American Exceptionalism

[Eli Lake]

Twin,

I speak only for myself here. But I said on numerous bloggingheads before the election and in a cover story for the New Republic (criticized by both the right and left at the time) that Obama, at least on national security, would reflect an emerging consensus among professionals on the war on terror. I said his war policy would be a reprise of the Reagan doctrine. The new consensus veers more right than left, though partisans of both stripes have their gripes. My sense is that the new cabinet reflects that emerging consensus. My caveat here is that all administrations react to the world. Hence Obama will face challenges that have yet to emerge and his reaction will shape his policies. But on Iraq, surveillance, war in Pakistan/Afghanistan and even on Iran regarding sanctions, evidence suggests that Obama will govern from the center, if not center right.