Most things political are a matter of perception over reality. Moreover, perception has an evil way of morphing into reality if it festers too long in the public’s mindset.
This is, I fear, what has become the Achille’s heal of the Obama administration. While the public has waited for him to take definitive positions on any number of critical situations (Afghanistan, Gitmo, medical legislation, stopping bailed out companies from awarding bonuses for their mismanagement, etc., etc.) Obama painfully dithers and ponders the options.
The public sees this as a weakness in his leadership abilities. Is he too careful for the voter’s temperament? I think so. We love decisive leadership. Americans can tolerate one or two action items in a tortuous state of indecision. But Obama seems to have too many balls in the air to please the public trust.
Americans loved his eloquence. But now want to see his actions match his words. He appears to ponder too much and let the opposition take the initiative. The American public is losing confidence … while Obama is losing control of the conversation. It’s the chatter that makes the difference between the perception of his leadership and the disappointment of a growing swath of disenchanted citizens.
Obama was swept into the White House by voters who were mad as hell with “politics as usual.” They were neither on the political left or right.
They didn’t care as long as they got “change they could believe in.” Instead many now believe they got words, but not actions to match them.
Folks, we now have that old familiar “credibility gap.” In Obama’s case, I personally believe he is a sincere guy who means well but is in way over his head. He is a latter day Woodrow Wilson … a scholar with lofty ideas but unable to convert them into political reality.
But there is a cure. It will take guts that he hasn’t shown and a rashness he dreadfully fears. Obama must take on some key issues and put the forcefulness of the presidency behind them. They must be bold and swift. And, most important, they must make him appear decisive and a no-fool- around guy when he has to be. It’s all a matter of picking the right issues and concluding them in a way that will reinvigorate America’s confidence in him.
Americans really, truly, want a leader they can put their trust in. We want to be led out of the wilderness of a poor economy, to put a stop to the waste of young lives in the Middle East … we want the impossible, like integrity in Washington and affordable quality medical care for our families. We are in trouble and we know it. We want to believe in our leadership because we need it more than ever. Beyond words, it’s now about deeds. Beyond intentions, it’s about fulfilling promises that were made, and those that were cleverly implied and now long overdue.
Let’s weigh some of the options that would make sense. It wouldn’t take that much to close Gitmo. I suspect a simple stroke of the pen would do the trick. Why is Obama pausing? He doesn’t need consensus. He doesn’t need anything but to make a decision as to where we dump the prisoners. I say send them into Cheney’s backyard — that is, somewhere in Wyoming. That’s the state that voted for the guy who created Gitmo, they deserve to live with the paranoia their native son created.
An additional action item is to pull out of Afghanistan. No good has ever come of a foreign power that has sent armies into that God forsaken country. Everything from head to toe in Afghanistan is duplicitous and corrupt. Leave them to their own crazy devices. Let the Taliban have it. It will never bear anything but bitter fruit. By leaving we will also send a message to every two-bit country that we are trying to prop up: Don’t count on us.
Now you may cite the fact that Afghanistan is a U.N. project. The beauty of this idea is precisely that it is. This will be a two-for-one gift of an idea! Let the U.N. carry the water and not us. It’s never been a proportional thing anyway. It’s 90% us and 10% divided between a dozen other countries. God knows what Bush traded to go in there with us. It will also pull several outspoken generals in line. You know the ones. They went to the press against the President’s orders. Afghanistan is a sham, and the President should tell the public that.
Now, if Obama wants to really upset things, he should publicly give Israel permission to take out Iran’s nuclear sites. He doesn’t have to do this himself. With a super-hawk like Netanyahu in power, that should scare the bejeezus out of Iran … maybe even shift the leadership’s relations with our country. They fear Israel more than us. We don’t have to lift a finger; just issue a statement that we can hardly blame Israel if they felt it was necessary to protect their citizens’ lives with a pre-emptive strike.
At home, Obama could influence the Democratic party by not being so hands-off about those southern blue-dog Democrats taking money from insurance companies. He can hold federal redevelopment money from the districts whose representatives don’t vote for the bill. That’s what I call “Lyndon Johnsoning” legislation. He has far more “bully pulpit” sway than he ever dreamed of. He needs to exercise it. He should also threaten to cut off Democratic Party state funding from anyone accepting money from insurance companies. This is a tough game and it’s the assholes that will win. The majority of the public wants an asshole. Let’s give them one!
How outrageous do I sound? I hope TOTALLY. The public is looking for outrageous solutions. They want a decisive leader. So what if he seems rash or commits a few transgressions? It’s a hell of a lot better then endlessly pondering over issues ad nauseum.
Right now Obama is dithering his way to nowhere. By employing my more radical ideas, he will stop dithering and start on the next phase of his administration, the one he was bound to end up doing anyway: DAMAGE CONTROL!
Most things political are a matter of perception over reality. Moreover, perception has an evil way of morphing into reality if it festers too long in the public’s mindset.
This is, I fear, what has become the Achille’s heal of the Obama administration. While the public has waited for him to take definitive positions on any number of critical situations (Afghanistan, Gitmo, medical legislation, stopping bailed out companies from awarding bonuses for their mismanagement, etc., etc.) Obama painfully dithers and ponders the options.
The public sees this as a weakness in his leadership abilities. Is he too careful for the voter’s temperament? I think so. We love decisive leadership. Americans can tolerate one or two action items in a tortuous state of indecision. But Obama seems to have too many balls in the air to please the public trust.
Americans loved his eloquence. But now want to see his actions match his words. He appears to ponder too much and let the opposition take the initiative. The American public is losing confidence … while Obama is losing control of the conversation. It’s the chatter that makes the difference between the perception of his leadership and the disappointment of a growing swath of disenchanted citizens.
Obama was swept into the White House by voters who were mad as hell with “politics as usual.” They were neither on the political left or right.
They didn’t care as long as they got “change they could believe in.” Instead many now believe they got words, but not actions to match them.
Folks, we now have that old familiar “credibility gap.” In Obama’s case, I personally believe he is a sincere guy who means well but is in way over his head. He is a latter day Woodrow Wilson … a scholar with lofty ideas but unable to convert them into political reality.
But there is a cure. It will take guts that he hasn’t shown and a rashness he dreadfully fears. Obama must take on some key issues and put the forcefulness of the presidency behind them. They must be bold and swift. And, most important, they must make him appear decisive and a no-fool- around guy when he has to be. It’s all a matter of picking the right issues and concluding them in a way that will reinvigorate America’s confidence in him.
Americans really, truly, want a leader they can put their trust in. We want to be led out of the wilderness of a poor economy, to put a stop to the waste of young lives in the Middle East … we want the impossible, like integrity in Washington and affordable quality medical care for our families. We are in trouble and we know it. We want to believe in our leadership because we need it more than ever. Beyond words, it’s now about deeds. Beyond intentions, it’s about fulfilling promises that were made, and those that were cleverly implied and now long overdue.
Let’s weigh some of the options that would make sense. It wouldn’t take that much to close Gitmo. I suspect a simple stroke of the pen would do the trick. Why is Obama pausing? He doesn’t need consensus. He doesn’t need anything but to make a decision as to where we dump the prisoners. I say send them into Cheney’s backyard — that is, somewhere in Wyoming. That’s the state that voted for the guy who created Gitmo, they deserve to live with the paranoia their native son created.
An additional action item is to pull out of Afghanistan. No good has ever come of a foreign power that has sent armies into that God forsaken country. Everything from head to toe in Afghanistan is duplicitous and corrupt. Leave them to their own crazy devices. Let the Taliban have it. It will never bear anything but bitter fruit. By leaving we will also send a message to every two-bit country that we are trying to prop up: Don’t count on us.
Now you may cite the fact that Afghanistan is a U.N. project. The beauty of this idea is precisely that it is. This will be a two-for-one gift of an idea! Let the U.N. carry the water and not us. It’s never been a proportional thing anyway. It’s 90% us and 10% divided between a dozen other countries. God knows what Bush traded to go in there with us. It will also pull several outspoken generals in line. You know the ones. They went to the press against the President’s orders. Afghanistan is a sham, and the President should tell the public that.
Now, if Obama wants to really upset things, he should publicly give Israel permission to take out Iran’s nuclear sites. He doesn’t have to do this himself. With a super-hawk like Netanyahu in power, that should scare the bejeezus out of Iran … maybe even shift the leadership’s relations with our country. They fear Israel more than us. We don’t have to lift a finger; just issue a statement that we can hardly blame Israel if they felt it was necessary to protect their citizens’ lives with a pre-emptive strike.
At home, Obama could influence the Democratic party by not being so hands-off about those southern blue-dog Democrats taking money from insurance companies. He can hold federal redevelopment money from the districts whose representatives don’t vote for the bill. That’s what I call “Lyndon Johnsoning” legislation. He has far more “bully pulpit” sway than he ever dreamed of. He needs to exercise it. He should also threaten to cut off Democratic Party state funding from anyone accepting money from insurance companies. This is a tough game and it’s the assholes that will win. The majority of the public wants an asshole. Let’s give them one!
How outrageous do I sound? I hope TOTALLY. The public is looking for outrageous solutions. They want a decisive leader. So what if he seems rash or commits a few transgressions? It’s a hell of a lot better then endlessly pondering over issues ad nauseum.
Right now Obama is dithering his way to nowhere. By employing my more radical ideas, he will stop dithering and start on the next phase of his administration, the one he was bound to end up doing anyway: DAMAGE CONTROL!
Tags: Obama painfully dithers
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Pincus–
You are starting to come around. Congratulations!
M.B. Matthews
You right he should be more like Bush, act decisively, bomb first ask questions later, like any good cowboy would.