On the Campaign Trail
Last week, George Stephanopoulos interviewed President Ahmadinejad on ABC’s This Week. First, Stephanopoulos prodded the Iranian President on his intentions to meet with the Obama administration. He asked, bluntly, “Are you prepared to sit down at those talks without preconditions?” Ahmadinejad responded enigmatically and danced around Stephanopoulos’ prying questions.
Ahmadinejad and Stephanopoulos on ABC's This Week
He resorted to pointing fingers at the Bush Administration and implicitly stressed the repercussions of Bush’s policies. “But the U.S. administration severed its relations with us,” he exclaimed as though defending the art of retaliation to a third grade teacher. Stephanoupolos jumped on his hypocrisy: “it sounds to me as if you’re suggesting now Iran is the one with the preconditions, echoing, in fact, the policy of the last U.S. administration.”
Ahmadinejad is devoted to his status as a hardliner. President Bush, whose policies re-kindled anti-Americanism in Iran, served as an eight year campaign ad for him. Meanwhile, Obama speaks of setting aside differences, making concessions, and finding compromise; no doubt Obama would be better complimented by an Iranian reformer. Ahmadinejad is well aware of this; he is also aware that his daunting litmus test fast approaches.
It is no surprise that Iran may be demanding preconditions now. Ahmadinejad wants to remind Iranians of their uncompromising opponents and his audacious reluctance to capitulate. Faced with demoralizing maladies caused by low oil prices and global recession, Ahmadinejad is simply trying to prescribe more Ahmadinjad.
Tags: Ahmadinejad, Barack Obama, George Bush, George Stephanopoulos, Iran, United States
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