# Has any conservative pundit ever said anything good about Obama? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 23, 2009, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-conservative-pundit-ever-said-anything-good-about-obama/514808 "2009-10-23T01:42:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-conservative-pundit-ever-said-anything-good-about-obama/514808/41 "2009-10-23T16:19:52Z")
Pat Buchanan praised Obama’s reversal of the Bush policy on the missile shield as “gutsy” and “the right thing to do”, and had nothing but praise for how he’s handled Russia (unless he’s said something about Georgia that I missed). ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-conservative-pundit-ever-said-anything-good-about-obama/514808/42 "2009-10-23T16:22:13Z")
Perhaps he had Georgia on his mind… ---
**Author:** ![Livardo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/43a26b/32.png) [@Livardo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Livardo)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-conservative-pundit-ever-said-anything-good-about-obama/514808/43 "2009-10-23T16:26:50Z")
Pat Buchanan also praised Obama’s handling of the whole Iranian Elections debacle. I heard him go on Hannity and defend Obama’s stand when Hannity thought America should go in guns blazing and send the protestors bazookas. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-conservative-pundit-ever-said-anything-good-about-obama/514808/44 "2009-10-23T16:27:26Z")
I’m having a hard time imagining what could be gutsy about cutting a missile defense program which couldn’t even shoot down practice missiles it knew were coming. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-conservative-pundit-ever-said-anything-good-about-obama/514808/45 "2009-10-23T16:29:19Z")
Gutsy politically, because it’s not hard to predict the assertions that “He’s weak on defence…”. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-conservative-pundit-ever-said-anything-good-about-obama/514808/46 "2009-10-23T22:39:54Z")
You guys might want to hang on with the missile defense cheering: [Obama’s new Missile Defense Plan](http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/24/world/europe/24biden.html) Looks like the Russians didn’t play ball after Obama offered to pull missiles out of the Czech Republic and Poland, because they’re going right back in. Both countries have now agreed to host new land-based interceptors. So here’s some good words for Obama from me - I thought he was naive to think that a unilateral withdrawal like that would be seen as anything but weakness by the Russians, and I was right. If anything, the Russians became more bellicose afterwards, and are now taking a harder line against helping Iran and even threatened to leave their own missiles in the region (the ones they said were only there to counter the U.S. missiles). To Obama’s credit, he showed flexibility in changing course, and he’s putting the missiles back. Granted, they are a different missile type (for now), and I’d have to study the issue to see if they are as good as the old ones, but it’s really the principle that matters - signing agreements with the Czech Republic and Poland re-affirms the U.S. commitment to the defense of those countries, and that’s really what Russia was trying to undermine. So good work, Mr. Obama. Of course, all of you who thought missile defense was a joke and Obama was too smart to think they would do any good have to question either your own judgment, or his. ---
**Author:** ![zen101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c68b51/32.png) [@zen101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zen101)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-conservative-pundit-ever-said-anything-good-about-obama/514808/47 "2009-10-24T00:18:48Z")
Does “He’s very well spoken” count? ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-conservative-pundit-ever-said-anything-good-about-obama/514808/48 "2009-10-24T00:56:04Z")
**Sam Stone** , you are aware that these missiles that the US is “pulling out” and “putting back” are imaginary, hypothetical missiles, right? These are just plans that don’t exist in actual reality yet, and I’m not convinced that they ever will. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-conservative-pundit-ever-said-anything-good-about-obama/514808/49 "2009-10-24T00:59:28Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > You guys might want to hang on with the missile defense cheering: The title of the thread was “Has any conservative pundit ever said anything good about Obama?” and that is exactly what I posted about. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-conservative-pundit-ever-said-anything-good-about-obama/514808/50 "2009-10-24T04:06:40Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > To Obama’s credit, he showed flexibility in changing course, and he’s putting the missiles back. Granted, they are a different missile type (for now), and I’d have to study the issue to see if they are as good as the old ones, but it’s really the principle that matters - signing agreements with the Czech Republic and Poland re-affirms the U.S. commitment to the defense of those countries, and that’s really what Russia was trying to undermine. So good work, Mr. Obama. “…study the issue to see if they are as good…”? [Wouldn’t take much.](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A700-2004Dec15.html) ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-conservative-pundit-ever-said-anything-good-about-obama/514808/51 "2009-10-24T04:52:18Z")
He’s made the trains run on-time? ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-conservative-pundit-ever-said-anything-good-about-obama/514808/52 "2009-10-24T08:57:00Z")
You realize you posted a 5 year old cite, don’t you? And do you understand why weapons systems (or anything else) are tested? Hint: it’s because they are under development. When you’re engineering things, testing them is a good idea, and you don’t expect all tests to pass. If I link to a test that was a success, do I win a prize? ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-conservative-pundit-ever-said-anything-good-about-obama/514808/53 "2009-10-24T09:02:37Z")
I love how for some people, government can do anything if you just give them enough money. Solve fusion power, create a ‘green’ economy, rebuild the health care system, solve hunger in Africa, create a hydrogen economy, eliminate CO2 from the energy infrastructure, make high speed rail economical… But when it comes to a straightforward engineering problem like missile defense, suddenly it’s flatly impossible, can never be solved, it’s a fool’s errand, progress will never be made, don’t even bother to try, it will never work. Why is that? ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-conservative-pundit-ever-said-anything-good-about-obama/514808/54 "2009-10-24T09:28:44Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > You realize you posted a 5 year old cite, don’t you? He may as well have posted a 25 year old cite. Wake me when BMD is more than a multi-trillion dollar boondoggle. > [@](#): > > And do you understand why weapons systems (or anything else) are tested? Hint: it’s because they are under development. When you’re engineering things, testing them is a good idea, and you don’t expect all tests to pass. Well, one of them passing under extremely contrived circumstances would be a nice start. See for example from that 5 year old cite: > [@](#): > > The Missile Defense Agency, which manages the development effort, had gone to extraordinary lengths to try to ensure a successful test, delaying it repeatedly since the spring to scrub the interceptor and other parts of the system of defects. > [@](#): > > If I link to a test that was a success, do I win a prize? Sure, the Ballistic Missile Defense is actually feasible and reliable for deployment within a few years award. Sadly, there have been no winners since [Nike Hercules](http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/usa/airdef/nike-hercules.htm)entered the fray in the early 1950s. > [@](#): > > I love how for some people, government can do anything if you just give them enough money. Need any more hay for your strawman? > [@](#): > > But when it comes to a straightforward engineering problem like missile defense So straightforward that it hasn’t come remotely close to being solved after 60 years and trillions thrown at the problem?:dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-conservative-pundit-ever-said-anything-good-about-obama/514808/55 "2009-10-24T15:50:33Z")
The “missile shield” jockeying is basically the same as the battle between those two “squishing your head” guys in that old _Kids in the Hall_ sketch. Missile shields are imaginary. It doesn’t matter where we pretend to put them. And the Cold War is over, by the way. The Red Menace is not going to get us. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-conservative-pundit-ever-said-anything-good-about-obama/514808/56 "2009-10-24T16:08:04Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > And the Cold War is over, by the way. The Red Menace is not going to get us. In theory, the missile shield is supposed to protect the west from Iran. That’s what we keep telling the Russians, anyway. I have a hard time with this topic because while intuitively I think the missile shield is a stupid idea, I had to do a major project on NATO expansion for my foreign policy class last year, as written from the perspective of Poland. I can’t seem to stop myself from viewing this from a Polish lens as a result. We need missiles! Must protect ourselves from [del]Russia[/del] Iran! ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-conservative-pundit-ever-said-anything-good-about-obama/514808/57 "2009-10-24T16:27:29Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > I love how for some people, government can do anything if you just give them enough money. Solve fusion power, create a ‘green’ economy, rebuild the health care system, solve hunger in Africa, create a hydrogen economy, eliminate CO2 from the energy infrastructure, make high speed rail economical… Curious series of examples you’ve got there. I’ve never heard any government official suggest that the government is going to “solve” fusion power, solve hunger in Africa, or eliminate CO2 from the energy infrastructure. Hell, even Live Aid didn’t claim it was going to solve hunger in Africa, and there’s nothing more liberal than musicians. British musicians, even. I will be interested in seeing whether government can create a green economy or a hydrogen economy. Since they haven’t tried yet, I’m willing to given them the benefit of the doubt for the time being. As far as economical high speed rail… well, those [pinko Frenchies](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TGV) and the [Japanese](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinkansen) did it already, but, hey, what the hell. Let’s boldly go where 200 million passengers have gone before. > [@](#): > > But when it comes to a straightforward engineering problem like missile defense, suddenly it’s flatly impossible, can never be solved, it’s a fool’s errand, progress will never be made, don’t even bother to try, it will never work. Yep, that’s us liberals, [always telling people that straightforward engineering problems can’t be solved.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g25G1M4EXrQ) > [@](#): > > Why is that? Probably for the same reason that conservatives have been telling us lately that government is by its very nature inept and inefficient, but still think it’s going to magically brainwash their kids or round them up for resettlement in FEMA camps or impose martial law. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-conservative-pundit-ever-said-anything-good-about-obama/514808/58 "2009-10-24T17:40:59Z")
[2001: Missile Defense Test a Success](http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-77049497.html) [2007: US carries out successful missile defense test](http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSWBT00766220070928) > [@](#): > > A U.S. interceptor missile on Friday shot down a dummy warhead replicating an incoming North Korean missile in the \*\* seventh successful test \*\*of Boeing Co’s long-range missile shield, the Pentagon said. [2008 - Patriot PAC-3 missile Defense Test Success](http://johnibii.wordpress.com/2008/10/18/missile-defense-pac-3-missile-test-success-with-key-ally/) [July 2009 - Israeli Missile Defense Test Success](http://www.israelsituation.com/2009/07/israeli-missile-defense-test-success/) [August 2009: U.S. Missile Defense Test Hailed as a Success](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1203370/Pictured-U-S-missile-defence-test-hailed-success-North-Korea-tensions-rise.html) > [@](#): > > The latest US missile defence test, conducted last night in Hawaii waters, was deemed a success as tensions continue with North Korea over that country’s missile programme. > > A short-range ballistic missile was fired from the Pacific Missile Range Facility on the island of Kauai and then was shot down by a three-stage interceptor missile from a destroyer, the USS Hopper. > > The test, conducted by the Navy and the Department of Defense’s Missile Defence Agency, marked the 23rd firing by ships equipped with the Aegis ballistic missile defense system. > > **With the latest test, there have been 19 successes, including the shooting down of a dead US spy satellite last year.** 23 firings, 19 successes. This is the system that is being deployed in Eastern Europe, I believe. I could go on all day. There have been dozens of successful tests of various missile defense systems. I have no idea how you’ve avoided hearing about any of them. The recent test that shot down the satellite made all the papers. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-conservative-pundit-ever-said-anything-good-about-obama/514808/59 "2009-10-24T17:49:50Z")
There is no such thing as a “missile shield.” It’s all theoretical and, to this point, still technically impossible. Being able to hit a few missiles in the air (with a lousy success rate) does not a shield make. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-conservative-pundit-ever-said-anything-good-about-obama/514808/60 "2009-10-24T17:51:51Z")
That’s right, just put your hands over your eyes and go, “lalalalalala”. There’s a good boy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-conservative-pundit-ever-said-anything-good-about-obama/514808.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-conservative-pundit-ever-said-anything-good-about-obama/514808.md?page=4)