Usually, we could chalk this type of hyperbolic article to a media attempting to create something big out of policy debates within an administration. Alas, the issue seems a bit more serious than that, and, considering how much fecklessness we've seen out of Obama's policies these past 6+ years, it's entirely believable
Rift in Obama administration over Putin
The president’s reluctance to respond assertively is signaling U.S. weakness and indecision, some officials say.
Vladimir Putin’s intervention in Syria is creating new rifts inside an exhausted and in some cases demoralized Obama national security team, where officials pushing for bolder action see the president as stubbornly unwilling to assume new risk as he nears his final year in office.
Current and former Obama officials say the president’s reluctance to respond more assertively against Putin is signaling U.S. weakness and indecision. “We’re just so reactive,” said one senior administration official. “There’s just this tendency to wait” and see what steps other actors take.
This is simply an extension of "leading from behind", Obama's long standing avoidance for getting involved in international affairs that could be difficult and do not feed his narcissism. Obama likes to bluster verbally, but, when it comes to actual action, he seems so often to make the wrong decision. Then doubles down on it.















