Some things can’t be sold. Some salesman can’t sell anything. At this stage in the international relations game, Obama has zip, squach, zilch credibility with anyone, enemy or ally. Nobody takes him seriously, and nobody believes him. He simply can’t be trusted.
Instead of the singular, you need to used the plural, salesmen. There is a very sophisticated salesjob going on involving many people representing the various foreign policy doctrines.
The hardcore rightwing neocon hawks, led by Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz, Paul Bremmer, and Bill Kristol came out early calling for the re-invasion of Iraq.
The more moderate neocons led by Robert Kagan, Dan Senor, and Max Boot are pumping out opinion pieces reminding the public of the US's intervetionist role in the world.
Liberal Interventionists like Hillary and Robert Menendez, and McDonough(mentioned above) are talking the talk.
And if you noticed from his recent public pronouncements, Big Henry Kissinger is on board
Obama's role is to play the part of the prudent, pragmatic realist who did every thing possible(bent over backwards) to work with these people using carrots and diplomacy to solve the problem, but they are irrational. And it is not just opinions in the US, its international and multilateral
Its about manufacturing consent from the public.
ISIS is just the cover story. They are ramping up for the war with Iran. Unless, of course, Iran submits to US hegemony. Which probably involves regime change. Which could be why Ayatollah Khamenei went into the hospital yesterday.