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| CNN host Michael Smerconish Iran doesn't have a lot of cards to play in the fight with the United States. One of the few is that they seem to have folks on the left attacking everything President Donald Trump says or does in regard to Operation Epic Fury. That may give them thoughts. If they just hang in there, the Democrats' attacks on Trump may force him to pull back. However, in another way, the Democratic reactions may have helped Trump and convinced the Iranians that Trump was going to drop "hell" on them as he promised. He had already been pounding them as it was. But you had people like former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (CA-11) calling on the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment because of Trump's "civilization will die" comment about Iran. The Democrats' freak-out over some of Trump's language may have accidentally served his purpose of forcing Iran to the negotiating table. The regime put people out on their bridges - clearly, they thought Trump was going to follow through and were concerned. They know for sure he isn't the weak Joe Biden or Barack Obama, neither of whom seemed to know how to enforce red lines. Now, we'll see what comes out of the talks. That's still a question, since Iran isn't an honest actor. But Trump is already showing a clever response to something the regime claimed. They reportedly said there were issues with opening the Strait of Hormuz - the point agreed to as part of the ceasefire - because they weren't sure where all the mines they put out might be. Trump's response was immediate - we're sending in ships to help detect where the mines are and work to ensure the safe passage in the Strait. Since Iran agreed to open the Strait, they can't object if he helps them out with their problem. He turned their excuse around on them, and used it to help clear the Strait. READ MORE: US Navy Destroyers Pass Through the Strait of Hormuz Without Incident and Without Permission New: US Navy Destroyers Lead Mine-Clearing Charge in Strait of Hormuz In what might be the surprise of the weekend, it was CNN host Michael Smerconish who obliterated the Democratic narrative that Trump was demented/crazy and should face the 25th Amendment/impeachment. Warning for graphic language:
Now while I won't necessarily believe everything in The New York Times report - it is after all the Times - I think the general overall tenor of it, as Smerconish describes it: open to dissent, consulting his Cabinet, and deliberative, is consistent with reports of how Trump operates. Smerconish continued:
Smerconish then said Trump didn't need the "madman" mask - because the real man was more formidable. That's a big observation, and one that most on the left wouldn't get. But he's also sort of wrong for the reasons I said above - it's that madman move which likely moved Iran. They're used to playing all the prior presidents, but they appear off-balanced because Trump doesn't deal with them as the prior ones did. Smerconish also spoke to Yale Professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, who has known Trump for years. And while Sonnenfeld is obviously critical of Trump and slipped in some shots at Trump in the process of his remarks, he also acknowledged that Trump is "absolutely strategic."
"Backstage, he is not temperamental," he said. "He is rational." His best line? "Boy, he is not dumb!" Sonnenfeld pronounced. "He is dumb like a fox! He's very strategic." Exactly. There's a reason Trump is where he is now, and has risen through any attempt to bring him down. Democrats fail against him because they fail to understand him, and keep using the same failed tactics for the last 10 years. |
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