In yesterday’s episode of “The Rachel Maddow Show,” Maddow illustrated the right’s blossoming man-crush with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In her typical witty fashion, she broke down the discrepancy between the GOP’s reaction toward Russia’s invasion of Georgia in August of 2008, when George W. Bush was president, and their reaction toward its recent invasion of Ukraine — the difference being, of course, that President Barack Obama now occupies the White House.
Back in 2008, conservative pundits and politicos largely dismissed Putin’s aggressive behavior — let him be, they insisted,?he’s just protecting his interests.
“I don’t think the Russians are reckless,” commented conservative?columnist and frequent Fox News guest?Charles Krauthammer on the day following the invasion of Georgia.?“What they are doing here is reasserting control of this province. And when it’s done, which will probably happen in a couple days, the firing will cease.”
Krauthammer later added: “Well, obviously it’s beyond our control.?The Russians are advancing. There is nothing that will stop them. We are not going to go to war over Georgia. We were unprepared and the Georgians were unprepared.”
Fast forward to 2014, and the same commentators now cut themselves just short of suggesting that Obama personally signed off on Russia’s military actions against Ukraine.
On a recent episode of “Fox & Friends,” co-host Brian Kilmeade attempted to justify the difference in conservative attitude between the two Russian invasions.
The difference between Georgia and here is, I think that the administration was — we were kind of caught by surprise that they went in there, and there was a very vociferous leader. [Former Georgian President?Mikheil?Saakashvili] was almost taunting the Russians, and we were seen, like, standing by…?This time, President Obama was on the phone, he made it clear: ?Don’t go in, don’t go in, don’t go in,’ and they went in anyway. This was forecastable and preventable if they wanted it to be.
So Bush gets a free pass for “standing by” whereas Obama gets blasted for negotiating on the phone with Putin and apparently choosing not to “forecast” Russian military aggression. Seems fair.
Despite Putin’s recent?alleged?breach?of international law,?many conservatives continue to hold him in high esteem, calling him a great “leader,” “statesman,” and “partner in peace.” Worse,?Russia’s passage of a strict anti-LGBT law last June might very well have been the impetus for Republicans’ growing interest in passing their own pro-discrimination laws in states such as Arizona, Kansas, Utah, and others.
Watch the clip from “The Rachel Maddow Show” below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RC3dWNV1yA
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Joseph Guyer?lives in Texas. An ad man by trade, he firmly agrees?with Bill Clinton that there is nothing wrong with America that can’t be cured by what is right with America. You can read more of his work at?Liberals Unite?and?DemoNews?and follow him on Twitter?@joerobguy.
