What Might Have Been

For all of his (many, many) faults, at least John McCain knows who the good guys and bad guys are:

The Huffington Post interviewed Senator McCain today:

McCain wouldn't say which side of the struggle he thought Obama was on.

"Between Ahmadinejad and the reformers, do you think there's any doubt what side President Obama is on?" McCain (R-Ariz.) was asked by the Huffington Post. "What would be the advantage...?"

"I know what side I'm on," McCain cut in. "I'm on the side of the people. I'm not on Ahmadinejad's side or Mousavi. I'm on the side of the Iranian people and I'm on the right side of history. And I'm not going to walk on the other side of the street while people are being killed and beaten in the streets of Iran."

McCain said Obama's reaction wasn't equal to the situation. "We can't sit by and watch a film clip on television of a young woman bleeding to death and say that we're worried about the Iranian reaction or our ability to negotiate with them. We have to stand up for those people," he said.

This is a great point, and one that probably should be noted. Mousavi isn't exactly a step up from Ahmadinejad in terms of his radical beliefs. In fact, from what I've read, he isn't much different at all. The key thing to see here is that the Iranian people -- who have long been very pro-America -- are desperate for any change at all. The protests have gotten bloodier, and the crackdowns have gotten harder, but Obama is only now just starting to talk tough.

He couldn't seem to stomach the right answer - that America stands with the people of Iran, and will do everything to help them succeed in bringing about true freedom in their country. It is only after making a few tentative statements and getting ridiculed for them (not to mention seeing his poll numbers take a sudden drop) that he finally comes out with what should have been his instinctive response as the American President.

As we've discussed before, Obama has needed a lot of second chances, especially on foreign policy issues. Unfortunately, the cold, cruel world doesn't often give them. Obama screwed up again here, and the Iranian people have been hung out to try because of it.

Who knows what might have been if McCain were in the Oval Office today? At the very least, the Iranian people would know they have a friend in Washington.

There's my two cents.