This is what struck me most:
"What I would say to those people who put so much hope and energy and optimism into the political process, I would say to them that the world is watching and inspired by their participation, regardless of what the ultimate outcome of the election was. And they should know that the world is watching.
And particularly to the youth of Iran, I want them to know that we in the United States do not want to make any decisions for the Iranians, but we do believe that the Iranian people and their voices should be heard and respected."
We have a president who doesn't believe "respect" and "attack" are synonyms.
We also have a president who is revealing what could be the most remarkable element of his presidency: his foreign policy. He is telling Iran that he supports the country's struggle for democracy, but that the victory must be theirs alone for it to be legitimate.
Obama knows that discourse can influence--and persuade--people with less risk than force. And if Iran succeeds, and if Israel and Palestine reach a two-state solution, two of the most dangerous global political crises will have been resolved before Obama's first year in office.
Those events would not be the result of an apology tour.
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