Trump's Saudi Arabia Speech Underscores How Lucky We Are That Obama Is Gone

I have made no secret of the fact that I am not a fan of our President. He has already done much to cause real concern. I remain very troubled by the possibility of a Russian conspiracy, and the intransigence of the Republican leadership in addressing the matter.

Yet, the Donald made an incredibly strong speech in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia this afternoon. He was calm, measured and he articulated skillfully the key points. He stated clearly that the leaders of the Arab world need to stand up themselves to extremism, and to stamp it out at any cost. He made clear, as well, that the US expects them deal with extremism at home, and that we will not continue to tolerate terror harbored at home and extended outward.

The speech contrasts sharply with that given by President Obama on June 4, 2009, just after he become President, at Cairo University in Egypt. In that speech, Obama spoke about a Middle East that has a history of colonialism, gave legitimacy to the Palestinian claim to a homeland, and encouraged Mubarak’s subjects to fight for democracy. The rest is history. Following Obama’s speech, and at least in part because of his incitement, Egypt subsequently deteriorated into a basket case.

As worrisome as Trump is, we were reminded today how lucky we are that the Obama era is over.