There are those writing opinion pieces that have no idea that Syria has been in Russia’s orbit for decades. This is, completely, the Russians’ show.
Very true, and it meant that if we were going to butt in, we better have had a strong strategy and coalition, and we had neither. So besides looking inept, we provoked Russia. It wouldn't be stretch to guess Putin is willing to act much more aggressively in Crimea in response to Obama trying to unsettle Assad. Tit for tat.