Remember this exchange from the October 22, 2012 debate?

OBAMA: Governor Romney, I’m glad that you recognize that Al Qaida is a threat, because a few months ago when you were asked what’s the biggest geopolitical threat facing America, you said Russia, not Al Qaida; you said Russia, in the 1980s, they’re now calling to ask for their foreign policy back because, you know, the Cold War’s been over for 20 years.

But Governor, when it comes to our foreign policy, you seem to want to import the foreign policies of the 1980s, just like the social policies of the 1950s and the economic policies of the 1920s.

You say that you’re not interested in duplicating what happened in Iraq. But just a few weeks ago, you said you think we should have more troops in Iraq right now. And the — the challenge we have — I know you haven’t been in a position to actually execute foreign policy — but every time you’ve offered an opinion, you’ve been wrong. You said we should have gone into Iraq, despite that fact that there were no weapons of mass destruction.

You said that we should still have troops in Iraq to this day. You indicated that we shouldn’t be passing nuclear treaties with Russia despite the fact that 71 senators, Democrats and Republicans, voted for it. You said that, first, we should not have a timeline in Afghanistan. Then you said we should. Now you say maybe or it depends, which means not only were you wrong, but you were also confusing in sending mixed messages both to our troops and our allies.

OBAMA: So, what — what we need to do with respect to the Middle East is strong, steady leadership, not wrong and reckless leadership that is all over the map. And unfortunately, that’s the kind of opinions that you’ve offered throughout this campaign, and it is not a recipe for American strength, or keeping America safe over the long haul.

You can’t find a larger, seething, effervescing puddle of geopolitical #FAIL than in this response. There is virtually not a single thought in here, or even a word, that is not wrongheaded and has not been proved wrongheaded by events. Romney was right about Russia. About Iran. About Iraq (what is notable here is that Obama furthers the abject lie that Saddam Hussein did not have WMD, specifically chemical weapons, when even as he was saying it he knew he was lying). It is hard to think of a better example of reckless leadership in the Middle East than what Obama has provided. The war in Syria and the rise of ISIS are squarely on him.

Finally, though, it has dawned on a lot of Obama’s fluffers that he really didn’t know his ass from a hot rock when it came to foreign policy.

NYT 2012: You'd have to be a total fucking idiot to think Russia is geopolitical threat

NYT 2016: OMG RUSSIA HOLY SHIT SOMEONE DO SOMETHING pic.twitter.com/XZY9PbMzs5

— Omri Ceren (@cerenomri) November 25, 2016

Of course they aren’t apologizing for slagging Mitt Romney because he’s a Republican and deserved it. But it is refreshing to see the NYT pull its head out of Obama’s butt and take a look at the actual threat presented by Russia. Of course, they are only doing it because they want to continue to push the meme that it was Russia that gave the election to Trump but regardless of the reason, a realistic view of Russia is a good thing. Now we only have to hope that Trump is able to see the same.