That's gonna leave a mark:
After proclaiming John Kerry “one of the best secretaries of state we’ve ever had,” Carter dumped cold water on Obama’s record abroad.
“On the world stage, I think [Obama’s accomplishments] have been minimal,” Carter said. “I think he has done some good things domestically, like health reform and so forth. But on the world stage, just to be objective about it, I can’t think of many nations in the world where we have a better relationship now than when he took over.”
Carter declined to blame Obama for the U.S.’s dismal foreign policy outlook, stating simply that circumstances “have evolved.” However, he did state that the U.S. had suffered a reversal of fortunes in foreign policy since Obama took over from President George W. Bush.
“I would say the U.S.’s influence and prestige and respect in the world is probably lower than it was six or seven years ago,” Carter said.
I'm horrified that President Carter believes Kerry is so great. I disagree, as do many leading scholars.
But I can't rule out the possibility that he is a brilliant diplomat who has been fatally dragged under by the anchor of a president's awful foreign policy.
More and more, judging President Obama as a repeat of the Carter presidency is the best-case scenario.
President Carter could actually learn, as he did after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan, and change his views and policies to deal with reality and not persist in his fantasy world.
President Obama prefers to see nothing--and his staff makes sure he never does.
