re: #822 Flyers1974

Maybe I’m too cynical. I believe that almost everything any modern president says (or senator or representitive for that matter) is carefully calculated for some political objective. Nothing is said before being first run by advisors, lawyers, etc… . The personal doesn’t come into the equation. As far as his apologizing, people can and do debate its effectiveness, but I think those apologies have absolutely nothing to do with his personal feelings, but are instead a political tactic (liberal tactic as it may be) to change in conjunction with other methods, the image of the US among the masses in other countries. And I think reasonable people can believe that if such a change in image were to occur, it could possibly provide foreign policy dividends. Personally, I wouldn’t bet a lot of money on this working, but again, I think there is a rationale basis for this and that it is a foreign policy tactic, not an illustration of his personal desire to apologize.

I agree, most of what is said is run through the filter of many advisers. But there are those candid moments, when not speaking from the teleprompter that shed light on Obama. But are you saying that you believe Obama thinks differently from what he says and does?

I do agree with your point that you don’t see his strategy of apologizing to the world working for him. There will inevitably be some shifting in perception of the US in foreign eyes as a result of his words, no doubt. But the apologies may not yield the political fruit that Obama wishes for.