Can Obama Get Results From 'Soft Power'?

When candidate Barack Obama said he would pursue "tough, direct diplomacy without preconditions" with Iran, his rivals sneered.

Sen. John McCain, the Republican front-runner for the U.S. presidency, called the suggestion "reckless."

President George W. Bush likened Obama's proposal to World War II-era appeasement.

And Sen. Hillary Clinton, Obama's chief Democratic challenger, called Obama's plan "naí¯ve and irresponsible."

Obama's response: "Strong countries and strong presidents meet and talk with our adversaries. We shouldn't be afraid to do so. We've tried the other way. It didn't work."

Now that Obama's about to become president, McCain is back in the Senate, Bush is headed to retirement and Clinton is Obama's choice to be secretary of state...

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