# Has John Bolton lived up (or down) to expectations? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 28, 2006, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-john-bolton-lived-up-or-down-to-expectations/358557 "2006-05-28T18:51:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zahava424](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/76d3ee/32.png) [@Zahava424](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zahava424)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2006, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-john-bolton-lived-up-or-down-to-expectations/358557/1 "2006-05-28T18:51:05Z")
Last year, when President Bush nominated John Bolton as his choice for the position of UN Ambassador, there was an outcry in Congress and in the media. He was deemed to be a distinctly undiplomatic choice for a diplomatic position, underqualified and having a questionable history. Congress adjourned without having voted on his appointment, and the President circumvented the issue by making Bolton the UN Ambassador in a recess appointment. There was a moderate uproar as Congress felt passed over and some people felt that their views had been disregarded. It’s been a while, and I haven’t heard of any incident in which Bolton acted so terribly, or any we-told-you-so comments. Am I missing something? Did John Bolton do better than expected? Was the criticism of him unfounded or alarmist, or was Bolton just sufficiently chastened by all the negative press that he’s being extra careful? In retrospect, was John Bolton (1) a good choice, or was he (2) a bad choice and his good performance has been an unpredictable fluke, or was he (3) a bad choice, has performed badly, and I just haven’t noticed? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2006, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-john-bolton-lived-up-or-down-to-expectations/358557/2 "2006-05-28T21:52:31Z")
I haven’t heard of or noticed anything he’s done at all in the job. If he’s trying to be the type of ambassador Bush wanted, perhaps he’s simply being ignored? ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-john-bolton-lived-up-or-down-to-expectations/358557/3 "2006-05-29T03:01:05Z")
He is agressively stirring shit up. he has come out with ways to reform the UN. He wants it all his way.He does not get much love. He is doing what the Bush cabal wanted. ---
**Author:** ![Tyrrell\_McAllister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tyrrell_mcallister/32/16772_2.png) [@Tyrrell\_McAllister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tyrrell_McAllister)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-john-bolton-lived-up-or-down-to-expectations/358557/4 "2006-05-29T18:29:21Z")
Care to provide specifics, **gonzomax**? “[A]gressively stirring shit up” and “doing what the Bush cabal wanted” doesn’t give us much to go on. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-john-bolton-lived-up-or-down-to-expectations/358557/5 "2006-05-29T18:40:27Z")
I also want a cite. Not that I’d be surprised, but I’d like to know exactly how he’s screwing up. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-john-bolton-lived-up-or-down-to-expectations/358557/6 "2006-05-29T19:21:52Z")
[http://www.truthout.org/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi/37/10980](http://www.truthout.org/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi/37/10980) Why he is there. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-john-bolton-lived-up-or-down-to-expectations/358557/7 "2006-05-29T19:24:56Z")
[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/07/AR2005120702189.html](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/07/AR2005120702189.html) He is blustering and acting like a jerk. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-john-bolton-lived-up-or-down-to-expectations/358557/8 "2006-05-29T19:36:11Z")
[http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2006/05/23/snubbing\_iran.php](http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2006/05/23/snubbing_iran.php) hes still at it.