Fareed Zakaria: "Obama has been strikingly honest... but don't call him naive"

By GottaLaff

Fareed Zakaria calls Barack Obama a "foreign policy realist":

The rap on Barack Obama, at least in the realm of foreign policy, has been that he is a softheaded idealist who thinks that he can charm America's enemies. [...]

These critiques, however, are off the mark. Over the course of the campaign against Hillary Clinton and now McCain, Obama has elaborated more and more the ideas that would undergird his foreign policy as president. What emerges is a world view that is far from that of a typical liberal, much closer to that of a traditional realist. It is interesting to note that, at least in terms of the historical schools of foreign policy, Obama seems to be the cool conservative and McCain the exuberant idealist.

I have to disagree. McZzzz isn't what I'd call the "exuberant" anything.

Obama has been strikingly honest about his inclinations and inspirations. [...] Obama rarely speaks in the moralistic tones of the current Bush administration. He doesn't divide the world into good and evil even when speaking about terrorism. He sees countries and even extremist groups as complex, motivated by power, greed and fear as much as by pure ideology. His interest in diplomacy seems motivated by the sense that one can probe, learn and possibly divide and influence countries and movements precisely because they are not monoliths. When speaking to me about Islamic extremism, for example, he repeatedly emphasized the diversity within the Islamic world, speaking of Arabs, Persians, Africans, Southeast Asians, Shiites and Sunnis, all of whom have their own interests and agendas.

No! Stop! I can't take it! After nearly 8 years of dim-bulbdom, it's too much! Kind of like being in a dark room and suddenly opening the door into bright, blinding sunlight. Must... get... stupid fix. Need... more... slackwittednessessnesness... cough, wheeze....

Obama never uses the soaring language of Bush's freedom agenda, preferring instead to talk about enhancing people's economic prospects, civil society and—his key word—"dignity."

One thing with which Bush can never be associated: Dignity.

As important as what Obama says is what he passes up -- a series of obvious cheap shots against Bush.

Damn. I do kinda wish he'd dabble in that a little more. Oh well, can't have everything.

Ironically, the Republicans now seem to be the foreign-policy idealists, labeling countries as either good or evil, refusing to deal with nasty regimes, fixating on spreading democracy throughout the world and refusing to think in more historical and complex ways. "I don't do nuance," George W. Bush [said].

That is ironic! The Republicans have become everything they've mocked! Why, that would make them, what's the word again? Oh yeah: Hypocrites.

Obama and McCain are obviously mixtures of both realism and idealism. [...] A foreign policy that is impractical will fail and one that lacks ideals is unworthy of the United States. But the balance that each leader establishes is always different, and my main point is that Obama seems -- unusually for a modern-day Democrat -- highly respectful of the realist tradition. And McCain, to an extent unusual for a traditional Republican, sees the world in moralistic terms.

Let me think... who else sees the world that way, all moralistic and such? Wait, wait, don't tell me. Starts with a G... W... Forget it, it'll come to me.

So what have we learned about the real difference between Obama and McScowlyJowly?

In the end, the difference between Obama and McCain might come down to something beyond ideology -- temperament. McCain is a pessimist about the world, seeing it as a dark, dangerous place where, without the constant and vigorous application of American force, evil will triumph. Obama sees a world that is in many ways going our way. [...] Call him an Optimistic Realist, or a Realistic Optimist. But don't call him naive.

We won't. We promise. We're not that naive.