Monday, June 15, 2009

Scarborough Suggests Iranians in the Streets Inspired by Obama’s Cairo Speech

Joe Scarborough this morning repeated a stream of thought he initiated on Sunday’s Meet the Press: That the Iranians hitting the streets in reaction to the probably-fraudulent presidential election there were inspired by President Barack Obama’s Cairo speech on June 4th. Joe even went so far as to suggest the ruling clerics “were going to allow the moderate to win,” until they saw how powerfully Obama’s words played in Lebanon:

Really? Joe doesn’t offer much to support his line of thinking.

Scarborough is guilty here, I think, of the same if-they-oppose-the-bad-guys-they-must-support-us ignorance that plagued the Bush administration. The reality of the situation is considerably more complex.

I spoke with a contact working in a non-military capacity in a country that neighbors Iran who is deeply immersed in the politics of the area.  He tells me that the response on the street in the Middle East to President Obama’s speech was not exactly inspiration, but rather derision. Regular people over there found him to be weak and naïve.  One doesn’t take to the streets for such things.

Nevertheless, I think we’re seeing the birth of a meme. Watch for the media to attribute virtually any positve developments in the Middle East over the coming months or years to the President’s speech in Cairo. 

Tips? Nuggets?  E-mail me at patjhynes-AT-gmail.com

Topics: msnbc, iran, scarborough