The White House, Leon Wieseltier wrote in The New Republic a couple of days ago, “is so haunted by past Arab anger at American action in the Middle East that it cannot recognize present Arab anger at American inaction in the Middle East.” I think he’s right — but it’s not President Obama’s fault that the United States is damned in the Arab Middle East if it acts and damned if it doesn’t.

In the Arab world, the United States is just damned. This was true before Obama was president, and it will remain true after Obama is gone, no matter what he decides to do or not do.

Americans fret constantly about whether or not we’re doing the right thing to win the hearts and minds of the Arabs. That’s one reason Obama was elected (though I can’t help but wonder how many Libyans wish John McCain were in the White House right now). This may be a good time for Arab leaders and opinion makers to ask themselves what they can do to win over the hearts and minds of Americans.