Obama/Bush 2012????

I was quite interested to read this article from Greg Sheridan, The Australian's Foreign Editor. Greg identifies himself in the article as a supporter of the broad thrust of the neo-con policies perpetuated under George W. Bush.

He has been skeptical of Obama's rise to prominence, however in this article he explains he is happy for Obama to be the US President for the next eight years.

After all, on all the big foreign policy questions, Obama has continued Bush's policies. The predator drones still fly over Pakistan, destroying any al-Qa'ida operative dumb enough to talk on the phone. The terrorists are still in Guantanamo as Obama's administration develops the Bush administration's decision to shut Guantanamo, as a necessity of global PR, while trying to stop the terrorists from going back to killing civilians. Like Bush, Obama is pursuing an attempt to engage the Iranian regime and even using the same official Bush did. He is withdrawing from Iraq very slowly, on a timetable approved by Republican senator John McCain. He acknowledges the success of the US troop surge in Iraq and wants to emulate it in Afghanistan. He stands four square behind Israel's security. And so on.

Yet while much of the world hated Bush with an irrational passion, allegedly for these policies, it loves Obama with at least a seemingly similar passion, notwithstanding these very same policies. This is a bit of a mystery, but so far at least it's a good mystery.

Basically, Sheridan is saying that he's cool with Obama's leadership because the Muslim world seems to be buying it. He's giving the same speeches as Bush, using the same rhetoric, and making the same foreign policy decisions (with a lot of the same people in charge). But instead of hating him, the Islamic leaders are loving it.

And as Greg points out, that's a good thing.He gives a couple of reasons why it might be so (Obama is less a symbol of white colonialism etc), but really, he doesn't care. As long as Obama continues the neo-con policies put in place by Bush, and the Muslims decide to listen this time, then what's not to love?

Anyway, I found it interesting.And I agree that if the Muslims are listening to Obama, then that can only be a good thing (...even if they're only listening cos he's cooler than George Bush. Does that make Obama like the visiting youth minister who's cooler than the youth pastor on staff at church? Like the local guy plays in a band, but Obama has a tattoo and says 'crap'? Just a question)