Black People Politics : Charlie Rose interview with Assad: Did he make a blunder?

[Clyde C Coger Jr]

In the Spirit of Politics,

But Assad’s mask slips a bit at one point, when he says that if the US carries out an attack on his regime, in retaliation “you should expect everything.”
This response, he added, might not necessarily come from his own government. “If you strike somewhere, you have to expect repercussions somewhere else in different forms,” Assad said.
Threatening the US, even implicitly, does not usually play well with US voters.

Thus in a narrow sense, Assad’s interview might be a mistake. In politics, when your opponent is in trouble, it is often best to keep your mouth shut.

Charlie Rose interview with Assad: Did he make a blunder?


It appears as if Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has his own US media strategy: He’s given a full-length interview to veteran broadcaster Charlie Rose that has already been taped in Damascus. Snippets were broadcast on CBS Monday morning, and the full thing will be shown on PBS in the evening.
Will sitting down and talking with a respected American journalist help Mr. Assad avoid a looming US attack in retaliation for his alleged use of chemical weapons on his own people?

That depends on how the US audience, and in particular members of Congress, respond to Assad’s words, of course. Some might see an English-speaking leader who sounds reasonable while making antiwar arguments. Others might bridle at what they see as Assad’s lies and threats.
http://news.yahoo.com/charlie-rose-interview-assad-did-blunder-164500979.html

 

[Clyde C Coger Jr]

In the Spirit of Update, which trumps Ignore,

puten blinks…….


http://news.sky.com/story/1139070/syria-urged-to-hand-over-chemical-weapons

 

[Clyde C Coger Jr]

In the Spirit of Politics,

To those who study the psychology of persuasion in public opinion and the marketplace, Obama still has opportunities to exploit. "I think people understand the danger of Syria using chemical weapons and the danger of looking the other way," says Eric Dezenhall, a crisis management consultant and author of "Damage Control." ''This is Obama's greatest leverage point."

The ground Obama must cover in Syria address


WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is grasping all his tools of persuasion in trying to turn around public opinion and rally congressional support for a strike against Syria. He's got tricky ground to cover in his address Tuesday night and acknowledged on the eve of it that Americans don't back his course.
A guide to weak spots in his case, and some opportunities, in advance of the speech:


suggested reading:
http://news.yahoo.com/ground-obama-must-cover-syria-address-071606935--politics.html