President Obama Gets Ripped For Oval Office Speech

[Gaspar]

From US News & World Report today

Titled: World Sees Obama as Incompetent and Amateur

The reviews of Obama's performance have been disappointing. He has seemed uncomfortable in the role of leading other nations, and often seems to suggest there is nothing special about America's role in the world. The global community was puzzled over the pictures of Obama bowing to some of the world's leaders and surprised by his gratuitous criticisms of and apologies for America's foreign policy under the previous administration of George W. Bush. One Middle East authority, Fouad Ajami, pointed out that Obama seems unaware that it is bad form and even a great moral lapse to speak ill of one's own tribe while in the lands of others.

Even in Britain, for decades our closest ally, the talk in the press—supported by polls—is about the end of the "special relationship" with America. French President Nicolas Sarkozy openly criticized Obama for months, including a direct attack on his policies at the United Nations. Sarkozy cited the need to recognize the real world, not the virtual world, a clear reference to Obama's speech on nuclear weapons. When the French president is seen as tougher than the American president, you have to know that something is awry. Vladimir Putin of Russia has publicly scorned a number of Obama's visions. Relations with the Chinese leadership got off to a bad start with the president's poorly-organized visit to China, where his hosts treated him disdainfully and prevented him from speaking to a national television audience of the Chinese people. The Chinese behavior was unprecedented when compared to visits by other U.S. presidents.

Obama's policy on Afghanistan—supporting a surge in troops, but setting a date next year when they will begin to withdraw—not only gave a mixed signal, but provided an incentive for the Taliban just to wait us out. The withdrawal part of the policy was meant to satisfy a domestic constituency, but succeeded in upsetting all of our allies in the region. Further anxiety was provoked by Obama's severe public criticism of Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his coterie of family and friends for their lackluster leadership, followed by a reversal of sorts regarding the same leaders.

Obama clearly wishes to do good and means well. But he is one of those people who believe that the world was born with the word and exists by means of persuasion, such that there is no person or country that you cannot, by means of logical and moral argument, bring around to your side. He speaks as a teacher, as someone imparting values and generalities appropriate for a Sunday morning sermon, not as a tough-minded leader. He urges that things "must be done" and "should be done" and that "it is time" to do them. As the former president of the Council on Foreign Relations, Les Gelb, put it, there is "the impression that Obama might confuse speeches with policy." Another journalist put it differently when he described Obama as an "NPR [National Public Radio] president who gives wonderful speeches." In other words, he talks the talk but doesn't know how to walk the walk. The Obama presidency has so far been characterized by a well-intentioned but excessive belief in the power of rhetoric with too little appreciation of reality and loyalty.

Kinda makes you a little sick.

[Conan71]

The Obama presidency has so far been characterized by a well-intentioned but excessive belief in the power of rhetoric with too little appreciation of reality and loyalty.

But he IS well-intentioned, mind you.

What is starting to amuse me is all these people saying they didn't see this coming during the campaign.  How could you not?  He had not one bit of leadership experience demonstrated in any previous endeavor.  He's been an "advocate" as a community organizer and state and Federal level legislator, not a leader.  Honestly other than the tone of his voice, he's not even really that great of an orator.

[Gaspar]

But he IS well-intentioned, mind you.

He's been an "advocate" as a community organizer and state and Federal level legislator, not a leader. 

Actually he's been on the legal size of the community organizer gig (not a foot-soldier), and spent most of his time as a state and federal legislator campaigning for higher office. 

Basically he's been a lawyer who's good at campaigning.  That's about it.

I'm starting to feel sorry for him.  He's completely out of his element.  Can you imagine how overwhelmed he must feel?

[Conan71]

Actually he's been on the legal size of the community organizer gig (not a foot-soldier), and spent most of his time as a state and federal legislator campaigning for higher office. 

Basically he's been a lawyer who's good at campaigning.  That's about it.

I'm starting to feel sorry for him.  He's completely out of his element.  Can you imagine how overwhelmed he must feel?

He really showed it the other night, I thought he looks very stressed.  I honestly would not want the job and I'm sure there's been many thoughts of: "Be careful what you wish for..."  He came in at a very difficult time in U.S. history, you've got a very sharp partisan divide, a growing recession, two wars going on, and he brought in a very idealistic utopian domestic agenda to build a huge legacy.  Unfortunately, I think the priorities have been way out of whack, the admin has focused on legacy-builders which are encumbering or will encumber much more debt before we've really solved the existing issues.

[nathanm]

You would think that someone of Zuckerman's obvious intelligence would grasp that the ship doesn't turn on a dime.

[Gaspar]

You would think that someone of Zuckerman's obvious intelligence would grasp that the ship doesn't turn on a dime.

Almost two years. 

[nathanm]

Almost two years. 

Even the corporate world doesn't expect miracles from new CEOs in that short a time frame.

LBJ didn't get his entire agenda through Congress in his first two years either. Neither did Reagan or any other President. For some reason that seems to be what is expected of Obama.

[Red Arrow]

Even the corporate world doesn't expect miracles from new CEOs in that short a time frame.

LBJ didn't get his entire agenda through Congress in his first two years either. Neither did Reagan or any other President. For some reason that seems to be what is expected of Obama.

Obama was/is a good campaigner,  Hope & Change.  It's been somewhat self inflicted. Goes with the territory.

[Breadburner]

You can hope in one hand and change in the other and see which fills up first.....

[Red Arrow]

Hope is not a strategy.

[guido911]

But in fairness, Obama is not going to rest until the leak is stopped:

[azbadpuppy]

Campaign promises aren't real.

On either side....sad but true.

I just found it ironic that he used the exact same wording to describe himself- "fierce advocate"- again! Geez, if what he's displayed so far is fierce advocacy for the GLBT community I am scared to see what this administration's idea of complacency is....

[azbadpuppy]

Almost two years. 

Oh come on, it's been a year and a half- hardly enough time to make any major changes, especially considering the mess he was handed.

I will admit that at some point however, this administration has to start owning up and taking charge. It would be interesting to see what could happen with another term. It is looking less and less likely that he will have that opportunity.

[nathanm]

Oh come on, it's been a year and a half- hardly enough time to make any major changes, especially considering the mess he was handed.

This is the downside to the civil service system. It is also the upside.

[guido911]

The Obama hypocrisy is unfreakin believable:

http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE65H45T20100619