Vox ready with 'more sympathetic interpretation' of president's 'no strategy' comment

Who's going to be the first to write the In Defense Of Not Having A Strategy thinkpiece?

— Spencer Ackerman (@attackerman) August 28, 2014

@attackerman @ron_fournier Vox is taking the early lead.

— Sean Bannion (@SeanBannion) August 28, 2014

@voxdotcom You guys spun this even before the WH did. Nice work!

— Doug Badger (@Dougsbriefcase) August 28, 2014

That was quick. Within two hours of President Obama telling the White House press corps that “we don’t have a strategy yet” on ISIS, Vox was on it, voxplaining what everyone else got wrong about the words that came directly from the president’s mouth.

'We don't have a strategy yet': What everyone gets wrong about the quote that will haunt Obama http://t.co/si94nMUtBw

— Vox (@voxdotcom) August 28, 2014

@Heminator @allahpundit I especially like the "What everyone gets wrong…" It's been 90 minutes, & already everyone but Vox gets it wrong.

— jerylbier (@JerylBier) August 28, 2014

The headline should read, then, what everyone — expect the experts at Vox — got wrong about the quote that will haunt Obama. As Zack Beauchamp writes:

“We don’t have a strategy yet” seems to vindicate both at the same time. It sounds like Obama is admitting that he has no idea what he’s doing in Iraq.

There’s also a more sympathetic interpretation.

Viewed in context with the rest of his remarks, Obama’s point might be that there is no good strategy available for fully defeating ISIS in both Iraq and Syria — which is both consistent with his approach the crisis in those countries, in which he has primarily avoided risky escalation, and perhaps true.

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‘Xplained http://t.co/9Kq07a1OVd

— Allahpundit (@allahpundit) August 28, 2014

https://twitter.com/Heminator/status/505107957739446272

#WeDontHaveAStrategyYet, but Vox is writing a post on why saying not having a strategy is itself a great strategy – Or something

— Cameron Gray (@Cameron_Gray) August 28, 2014

https://twitter.com/CuffyMeh/status/505108440797413376

https://twitter.com/WestValentine/status/505112922675089408

https://twitter.com/philliplohaus/status/505111268663898112

https://twitter.com/motionview/status/505111247134547968

#Truthy RT @voxdotcom How Obama Not Having a Strategy For ISIS Could Be His Best Strategy Yet

— Marcus (@MarcusHUSA) August 28, 2014

@voxdotcom

"Four: what everybody gets wrong about 2+2"

— BDJinCO (@DissidentBiker) August 28, 2014

Another stupid Obama statement, another stupid VoxSpinhttp://t.co/yOM9XJU27A

Kudos to @zackbeauchamp for giving it a try.

— Drew McCoy (@_Drew_McCoy_) August 28, 2014

.@Vox's new Obama defense exemplifies an entire genre: not oppositional research, but pro-positional research. http://t.co/z60CDr9gW7

— Adam White (@adamjwhitedc) August 28, 2014

Obama could say "I'm a terrible president" and Vox would say "there's also a more charitable interpretation of that" http://t.co/jljiI8wM0x

— John Tabin (@johntabin) August 28, 2014

This is the moment when Vox transforms from leftist hackery to outright parody. https://t.co/ltItk2bcZT

— Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) August 28, 2014

@voxdotcom @aagave Jesus Christ how do you people keep fellating? Don't your jaws get tired?

— PP (@PurportedPundit) August 28, 2014

@mattyglesias Well, Lord knows we can always count on @voxdotcom for a "more sympathetic interpretation" for anything Obama does.

— Ellis Hugh (@ikeonic) August 28, 2014

https://twitter.com/WorthFighting_4/status/505107966320582656