Now that Leon Panetta’s book has revealed the inner workings of White House policymaking the demonization has begun but, more importantly, the crack in the dike is widening. Jonathan Alter remarks:
Panetta confirms what has been whispered about for years—that Obama shows “a frustrating reticence to engage his opponents and rally support for his cause.†The president often “relies on the logic of a law professor rather than the passion of a leader,†Panetta writes. In reflecting on the president’s habit of bitching privately about obstructionist Republicans without cleverly confronting them, he notes that Obama “avoids the battle, complains, and misses opportunities.â€
Panetta is particularly concerned that Obama didn’t fight harder on the sequestration cuts that Panetta believes were harmful to national defense. But the criticism, now hardening into the conventional wisdom among Democrats, also applies to a variety of other issues, where the president had a habit of leading the Democratic troops into battle with a few speeches but not adopting the single piece of advice Oliver Wendell Holmes gave Franklin D. Roosevelt during his first week in office: “Form your battalion and fight.â€
The arsenal of tools available to politicians is large. There’s dealmaking, logrolling, compromise, enlisting allies, cultivating friendships, threatening, shaming, cajoling, and persuasion. Sadly, the only device this president seems to be comfortable in employing is the blunt instrument of politics, power politics. It’s understandable for a politician who honed his craft in Chicago but it’s too limited a repertoire for the national scene, especially when you don’t have the votes for it.
“The president often “relies on the logic of a law professor rather than the passion of a leader,†Panetta writes.”
It’s more than just passion, and voting present is satisfactory for state senators but not heads of state. It will, however, along with a silver but empty tongue, get you the adoration in OTBs comments section, so he’s got that going for him. I believe a certain commenter here put himself out there and advised that he had seen this faux leader/executive type before, and Obama fit it to a tee. Needless time lost.
“In reflecting on the president’s habit of bitching privately about obstructionist Republicans without cleverly confronting them, he notes that Obama “avoids the battle, complains, and misses opportunities.â€
You still don’t get it, Leon. He doesn’t have the capacity, even if he had the will. Why should he? Look at his career, such as it is. Before he caught the mother of all cult waves there was no there, there.
I will say this. Expect an all out politically based counter-assault. It’s all they know, all they’ve got. And they are good at it. But Even if modestly successful it’s probably going to be very transitory. The clock has almost run out.
BTW
I made that call during the first campaign. I wish I could say it was some incredible insight. But it actually was pretty easily evident.
As for the ticking clock…………..t he Clinton’s await, and they don’t play with rubber knives.
@Drew
… get you the adoration in OTBs comments section …
With a few exceptions, they are mostly kids. They are either college students, or they are still spouting the crap they were taught in college.
If the person who claims to be a 45 year old software programmer writes like somebody living in their parents basement, eating Cheetos, and playing World of Warcraft, start ridiculing them. Like him or not, you can tell our writer friend has been around the bleck a few times.
I do not follow too many of the comments over there. Have you been taking them apart? If so, which type of posts?
Drew, Obama fucked the Clintons up in 2008. That’s why Barry O is President, and not Hillary Exclamation Point.
Tasty
I have no clue the real composition over there. Avatars and some references would indicate an older median age but who knows? I basically just skim and poke in the ribs to see what I can turf up. Avatars that crop up out of nowhere seem to be the best comments, not The usual suspects. Of course, needling MR is always good sport, except his penchant for simply declaring victory and calling anyone who disagrees with him a racist homophobe has gone off the charts. Perhaps he really believes in those thumbs up. He once declared he did.
On the essay side, I read James, Doug and dr Taylor. My primary interest and first hand experience is of course business economics /management and finance/investment. Doug is usually the lone essayist on those.
Ice
Bill and Hillary aren’t even in the same league. Bill would have mopped the floor with Obama, in campaigning and on substance. Hillary, on the other hand – NEWS FLASH !!! – is NOT the smartest women in the world and has tremendous dislikeability. It will be interesting to see if a similarly thin on experience and substance candidate can once again parlay novelty and media support into the White House. What a country, eh?
@Drew
I pay more attention to what is missing, or I look for hidden clues. I do not get all of your golf references, but I do notice what you throw out as bait. It lets me know what you know, and I that gives me a clue to judge you.
Whatever my personal opinion of you may be, I know that your assessment of President Obama’s leadership ability should be respected. I have no doubt that it is an objective opinion based upon years of experience. Furthermore, I suspect that you do not play politics when you assess leadership ability.
You must do this in your business life, but with the OTB crowd, you need to be up on liberal theology. If you have not kept up on it since college, they probably all sound the same.