Few Americans (myself included) have a grasp on these issues of alignment in the M.E.
On one side we have race: Persians and Arabs. Most Americans are broadly unaware of thousands of years of significance of this.
On another side we have religion: Shia vs Sunni, the grand split within Islam.
Of course we have the third parties: Christianity, Judaism, Hindu, Kurds, Turkman, Alawites.
It is insanely complex. For example, Obama has clearly pursued a policy of not meaningfully arming the Syrian opposition. Yet they intervened in Libya. The circumstances are extremely complex, the lessons of chaotically well-US-armed folks running about have been learned. This administration, approaches things cautiously, deliberately. They recognize a geopolitical change, and, for the most part, choose to stay out of it, seek beneficial relationships, and keep a finger on the pulse.
So often policy has been to just throw tons of guns at folks ... (911 did come from US trained and armed folks, I think we called them the mujahadeen, as memory serves Reagan thought they were the coolest thing since sliced bread) ... and some learn, and some don't.
I think Obama MUST win, not for domestic policy (sure, I think the austerity approach is proven to fail) but shit is hitting the fan in the M.E. .... and actually, on balance, no so far, not so bad. Think about how bad this could have been if GW was pres ... seriously.
Steady hand that Obama guy, something that will never hit the history books, you only make history making war. Obama is doing a good job staying out of it, and making others stay out of it as well.
Iran and nukes is a real issue. As it has been for a long time. US policy on that has been remarkably uniform regardless of who is in the Oval Office.
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