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You are crazy if you think Russia is more of a threat than Iran. However, the more they are treated like our enemy, the more they will actually be that. Iran, on the other hand, makes no secret of their hatred of the U.S. and Israel.

I think the opportunity to have good relations with Russia has been squandered by Obama. The negative consequences are going to be felt for decades to come.

You are crazy if you think Russia is more of a threat than Iran.

Russia is threatening nuclear war while murdering thousands in Europe. They are certainly just as much a threat as Iran.

“I think the opportunity to have good relations with Russia has been squandered by Obama. The negative consequences are going to be felt for decades to come.”

Exactly right. I stumbled over the Russian news channel RT, on the way to another channel on Cable TV, and stopped for a moment because they were showing video of Vlad Putin and Silvio Berlusconi together. Curious, I watched the segment. It turns out the two of them are good friends, and Silvio has visited with Putin 4 times this year.

I watched the body language of the two of them together, and saw Putin as one seldom sees him in public. He was laughing, putting his arm on Silvio’s back, patting him, cozying up, in other words it was so plain that Putin liked him. So I now have a good idea of Putin when he likes someone.

Contrast that with how Putin acts when around Obama. Stiff, scowling, standoffish, rejecting, you get the idea. In other words, Putin can’t stand Obama. I will bet you 2 to 1 that Putin’s body language would be somewhat different if Donald Trump is President. Entirely different, in a good way. The U.S. relationship would stand a much greater chance of being repaired.

Putin is no saint, and Trump knows that. But Trump would finnesse Putin much better, and I truly believe, as Trump has stated himself, that they would be able to get along. If I were Putin, I wouldn’t be able to stand being around Obama either.

I think the opportunity to have good relations with Russia has been squandered by Obama. The negative consequences are going to be felt for decades to come.

I've wondered about this exact question. President Bush said something interesting in a post-presidency interview about Putin. He said (paraphrasing), that he had tried to work with Putin on issues of mutual interest. On issues that we're a win/win for both sides. However, Putin doesn't look at things like that. His view is, "you win, I lose."

I think he was right on that. There is this tendency to say, "Hey Putin! you're Christian, we're Christian. We hate terrorists, and you hate terrorists. Let's get together on this." But this mentality does not take into account the Russian idea that sentimentality or solidarity of purpose does not supersede statecraft.

Yet, somehow, people in the west get seduced by the idea that Russia is amenable to such overtures. Going all the way back to the Rosenbergs. "Hey! You're commies, and we're commies. Let's hook up." Russia will take what you offer but they will never be your friend.

To have good relations with Russia means treating them as a junkyard dog and threatening them with the stick.