Real Leaders Lead In A Crisis; Others Do An Obama
I didn’t vote for George Bush in 2000. During his first few months in office I thought he was a joke — a bad joke. After he invaded Iraq and in tandem with a Republican congress pushed the country hard to the right, his policies made me angry. But I have to give the man credit, too. When 9/11 struck and America was in shock, he stepped up big-time.
I remember the night shortly after that tragedy when he addressed a joint session of congress. Like virtually all Americans and much of the word, I was glued to my television and was frankly scared. I was afraid he would fail. Afraid he would come across either as a loud mouth blowhard, or a squeaky wimp trying to play the hard man. But he didn’t.
He played the part of our country’s leader just right that night. And whatever my overall judgment of his tenure in office, he understood what had to be done at that moment and did it well, for which I honor him.
And now we come to the present occupant of the Oval Office. Someone whose own performance in the presidency has been a massive disappointment to me and so many others who elected him. So many of us who saw in him as a man uniquely qualified for greatness at a time when greatness was so very much needed at the top.
What he did in the past before this debt ceiling crisis was…well..past. The present crisis is his economic 911. And whatever way it pans out in the next few days, one thing has become abundantly and unmistakably clear: this president has not defined the issues in a way that united the country and achieved the result desired by most Americans and respected by the world. Indeed, he’s been a largely passive commentator, someone who when he acts at all, does so in ways that allow the loudest chorus of other voices to dictate the outcome.
Barack Obama is a pleader, not a leader. He doesn’t even have a game plan of his own for his 2012 reelection campaign. Rather, he is desperately hoping to “triangulate” in the manner of Bill Clinton, depending on liberals in his own party to hold their noses and vote for him because of a less palatable alternative, joined by independents who admire the way he talks back to both the right and the left.
That’s his approach to leadership generally. As foolish and empty as his actions in this crisis itself. The approach of a pleader, not a leader.
There’s an attractive job opportunity opening up for a real leader of this great country in 2012. Someone who represents the center-left in deeds as well as election year mouthings. Apply soon, very soon, on the Jon Stewart show.
More from (and about) this writer at http://cootavengers.com/
12 Responses to “Real Leaders Lead In A Crisis; Others Do An Obama”
Wow. You’re comparing 9/11 to the Debt Ceiling? Stupid. It is Congress’s job to see this through. Obama has had 3 televised appearances on the subject. He’s been intimately involved in the talks. But you the Teaparty GOP’s ONLY goal is to make Obama look back and make him a 1 term president. How the hell do you deal with a faction that says no to everything you do at gunpoint. To put this all on Obama is just ignorant. Seriousy, F U.
On Reliable Sources this AM they talked about an internal White House debate over whether it is best for Obama to appear “closely engaged” or “above the fray” in the debt limit crisis. This illustrates the problem with Obama. There should be no internal debate because only one can be true. Obama is an empty suit that reflects whatever puts him in the best light.
W took advantage of situation for his own purposes, which is what every politician seems to be doing nowadays. In both lives and money, we lost far more fighting the ethereal “terrorism” than the terrorists could have taken from us.
The Tea Party is extreme only if you view current trends as normal and sustainable. That is provably false.
“The Tea Party is extreme only if you view current trends as normal and sustainable.”
Not a single prominent democrat or progressive disagrees with Teepers vis-a-vis the impossibility of keeping entitlements the same now that demographics are becoming problematic.
It’s the proposed solutions, the framing of the problem and the utter selfishness that is extreme. Remember the Ryan plan and how it gave entitlements to all the old, wrinkly Teepers and shafted everyone under 55? Teepers are the “My country ’tis of ME ME ME” crowd. They think Obama has raised taxes. They think the PPACA was about nationalizing one-sixth of the economy. They think he has increased the influx of immigrants and that he is responsible for most of the deficit. Not hating them is physically impossible.
Democrats have no problem with changing entitlement systems (see the PPACA) but they don’t trust your new hard-right buddies to approach said systems and programs with anything but ill intentions, incompetence and Randian presumptions. There is no good faith towards entitlement spending or welfare programs. It’s not about effictivity or efficiency – they hate the very concept of the programs. Democrats have no reason to play along.
Axel,
The PPACA added to entitlements, that’s a bit different from reducing them, something that will be necessary.
I’m quite convinced both parties are willing to add to entitlements…cut them, not so much.
All you people do is Bash the President. You screw the nation up every time you gain any power what-so-ever and blame it all on the Democrats each and every time!
You are cowards. Our BEST Presidents were Liberals and you can’t take it because they were not Business jerks. Thats it in a nut shell. Sneaky, back stabbing business cowards.
I posted the quote Obama made as a Senator on Friday regarding the debt limit raise in 2006. The One himself says it is the job of the President to take the lead and let the buck stop there. Now his apologists are either calling him a liar, a dunce or a hypocrite.
It has been less of an imperial presidency, and there has been some consideration for congressional input beyond rubber stamp approval. I for one have been encouraged that we have an executive office as a part of three branches of government, and not a divinely inspired and directed king. We have a long way to come to escape the corporate ownership of our government, but I’ve not been this encouraged in a long while.
Michael, you are among many, many folks, who honestly just had too high expectations of a fledgling politician and still basically a professor. The mess he inherited, would have required someone(s) much smarter than anyone around to fix or start on the road to fixing (I don’t know who) the problems. This was an unprecedented mess and many years in the making. I keep hoping that O gets better, because putting in a new bull____ artist may be even more disruptive then keeping him.
We do know that the farther Left is upset with Obama currently.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/31/us/politics/31dems.html
“Not a single prominent democrat or progressive disagrees with Teepers vis-a-vis the impossibility of keeping entitlements the same now that demographics are becoming problematic.”
In what country, because in this one I have yet to see a “prominent” progressive suggest anything but tax increases, which simply kicks the can down the road more.
It’s good to see you’re acknowledging that the problem exists. That puts you ahead of the pack.
The “progressives,” who want tax increases (only certain types of gimmicks, not serious tax reform), hypocritically want increased spending at the same time, claiming it’s needed so as not to inhibit or reverse the economic recovery.
Even they eventually will have to be forced to admit there are changing demographics, which will force entitlement reform, probably when it has been forced to start.