Obama: a weak commander-in-chief

By Steve Malzberg

It has been quite a few weeks for President Barack Obama. He was labeled a racist by talk show host Glenn Beck, and Bill Kristol of the Weekly Standard called Mr. Obama an "arrogant man" on the Fox News Channel. The president has also seen his poll numbers tank. His approval rating now sits right near the 50% mark, and his negatives top his positives when it comes to his handling of health care and the economy.

He really stepped in it when he attacked the actions of the Cambridge, MA police, saying they "acted stupidly" when they arrested his buddy, Harvard professor Henry Lewis Gates. Only some 30% of American's believed that his remarks were appropriate. And then came the "beer summit" with Mr. Gates and Cambridge police Sgt. James Crowly, hosted by Mr. Obama and Vice President Joe Biden at the White House. Yes, the president sat there looking very unpresidential, while more than 100,000 of our brave men and women are still risking their lives in Iraq. And as Obama sipped his brew, our soldiers in Afghanistan were being killed in record numbers. Forty- three American military personnel were killed in the month of July—the highest monthly total since we entered Afghanistan in 2001. Yet, on his handling of foreign policy, Mr. Obama continues to receive high polling numbers. How can this be?

As I write this, we have lost five more U.S. troops in Afghanistan in the past 24 hours. That brings the August total to 11 in just the first 6 days of the month. But I am very sorry to say that this is not the worst of the news regarding our mission in Afghanistan. The worst news is that we have a commander-in-chief who says that victory is not necessarily the goal there. What?

It's true. The president of the United States told ABC News on July 23rd that, "I'm always worried about using the word 'victory' because you know it invokes this notion of Emperor Hirohito coming down and signing a surrender to MacArthur."

First of all, shouldn't that be a wonderful notion for the president to conjure up? Shouldn't it make him swell with pride? Wouldn't the commander-in-chief marvel at such a sight? Not this one. Secondly, for the record, the Japanese Emperor never signed anything, so the whole scene only exists in Mr. Obama’s nightmare.

Just think about the statement, though. It is stunning and frightening at the same time. A president who just sent 21,000 additional troops to Afghanistan and is poised to send more, doesn't like to use the "V" word. After all, we don't want to offend the Taliban or their terrorist friends by implying that by seeking victory, they would suffer defeat. After all, aren't most of them Muslims?

As if to prove that he meant what he said, Mr. Obama's incoming advisor to the top U.S. general in Afghanistan is a chip off the old Barack. David Kilcullen, who will be senior advisor to General Stanley McChrystal, has said that we will be in for two more tough years over there. And then making Mr. Obama proud, he added, "We'll fight for two years and then a successful transition (to Afghan troops) or we'll fight for two years and we'll lose."

Do you want more? Can you take it? Mr. Obama's number one homeland security and counterterrorism official has said that the war on terror is over. John Brennan told a Washington think tank, "The President does not describe this as a war on terrorism." Nor is this a "global war," and we are not fighting "jihadists," according to Brennan. 

The war on terrorism is over? We will lose? I don't like the word victory? How is this possible? It's happening because Barack Obama is being Barack Obama. It's who he is. Why, after all, should America win? We are no better than anyone else. We aren't special, in fact, we are just one of the community of nations. Why should we have when others have not? Why should we be a superpower when some nations don't want us to be? Why should we acknowledge that we are fighting a global war against jihadists when some Muslims may take offense?

Folks, there is nothing less than the future and the very survival of our nation at stake. Let's all wake up.

-Steve Malzberg is a nationally syndicated talk show host on the WOR Radio Network and a frequent guest on many television cable shows. He can be reached through www.worradionet.com.