Obama fatigue
President Obama is once again going out on a U.S. tour to promote his programs and approach to the economy, as well as to alert everyone about the truly grave danger to the economy of not raising the debt ceiling. As always the speeches will no doubt have him surrounded by a group of ardent looking supportive gender and ethnically diverse citizens. As almost always the teleprompter will insure a well orchestrated message. The question is, "What is he accomplishing by going out into these carefully choreographed settings and speaking to folks who already support him?"
The President's image has been tarnished recently. His perhaps or hopefully off the cuff "red line" statement about Syria and chemical weapons was not seriously thought through, and now one wonders whether Iran, North Korea, Egypt, or any other troubled country will really take him seriously when he tries to make some bold statement. On the domestic front, he spent his first term delegating almost all domestic issues to Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, and kept his hands clean and his rhetoric perfect. While well meaning and wanting to be decisive, in some ways he is seen by some now as just as divisive, rigid, and insulated as the Republicans have been from the beginning of his Presidency. His inner circle of Chicago advisers could remind one of Jimmy Carter's almost exclusive group of Georgia insiders.
To take a phrase out of context from the song made famous by "The Animals" years ago, Obama must be thinking "I'm just a man whose intentions are good, Oh Lord please don't let me be misunderstood."
The real question is whether he and his influential wife Michelle any longer have any true perception of what they are projecting, or whether they are just winging it. Where is the passion in his speeches and why so much self regard. He is President, not a professor.
This comment comes from someone who seriously wants Obama to be successful. It's sad to say but it is clear that, if there were the unlikely possibility, the new extremely outspoken unattractive tea party Senator from Texas Ted Cruz would crush Obama in any debate at the moment, not based on his flawed and dangerous content but based on energy, agility, and intensity. The President needs to sharpen up his thinking, step up his intensity, and be less mindful of his upbeat image and athletic run up and down Air Force One's steps(his agility and fitness is enviable but has nothing to do with being a capable President---Franklin Roosevelt could not walk), and more mindful of toning down his pretense of privilege. No more eight days of golf with Jerry Seinfeld and others just a week before a major budget vote.
The President's image has been tarnished recently. His perhaps or hopefully off the cuff "red line" statement about Syria and chemical weapons was not seriously thought through, and now one wonders whether Iran, North Korea, Egypt, or any other troubled country will really take him seriously when he tries to make some bold statement. On the domestic front, he spent his first term delegating almost all domestic issues to Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, and kept his hands clean and his rhetoric perfect. While well meaning and wanting to be decisive, in some ways he is seen by some now as just as divisive, rigid, and insulated as the Republicans have been from the beginning of his Presidency. His inner circle of Chicago advisers could remind one of Jimmy Carter's almost exclusive group of Georgia insiders.
To take a phrase out of context from the song made famous by "The Animals" years ago, Obama must be thinking "I'm just a man whose intentions are good, Oh Lord please don't let me be misunderstood."
The real question is whether he and his influential wife Michelle any longer have any true perception of what they are projecting, or whether they are just winging it. Where is the passion in his speeches and why so much self regard. He is President, not a professor.
This comment comes from someone who seriously wants Obama to be successful. It's sad to say but it is clear that, if there were the unlikely possibility, the new extremely outspoken unattractive tea party Senator from Texas Ted Cruz would crush Obama in any debate at the moment, not based on his flawed and dangerous content but based on energy, agility, and intensity. The President needs to sharpen up his thinking, step up his intensity, and be less mindful of his upbeat image and athletic run up and down Air Force One's steps(his agility and fitness is enviable but has nothing to do with being a capable President---Franklin Roosevelt could not walk), and more mindful of toning down his pretense of privilege. No more eight days of golf with Jerry Seinfeld and others just a week before a major budget vote.
posted by John Borden at 4:31 PM
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