I was going to make a comment/joke but then I saw this. And it speaks for me.
I would not promote a ghoulish mainstay of my foreign policy albatross, especially if I wanted to signal to disillusioned voters that I truly heard their concerns. But that's just me, I guess.
A related tweet thread by a journalist.
John Kirby is getting a promotion, "will run a separate team from the [WH] national security press team that will coordinate info across agencies". The chatter in DC is he loves his expanded influence despite the significant public criticism he's received. Note that Kirby's old job did not exist prior to Biden admin, which has a pattern of treating foreign policy as a messaging issue.
Former Obama-Biden official @JeremyKonyndyk on Gaza: "They're still managing this as if it's a stratcomms problem rather than a policy problem." A big reason for the pattern: the continued conviction among Biden + top aides that they get global affairs in a way few others can & should be trusted to do their thing, rather than they be swayed by outside opposing voices.
Huge risks & possible costs of that approach, ofc. One more instance of the Biden team—resistant to outside consultation—relying on DC brain. For think tank experts, Congress, Beltway press corps, Kirby is generally convincing, given his background + longevity.
For the people driving the public uproar over Gaza, he's a villain.
the continued conviction among Biden + top aides that they get global affairs in a way few others can & should be trusted to do their thing, rather than they be swayed by outside opposing voices.
the bluemaga cult also shares this conviction
I hope it's at least Klingon promotion, that's the least they owe cable viewers after long time issues with quality of circuses.
