter Americans and other “infidels” that he hasn't a clue about what to do about their insidious advance across the Middle East in pursuit of a global Caliphate.
Juxtapose that pitiful display of lack of leadership and decisiveness with the performance of British Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader David Cameron. He rushed back from vacation steel-faced and determined to deal with this deadly adversary.
Cameron, unlike Obama who remained on vacation, laid out a clear vision for attacking this enemy while at the same time raising the threat level of his nation from “substantial” to “severe.” And, just this week, announced new anti-terrorism measures to address the threat of “homegrown” jihadists in the U.K.
And let’s not forget the determination and leadership shown by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in exacting punishment on Hamas for kidnapping and murdering three Israeli teens.
What a difference in leadership between Obama and the other two leaders.
As the world goes from crisis to crisis, President Obama is showing that he is neither a David Cameron nor a Benjamin Netanyahu and apparently has no understanding of the historic role of this nation to lead. Unless of course, he believes that United States leadership has been for the worse — remember his “apology tours” in 2009?
In retrospect, Obama is making Mitt Romney look like Nostradamus on foreign policy. Remember the 2012 presidential debates when Romney said: "I'm not going to wear rose-colored glasses when it comes to Russia, or Mr. Putin."
As things have turned out, the president does have a “rose-colored glasses” foreign policy.
Therefore, why should we be surprised by his low-key and sedated approach to one of the greatest threats the civilized world has ever seen? His press conferences showed that, unlike Cameron, he doesn't seem to grasp the real nature of this enemy nor of the Caliphate it seeks.
This is a time when the country really needs substance and style instead of the customary open-collar cool and detached demeanor from its president. Americans need to hear a clear and determined strategy for dealing with the ISIS threat from their president just as the British have gotten from David Cameron.
The only time this president seems to have any fire in his belly is when he is hurling vitriolic barbs against Republicans or the tea party in campaign-style appearances promoting his domestic agenda.
Hopefully, the president will have that same fire in his belly the next time he address the press about stamping out, not managing, the ISIS scourge that has the potential to do more damage to this nation than Osama bin Laden did on 9-11.
As the president attends the NATO Summit, he might want to stick close to Prime Minister Cameron — perhaps some of Cameron’s qualities of leadership and forcefulness will rub off. If not, then he should have a chat with Benjamin Netanyahu.
Clarence V. McKee is president of McKee Communications, Inc., a government, political, and media relations consulting firm in Florida. He held several positions in the Reagan administration as well as in the Reagan presidential campaigns and has appeared on many national and local media outlets. Read more reports from Clarence V. McKee — Click Here Now.
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