Marty Peretz On Obama

I have to say it makes me feel reassured that my old boss and friend has taken the position that he has in this election, however much that might tick off Matt. It's odd that I don't feel queasy about Obama the way I do about someone like Jimmy Carter or Tony Lake or even Madeleine Albright. After the last few years, the prospect of real diplomacy should not be ignored. But Obama is not, I think, a naive dreamer. Back to Marty:

A case can be made for sitting down with our enemies -- as long as we understand that they are our enemies.

So Barack Obama's belief in the power of speech worries me in the realm of foreign affairs. But otherwise he has won my confidence. Unlike the isolationists in the guise of idealists, or the cheerleaders for violence who pretend to be pacifists and populists, Mr. Obama is a patriot of the old cadence and the old convictions, and not easily pushed around. If he is elected president, he will disappoint many of his supporters, and surprise many of his detractors.

I have the same hunch.