President Empty Podium
Mort Zuckerman, not exactly a Buckleyan Republican, lays it all out in the WSJ about President Obama:
The rising impatience with the leadership of President Obama was epitomized on Aug. 8 in the middle of one of the now-habitual Wall Street roller coasters. His speech on the economy was 53 minutes late. What showed on TV screens was an empty White House podium, an image suggestive of the absence of leadership. When the president did speak, the best he could come up with was "We've always been and always will be a triple-A country." The market's response was a Bronx cheer, a drop of another 300 points.Mr. Obama seems unable to get a firm grip on the toughest issue facing his presidency and the country--the economy. He now asserts he is going to "pivot" to jobs. Now we pivot to jobs? When there are already 25 million Americans who are either unemployed or cannot find full-time work? Does this president not appreciate what is going on?
Fewer Americans are working full-time today than when Mr. Obama took office. We have lost over 900,000 full-time jobs in the last four months alone, and long-term unemployment is at a post-World War II high. The public's faith in his ability to deal with the economy has plunged.
...It is no surprise that many have begun to doubt the president's leadership qualities. J.P. Morgan calls it the "competency crisis."
...Many voters who supported him are no longer elated by the historic novelty of his candidacy and presidency. They hoped for a president who would be effective. Remember "Yes We Can"? Now many of his sharpest critics are his former supporters. Witness Bill Broyles, a one-time admirer who recently wrote in Newsweek that "Americans aren't inspired by well-meaning weakness." The president who first inspired with great speeches on red and blue America now seems to lack the ability to communicate any sense of resolve for a program, or any realization of the urgency of what might befall us.
He's the same guy he ever was...the guy who kept voting "present" in the Senate. Unfortunately, you don't get that option in The White House -- determined as the President seems to be to try to take it.
Amy, HOPE.
Crid [CridComment at gmail] at August 25, 2011 12:08 AM
Ohh... Hadn't seen the next blog item yet...
So anyway... I think there are a lot of Obama voters who supported him as they would select all their consumer purchases, as an expression of their own inner virtue. For about twenty years or so, politics didn't mean that much.
The Berlin Wall fell — everybody made a bunch of money in internet stocks – some of that money went away — but who cares, real estate is the way to go —even Republicans were growing government — etc etc — but now all that's over. And it would be great to have some truly adult voters.
But we don't have any! They've never had to make a persuasive point in their whole lives! And it's really unpleasant to argue about politics, especially if you're going to lose. So instead of articulating a carefully considered opinion, it's easier just to accuse the people who disagree with you of being racist... Whether or not they have good arguments.
And the people who are doing this, who are sullying the reputation of righteous liberalism, ARE NOT CHILDREN. They just act that way.
Crid [CridComment at gmail] at August 25, 2011 12:16 AM
Barack Obama is Awesome! Anyone who doesn't agree is a Racist!
dee nile at August 25, 2011 4:32 AM
Us yokels in flyover country knew this three years ago. Yet, the smart, sophisticated people all bought into the hopey-changey baloney.
DrMaturin at August 25, 2011 5:23 AM
It is no surprise that many have begun to doubt the president's leadership qualities.
Heh. I doubted his "leadership qualities" before the election. Which is why I didn't vote for him.
Flynne at August 25, 2011 5:24 AM
When I voted for president, I felt I had two choices - Obama or Palin. My Obama vote was actually a "not Sarah Palin" vote. I don't regret voting "not Sarah Palin." McCain should have known better.
Angel at August 25, 2011 5:44 AM
@Angel -
Palin was more qualified to be president than Obama, as a cursory review of both of their careers would have shown.
Of course, you are probably among the majority of Americans that still believe she said she could see Russia from her porch.
The Republican party have allowed the media to define their candidates for too long. This is simply unacceptable in the Internet age. Rick Perry is actually going after the media when they lie about him, and it's refreshing.
brian at August 25, 2011 6:08 AM
Angel is brilliant. I mean, really-imagine how much worse we'd be off with McCain (who, yeah, is still alive and kickin'). I mean, we'd definately be worse, right? Right? Angel wasn't an idiot placing a vote she had no business or intelligence TO place, was she? That couldn't be!
Angel is getting the government, debt, and incompetence she deserves. Unfortunately, a large chunk of the rest of us are having to go along for the ride.
I didn't vote Bush, either. Just to forestall the" Bush spent (less) and started wars too" argument.
momof4 at August 25, 2011 6:37 AM
McCain would have been as bad, if not worse, than The SCoaMF Won we got.
It just would have been different, is all. Amnesty, any one? and instead of Obamacare, we could have had McCainCare. He'd have signed it just to show he could reach across the aisle and work with his opponents. And get nice words printed about him in the NYTimes and the WaPo.
He wouldn't have thrown Israel under the bus, nor Mubarak in Egypt.
I R A Darth Aggie at August 25, 2011 8:08 AM
I am not smart enough to know what would have happened with a McCain Administration.
I had a belief of what would happen with an Obama Administration - and it turned out to be correct.
I voted for Sarah Palin, not John McCain, and I will do so again if given the chance. I like strong women.
Dave B at August 25, 2011 8:27 AM
An acquaintance of mine commented on this same article. I thought his comment was quite brilliant:
US Congress approved the construction of the ALCAN Highway in Feb. 1943.
Fourteen months later the first truck convoy completed the 1390-mile trip on the new road.
Nowadays it would take longer than that to get approval to build 100 yards of new sidewalk.
Robert W. (Vancouver) at August 25, 2011 8:59 AM
for those of you keeping score, Palin was NOT going to be president... Voting for or against a vice-president is really stupid, since it is not them that makes decisions or leads UNLESS and UNTIL something happens to the prez.
Pay attention to the larger gorilla in the room, the person who will RUN and by tradition attempt to lead the country.
In this case, off a cliff. Dunno how McCain would've done, and it's immaterial now, because we didn't take that road.
Instead we showed what happens when you elect a historical precedent instead of someone competant...
SwissArmyD at August 25, 2011 9:06 AM
Thanks Swiss. I did not know Sarah Palin was not going to be president if I voted for her. I've been voting Libertarian since the 70's. They weren't going to be president either.
Dave B at August 25, 2011 9:17 AM
Really?
You voted for a presidential candidate who had never run anything in his life, who had avoided controversy by voting "present" a record number of times, who never deviated even a little from his party's voting line, and who had not created one dollar of wealth ever - all because you didn't like the vice presidential candidate of the other party.
This was a vice presidential candidate who was the only one of the four main candidates who ever had run anything (a fishing business, a city, and a state), who stood up and defended her controversial positions (sometimes even articulately), who took on the power brokers of her own party, and who had actually created wealth.
Good job, Angel.
Conan the Grammarian at August 25, 2011 9:34 AM
The only reason that I can think of to be glad that McCain lost is that he would have been a go along to get along, Democrat-lite, who would have wrecked the credibility of the GOP for good. A one-termer whose policies would have led to that 40 year Democratic majority that so many pundits were predicting after 2008. Obama has resuscitated the Republican party, helping to return it to it's small government roots. He has also brought millions of previously apathetic Americans into the political system.
Let's just hope the damage he's done in the process isn't irreversible.
DrMaturin at August 25, 2011 9:44 AM
Well, don't go kicking Angel for a vote 3 years ago, when there's work to be done now. Yes, we're all living with the consequences, but that was then.
Angel, we'd love to have you with us next time around. "No one respects the flame quite like the fool who's badly burned."
Haakon Dahl at August 25, 2011 11:41 AM
@ Haakon - agreed, and my compliments on the excellent use of that Pete Townshend quote!
MikeInRealLife at August 25, 2011 2:41 PM
Obama...really, we're a triple A country because you say so?
Dumbass. We're a triple A nation when we govern like one.
You can't govern on debt forever, and when that comes to an end and your only solution is to increase the debt to the point that you're equaling the grand total of our income...wtf did he THINK was going to happen?!
We'll rediscover limited government if we're dragged into it kicking and screaming.
Robert at August 25, 2011 3:36 PM
> we're a triple A country because you say so?
Are we obsessed with "approval" because "Robert W. (Vancouver)" says so?
Crid [CridComment at gmail] at August 25, 2011 4:50 PM
I love how a ratings agency which destroyed its own credibility as it sold its soul to the highest bidder is suddenly taken seriously by anyone.
Joe at August 25, 2011 10:10 PM
Per Wiki: The Big Three credit rating agencies are Standard & Poor's (S&P), Moody's, and Fitch Group.
Moody's and Fitch were doing the same thing. Take a guess what -- everyone else believed them too. What has changed?
S&P stood up and said the Emperor has no clothes. Who do you believe more? I'm going with S&P.
Jim P. at August 26, 2011 7:53 PM
"I love how a ratings agency which destroyed its own credibility as it sold its soul to the highest bidder..."
The "highest bidder" in this case was a government-owned, regulation-exempt company with extremely good political connections. The AAA ratings that S&P handed out for mortgage-backed securities were, in effect, protection money.
Cousin Dave at August 27, 2011 8:10 AM
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