Wednesday's coup that toppled former President Mohamed Morsy prompted hundreds of thousands of people in the streets across Egypt to both applaud and assail the military's decision to step into the country's political fray for the second time in slightly more than two years.

"Normally revolutions either happen by the bullet or the ballot, and this is really more by the bullhorn," said former chief of staff for the Defense Department Jeremy Bash.

It creates a delicate situation for the Obama administration. The recent protests are a continuation of the revolution that began in early 2011, said Bash. Even then, Obama was in a tough spot.

"Mubarak had been our historic ally, we had interests in maintaining stability in Egypt," said Bash. "At that time the president decided ultimately to push Mubarak out and go with the street. But here we have a democratically elected Morsy. The administration has been trying to work with the Morsy government. And there's been fits and starts."
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Cheers exploded in Tahrir Square Wednesday as Gen. Abdul Fattah Al-Sisi, the leader of the Egyptian military, confirmed to the world that Mohamed Morsy was no longer the president of Egypt.

In addition, the constitution is suspended, a new cabinet will be formed, new elections will be held, and a technocractic government will rule until those elections can take place.

Many of the demonstrators in Egypt are the same people  who marched against former President Hosni Mubarak. Why would those protesters would find it acceptable for there to be a coup against someone who was democratically elected, even if he was a horrible leader?

"Morsy usurped his position to consolidate the Muslim Brotherhood and to consolidate his own power. From the very beginning, when we got rid of Hosni Mubarak in 2011, Egyptians have maintained all along that anyone who tries to lead us in an authoritarian way, we will stand up against. And this is a strong message we also send out to the military," Egyptian commentator Mona Eltahawy told CNN.
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