On Monday, President Obama was overheard saying to President Dmitri Medvedev of Russia, "after my election I have more flexibility." The President was in Seoul, South Korea for a meeting on Washington's goal of building a European missile defense system, among other things, when his words were unintentionally picked up by a live microphone. Mr. Obama was heard to continue, “On all these issues, but particularly missile defense, this can be solved, but it’s important for [Putin] to give me space.” Despite both the White House's attempts to further clarify the President's comments and the quintessentially Obama approach of making light of the event, Monday's incident seems to have caught the imagination of bloggers and GOP candidates alike.
Though commentators seem to frame the incident as either an unfortunate and embarrassing moment of hubris or a unique display of mistrust worthy behavior, this moment between Mr. Obama and Mr. Medvedev serves to highlight the nature of meetings between international leaders, especially those concerning defense. They are negotiations which often involve putting many options on the table and contain language and ideas which would seem distasteful in an American public forum, especially during election season. This tension between citizen sensibilities and the necessities of diplomacy is usually lesson by the separation between foreign and domestic decision-making. Foreign policy-making is generally subject to a lesser degree of public scrutiny than domestic matters which seem more immediate to American citizens. The president must deal with many constituencies, both international and domestic, throughout his term, but his dealings with foreign leaders like Mendvev are usually in a quieter and more controlled environment than the circus of the House or a morning talk show.
Further, President Obama’s comment was less of an attempt to convey his confidence and more of a statement on the volatility of the current political climate, which was lost on many commentators. Even if President Obama were to lose the November election, as a lame duck he would have far more flexibility than he does now. Certainly, ever since the 22nd amendment first limited presidents to two terms, presidents have felt the strain Obama is feeling now to limit their policies to those that will not upset the domestic front and their candidacy.
Though Americans like the idea that our President is willing to make unpopular decisions. That certainly has been a mantra of many of the GOP candidates and candidates of elections past. But that quality has rarely made itself known during presidents' first terms, especially not in the area of defense and foreign policy, areas about which Americans are least informed. Despite Obama's microphone episode this Monday, it is unlikely that he will deviate from that trend.
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