Putting the President on Hold

Gosh, if only somebody had seen this coming — President Obama got rejected like the Math Club treasurer asking the head cheerleader out to the prom:

The Iranian leader’s rebuff on Saturday to President Barack Obama’s offer for dialogue was swift and sweeping: Words from Washington ring hollow without deep policy changes.

But Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s response was more than just a dismissive slap at the outreach. It was a broad lesson in the mind-set of Iran’s all-powerful theocracy and how it will dictate the pace and tone of any new steps by Obama to chip away at their nearly 30-year diplomatic freeze.

[Snip]

“This is why this will be a very slow, very complicated process between Iran and the United States,” said Abdulla. “Even the theocracy can be pragmatic. When they feel it’s in the national interest to reach out to America, they will find a way.”

Shouldn’t that read, “if they feel…?” Iran’s interest is in expanding its influence in the Middle East (and, eventually, beyond). Our interest is to stop that from happening. Iran is showing strength. We’re showing weakness. Who’s best serving their own interests?

CORRECTED: I’d left out the link before.