Foolish carping about Iran deal

Conservative Republicans have spent more than seven years denouncing President Obama as ill-prepared and too naive to be the leader of the Western World. Yet now that more than a dozen Republicans have lined up to replace him, they inadvertently are making the opposite case.

Compared with the lack of perspective and judgment shown by many of the GOP candidates, Obama looks increasingly better as a leader. He’s a practical, competent and moral president who is steering his nation and the world away from conflict toward peace.

Obama’s favorable comparison was especially striking in the reaction of the Republican presidential candidates to the nuclear agreement he and world leaders have reached with Iran. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee won a close competition for most outlandish comment when he said the president’s approach would “take the Israelis and march them to the door of the oven.”

In response to Huckabee and other GOP candidates who have raised hysterical alarms, the president sounded more concerned than angered.

“The particular comments of Mr. Huckabee are just part of a general pattern we’ve seen that would be considered ridiculous if it weren’t so sad,” Obama said.

The Iran deal isn’t perfect, but it is good enough and the best that could be attained. Sensible leaders know that. Ridiculous candidates don’t.

This story was originally published July 27, 2015 at 7:11 PM with the headline "Foolish carping about Iran deal."