Among the GOP’s manifold criticisms directed at Barack Obama for his handling of the situation in Ukraine, one of the most persistent has dealt with the President’s “timidity” toward Vladimir Putin.
It’s been easy enough to infer what the Republicans are really trying to say: the effete Obama is no match for the macho Putin.
Sarah Palin, never one for subtly, complained earlier this month that the manly Russian leader is viewed as someone who “wrestles bears and drills for oil,” while Obama “wears mom jeans.”
Ralph Peters, a retired lieutenant colonel and now a Fox News military analyst, picked up on Palin’s thread on Monday night — with a mix of pop culture, to boot.
Sure, building “consensus is a great idea,” Peters told Bill O’Reilly, but “sometimes you have to lead.”
Peters said Obama must “stop pretending that negotiations will solve all the world’s problems.” As Peters sees it, Putin’s approach to the crisis has been comparable to a hit show known for gore and ruthlessness. Obama’s strategy, meanwhile, has resembled a more staid drama.
“I mean, Vladmir Putin is playing ‘Game of Thrones’ and we’re playing ‘Downton Abbey,” Peters said.
