If you want to get some idea about why President Obama has not formulated a strategy for defeating ISIS, take a look at . . . Thursday.
Yes, Thursday.
On Wednesday night, reporters were given Obama’s Thursday schedule. It did not mention a meeting between Obama and his national security advisors.
Just before 10:00 am, we received word that he would convene a meeting with the National Security Council at 4:00 pm sharp. It sounded portentous. Such meetings aren’t normally scheduled so hastily or announced to reporters.
Then, at about 1:45 pm, 45 minutes after the daily briefing was supposed to have started, reporters were alerted that White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest would instead brief at 4:00 pm.
Now, that sounded a little weird, since it would occur at the same time as what seemed like an important national security meeting, about which reporters would be dying for information. Why not brief at 5:30? But, whatever.
Then, at 3:30 pm, we were informed Obama would make a statement at 4:00, followed by Act 2, which would be Earnest at 4:10 pm.
But wait a second, wasn’t Obama supposed to be in a meeting at 4:00 pm? And why would he be making a statement before entering this critical meeting. Maybe he would be saying, I’m about to have a meeting, and gosh, I’m super excited!
At 4:09 pm – just nine minutes late, very prompt for Obama – the president popped up in the briefing room to make a statement about an economic report nobody was paying attention to and to say some other things that weren’t news. Then he started taking questions.
OBAMA WAS GOING TO DO THE BRIEFING HIMSELF! Hurray!
Once he was offstage, we received official word that the Josh Earnest Show had indeed been pulled.
I think you get the point by now. The White House, where the president rolls into work mid-morning, where everything starts late, and where schedules are sort just suggestions, is a disorganized mess.
And that’s why there’s no ISIS policy, even though the administration claims to have been aware of the threat for a year.
90 thoughts on “Do You Want to Know Why There’s No ISIS Strategy?”
They are aware of one thing…how many voters are in the pool.
As in “Everybody in the pool!” (Thanks to Guy Fieri)
PS. Excellent reporting, Keith. Thanks.
Do you remember (I wish I could forget) when this nation once waited with baited breath for The Obama to finish his vacation so that he might come down from the mountain and calm our collective economic fears with his Epic Jobs Speech? We waited weeks. The pundits soiled themselves in anticipation. And we received a speech about nothing.
Now, he appears before the White House press corps in a suit borrowed from David Byrne to deliver a speech about nothing in which he proudly declares that he’s delivering a speech about nothing.
How far we have fallen. Yet nothing has changed.
Speaking for myself, I remember waiting for the Big Jobs Speech but being surprised by the big Obamacare announcement instead. Now when we’re waiting–in dread–for the Big Immigration Announcement and the Big ISIS Speech, we get the meaningless environmental and economy comments.
One interesting note:
Couldn’t get Obama’s talk on WhiteHouse.gov — which said “Currently off the air”.
Had to go to Fox News to watch it.
What’s the world coming to?
I remember (wished it did’nt happen) the night of Obama’s win in 2008. My husband said “now there should be no more talk about racial inequality”. I then said, “any criticism of Obama will be met with cries of racism”. Oh if we only knew then, how much worse everything would actually be. Since he was elected, there has not been one single peaceful day.
“”Now, he appears before the White House press corps in a suit borrowed from David Byrne””
I thought that it was Chris Economaki’s suit.
Yup… Obamalamadingdong’Making Flippy Floppy’ while ‘Burning Down The House’. Get ready for ‘Life During Wartime’…
Good catch, Keith. Someone a day or two ago called Obama “the most disorganized community organizer”. Maybe it was you.
Something that I don’t understand is the Pentagon and our military (supposedly) leader allowing themselves to be thrown under the bus by Josh Earnest and the WH. Why are they not furious?
I heard Lt. Col. Oliver North say early that we need for a four star to rip off his stars and depart in anger and in protest of the weak administration.
At least the world has David Cameron admitting that extreme Islamic terrorists are indeed that…not PC coming from him Friday.
Thank you fort stating that. I did not take a note when he spoke and didn’t want to miss quote him.
He also said that O does not have many close relationships with other leaders. He gave an example of Raegan and Thatter.
I believe it was Angela Merkal who said that Obama was the most peculiar man she had ever met…”so cold, so unapproachable”. I can’t think of any leader, foreign or domestic, that Obama has a good relationship with.
Apparently even he and PM Harper are quite cool to one another. And Canadians usually like everybody!
I am an American living in Canada and the Canadians that I know hate Obama. They loved him at first but quickly learned he was a lying fraud.
Obama and Harper loath each other mainly because they are ideological opposites coupled with Obama’s arrogance. Harper and the majority of Canadians are also very pissed about the Keystone pipeline as well as some other trade issues.
Off topic…beg your indulgence, Keith.
Poor Joan Rivers…makes one snide remark about the O’s and now she is on (basically) life support.
Be aware but DO NOT be afraid!
God is still in His Heaven and He is still the ultimate Ruler over Heaven and Earth.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8
Sad about Joan, I feel like I’ve been on a death watch waiting for the end. This doesn’t look good, at her age, sounds like she’s on life support and Melissa has a decision to make.
She brought many laughs.
I feel bad about her–I did quit DVRing FP because of how gross some of her comments were getting (incl toward Melissa–was that sort of a standing joke?), but I got many a laugh–and am thinking about her.
PS If you watch Fox, it’s enough to give old age a bad name–nothing but catheters, self-coiling hoses (no walking), gold bars (the dreaded “Hello, I am Wiliam Devane”), and canes that stand up by themselves.
You left out the reverse mortgages, denture cream, and purple pill.
I like the reverse mortg one where Fred Thompson is walking along and suddenly asks the guy Jesse in the News stand what he thinks–wha? And you know Fred would not be getting a RM but “he” had many questions. Yeah–like what does this gig pay?
When your self coiling hose bursts wide open on the second use, you wonder what other jokes life has in store for you. And if you have ever seen a senior flailing about to get their stand up cane off the floor, you would realize that they too are just another cruel joke for us oldies. No comment on the gold bars and catheters today. Scamming oldies is probably our biggest industry, right after self storage units.
Sorry, Bob, but I burst out laughing at the burst hose. I am a sucker for prat falls and the like. As for self storage units–where do you think I live? If you like the looks of anything shouted about in commercials, by the way, you can get it for a few pennies on eBay after someone finds it does not work. How about the one for a plastic sleeve to catch stuff that falls between console and seat? How about a better design…never mind.
The end of all the medicine commercials have every warning you can dream.
Or people in separate bath tubs–who does that? Of course they can’t have sex and a pill won’t help.
I gather “ending in death” is a neg side effect.
That is so true, Star. I was just saying that very thing
to my husband this past week. All those ads about
old age. We are both a couple of ancients, and we
just have to keep a sense of humor about it.
We try over here, too–but honestly, living in this unpredictable bag of gunk (h/t Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs) can be trying. I esp hate those passalongs about smelly old folks who write checks still etc.
I watched her years ago.
If ISIS ever envied our “freedom” they should read this thread.
“Poor Joan Rivers…makes one snide remark about the O’s and now she is on (basically) life support.”
Coincidence? I don’t think so….
Keith, excellent illustration of the permanent chaos in the current White House. Not only do they get everything wrong, but they don’t even have the discipline to create a workable daily schedule. Their messaging is a joke, Obama is psychologically AWOL, and we have a bunch of kids are running around the WH pretending to be adults, making stupid decisions affecting all of us.
Good point.
Speaking of them acting like kids.
When most parents have a kid who is misbehaving. They just might state: “I don’t know what I am going to do with you.” However at the same time, they give a current punishment and make it clear of what the rule is and how it should be followed.
By the way, Has anyone heard of where Hagel and Dempsey are? Have they been punished and are not allowed to speak anymore?
Remember the recent statements by Hagel and Dempsey about how ISIS is the worst threat to the country we yet seen (or words to that effect)? They spoke in a strong, clear Cameron-like manner that Obama (or ValJar, or somebody in the WH) did not like. I think they’ve been sent to Ascension Island to count exotic birds as a punishment. Or maybe they are cleaning the WH toilets. They’ll be freed from their punishment in a few days, coming back with a chastised look on their faces, you betcha.
Don’t these idiots understand the the bad guys are watching our news. They saw what Hagel and Dempsey said, and than watched than watched what they all rambled afterwards. “Cart before the horse”.
That comment would make any bad guy think twice of doing anything wrong. sarc
Yep, for sure, all the bad guys are watching our media, hearing what Obama is saying, watching what he does, how he responds to events. They’ve taken the measure of the man and know just what they can get away with. Heck, they can all shut down their intelligence operations and just pay attention to the strategic plans the Obama Administrations is happy to broadcast to the whole world.
He could at least show some strength.
In other words years ago my father told me when I went on an interview, or encountered something new that made me nervous to stand strong.
So when I went on an interview I sat up straight, and kept in mind that the person interviewing me had his chair higher on purpose.
Another thing that ticks me off is the idea of these backward maniac’s treat women like dirt.
Even that stupid cliche would be OK if the horse would push a little…
The MSM really need to get a grip. They all seem to want to be a comedy show.
We have always had people in office who mad mistakes, put their foot in their mouth, etc.
However while I was “making” myself listen and watch him at the same time the other day, I kept thinking of what the enemy were thinking after they listened to his nonsence.
By the way when is Congress due back from vacation?
113th Congressional House Calendar here: http://www.majorityleader.gov/Calendar/113thCongressSecondSession.pdf
If I’m reading that correctly, they’re only in session for 12 days between now and election day ? Lots of opportunity for Obama to use his magical pen and phone. :(
Thank you both.
Nice analysis.
I’d just add that the whole administration is in chaos; DoDGeneral X issues major terrorist warnings, MrKerry is worried about threats, but the Preezy is breezy about the whole thing. He just thinks the world is “messy”, has always been that way, but since the invention of the SmartPhone and the i-Pod we just hear about it more.
We’ve all called this Obama administration clueless or something similar, but more and more it seems they’re operating on some level that is beyond clueless. It’s not just the Repubs who are against an open border policy, he can’t just pooh-pooh terrorist threats that our DoD considers authentic because he doesn’t want to deal with it, and most telling is the failure of every action they have overtly or secretly used to gin up their base – from gun control to the latest race-riot that fizzled.
As far as people know ing more of the news because of the Smart-Phone and Ipod. Unlike him we read the news, and watched the evening news. As mentioned he probably doesn’t even read his P. briefings.
I am the same age as him, and I watched and read news in between all the fun things as a kid and teenager.
0 is in way over his head. He came to this office having not accomplished anything in his life so far. The title was his ‘reward’ and the job that goes with this title is as beyond him as a calculus problem is to a normal kindergartener.
I for one am very tired of the pissed off look he wears now.
It’s not that he’s in over his head, it’s that he’s on the other side, the Islamic side.
It seems to me, this administration couldn’t organize a good sh*t.
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Speaking of a strategy on ISIS, there is a good article by Andrew McCarthy on RealClearPolitics which pinpoints the errors of Obama but also of certain Republicans like McCain and Graham who are still looking for moderate protestors to the Assad regime. He brings in H. Clinton’s responsibility for ISIS getting all sorts of weaponry through her Libyan failure.
Hello there, Julie. Well, I guess Obama will soon get his marching orders from the Saudis. I read on Drudge Report that the Saudi King warns the West about the jihadists and urges us to respond ( = pick up the weapons and fight the Saudis fight for them ). He pretends that he had nothing to dowith the creation of this murderous lot. Nice “friend” we have over there in the MidEast. It´s a tangled affair. I much prefer Russian gas to Saudi oil.
Well, hello, Swedish Lady. We’ve been missing you and hope everything is alright. Or have you just finally been able to get through? I have thought of you many times and have wondered how Sweden is looking at all its ME immigrants now. I suppose you have illegals just as we have. I saw a piece on Norway the other day which stated that Mohammed is now the most common name for boys and men there. What do you think of Cameron’s speech? Is Sweden getting the wake up call too? Welcome back!
You’re back! Did you see the candle we put in the window?
Julie, Star, Girly ,oh, you sweet girls, thank you !. I have checked in now and then but been busy elsewhere. I have missed you all, but now I am back ! Yes Star, I saw that candle in the window…..
We hoped…
Welcome back, SL. Speaking of the Saudis, did we ever get a report on why Obama abruptly left the desert abode of the Saudi King after spending only two hours on what was supposed to be an overnight visit? It was his controversial last stop after his audience with the Pope last year.
The WH went completely silent on this extraordinarily mysterious event.
I do think if we had “intervened” earlier it would not have grown to the epic proportion of an “Islamic State”. Just like it Obama had not dithered, there might have been a chance for us to go in and get Foley and perhaps other hostages. But dragging his butt behind him might have cost that man his life and most certainly will cost many more lives than had he ever acted in a timely manner.
The man will not even appear before the American public on time. So I hold little hope for timeliness. Everything is complicated by his dithering. It is no small flaw.
It occurs to me — all this babble about the NSA and the invasion of our privacy and drones — government agencys with their own militarized enforcement arms and so forth… All these vast resources cannot locate and “right” the viper nests of jihadi sympathizers in Milwaukee and elsewhere, the illegal criminals who roam this country, especially along the border, the drug cartels, the gang members.
We do not lack the ability to rid ourselves of bad actors. The Administration lacks the will to do so.
Couldn’t find his (_!_) with both hands.
You know, that’s very graphic. No one could mistake your meaning. : – D
A graphic graphic!
Any ideas on why he came back to DC last night? I had had the impression he would be in Westchester overnight
Sure would have saved us money and the holiday traffic messes he’s creating. For a wedding?
I think it’s wedding related — although they are trying to sell as some act of presidential responsibility.
But surely he had his phone and a pen with him? Why the added expense of flying all the way back to DC only to return there today? Did Mooch go with him both ways or did he return to pick her up for the wedding?
And now he said at a DNC fundraiser that things seem really bad because of social media! Could he be any more delusional and out of touch or is he just so far in over his head he doesn’t know which way is up?!
Head spinning. Anyhow, before we “get” a strategy, I would say we need an opinion. Is Isis a threat to our cities and kids or not? If they are, can we wipe them out over there before they get a foothold here? If they are a flashy flash in the pan, should we use our nonexistent money and energy for other things or keep it in the bank? We need to do a threat assessment, as we said in my defense industry days. But if we can’t even schedule a meeting…not a good sign.
And by the way–the real JV? In his office! They were projecting.
Yes, Obama and crew are the real JV team. You couldn’t predict an attack 100% correctly, of course, but al-Baghdadi and HIS crew have threatened and have shown themselves to be pretty ruthless. The only good news I’ve read is that ISIS and the old Al Qaeda, led by Ayman al-Zawahiri, are at each each other’s throats. Literally, one hopes.
Try Qatar and Al Thani
The return to DC only to go back today was a last minute decision too. No reason given.
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/obama-going-democratic-fundraising-trifecta
Darn, someone ran out of money!
Hope the DNC is picking up the full tab for this weekend.
Found this little media squirrel …. Obama received a death threat ?
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/USA-Update/2014/0830/Obama-death-threat-A-blue-Jetta-a-death-ray-gun-and-other-threats
I don’t think it had anything to do with his return to DC last night. 30 threats a day, what made this one so special and newsworthy?
It’s all BS, planted info to make Barry’s base feel oh-so-worried and protective of their boy.
OT All this reporting on how Obama may delay his plan for immigration. Why aren’t reporting on the plan itself — to act independently in defiance of the American will and the law?
Nope. Just on the his “plan”.
Keith: Excellent breakdown and analysis.
Thank you. The situation is critical and he’s divorced from his duties. And to think there are two more years.
The effects of the drugs O’Bama snorts, huffs and smokes are finally having a deleterious effect on his brain.
Watching Air Force One it’s a movie but Harrison Ford is a mighty fine
man. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a real man as President instead we
have Gumby.
Oh, Lizzy–you may need meds if you keep wishfully thinking like this… Actually, I once had a distant encounter (possible) with Harrison and he was a crab.
I assumed there were four reasons for the lack of an ISIS strategy:
He hasn’t figured out whose side he is on.
He hasn’t figured out how to fundraise off this problem.
He hasn’t figured out who to blame if (when) things go wrong.
It all depends on what the meaning of IS.IS.
Yep!
Barry knows very well whose side he’s on, and it’s NOT the United States of America.
Someone at the WH wrote a Labor Day address saying Americans should not take their rights for granted. If we do does it mean the govt can snatch them away–like when Congress doesn’t act, so they say, well, OK for you, we are doing it anyway? I also remembered those people saying the police officer in NY didn’t need a trial–they had seen the video. Well, what if WE saw the video of YOU knocking over a store–no trial needed? I would say we BETTER be conscious of our rights–there are people around who want to impinge or remove.
This administration seems to be run by smart aleck middle school hot shots. Very lame.
Could be he is Obumbler… in many instances they are keystone-cops. But maybe he is getting the world to look at the goofy right hand while the left works with his soros and other billionaire advisers at Democracy Alliance and his MB and islamic jihadists and SDS/SEIU comrades and UN to create serious evil on the way to keep Senate. He spent two weeks on Marxist Vineyards, with Harvard leftie buddies, ogletree?, and is hooking up with lefties on the Street this weekend, they ain’t playing. Maybe Saudis should use those 300 F-15 Strike Eagles. Would be interesting and might bring down the house to see sunnis killing jihadists to defend syria and Iraq Shia and Christians. ..nah can’t be it. He wants to bring down the King he bowed to for funding him at Harvard? Under the bus with Mubarak and Qadaffi?
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So a former Choom Gang member and community organizer who took a big $ advance to write a book but never delivered the manuscript despite spending the proceeds is now coming in mid-morning, taking lavish vacations and not delivering his contracted work?
A guy who, after defaulting on that first contract resold the same idea to another gullible publisher who hired him for a second term as writer despite failure in his first term as author and who spent a big chunk of his two advances on a long vacay to Bali seems to be less concerned with delivering results than in money and vacations?
A state legislator that dodged any tough votes by voting “Present” and who sealed all his records isn’t hiding something?
A legislator who produced no legislation and was often ridiculed by his peers for screwing off but showing up at the press conference to pose as a co-sponsor and pontificate and thank the team for their hard work is lazy?
The guy who lives in a bubble and claims plausible deniability is granted to the uninformed has a problem with people who develop social networks to learn from others and inform others?
The guy who only works 2 days a week on People’s Business and spends 3 days a week fundraising and acting wholly political on activities unrelated to his real job is exposed as being pretty damn bad at his job?
The guy who burns the candle at both ends with a grueling fundraising schedule and claims he needs a vacation without noting he’s actually only working 2 days a week on the job that actually provides him all the perqs comes back from vacay unpreparered and flounders while contradicting the head of Joint Chiefs and his Secy of Defense?
The guy who struggles anytime he goes off TelePrompTer gets lacerations on his lips by sticking his foot in his mouth while wearing a golf shoe?
I for one, am SHOCKED!!
Who didn’t turn in the book–Bill Ayres?
Excellent synopsis of the current White House resident
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