Hey, I don't know what goes on behind closed doors at the White House. Maybe Obama sends strong signals to his advisors and all the people he sees every day. I'm still in the first part of Game Change, so, perhaps I'll find get new glimpses of his personality by the time I finish it.
But, I've run out of patience waiting for Obama to show signs that he can tell people off. That he can say "No" - and mean it - to a constituency. That he can strongly disagree with someone or some group - and stick to his guns rather than waffle or backtrack.
When does Obama mean business? When does he show he's so strong in his convictions that he will not give in on principle?
When is there a consequence to someone publicly disregarding Obama, verbally attacking Obama or acting in ways to hurt Obama's presidency? I haven't seen such consequences initiated by Obama.
I'd like to learn, just once, that Obama's response to hearing some unfair, untrue, but damaging remark by a politician is to snap back and call that person on the carpet! Obama knows how to debate. Does he think it's "undignified" for him to defend himself and hold someone else accountable? Whatever his inhibitions are, he simply doesn't do it.
What's troubling is that we saw rather glaring signs of this Obama tendency during the 2008 presidential campaign. Time after time, one of his opponents would make reckless, deceitful remarks about Obama or his record, and Obama would wait.....and wait.....and wait until either several days or a week would pass, and, much damage had been done. If Obama had responded quickly and strongly to some of these attacks - including a regular barrage of misleading content spewed by Hillary Clinton's campaign - he'd have done better, I think. In fact, I'd argue he might have finished Clinton off a bit earlier in the primaries and slowed some of the shallow, unjustified media celebration of Sarah Palin supposedly "lifting" John McCain's campaign.
Obama, instead, plodded along and won a remarkable race - in his own way. He let a lot of the most reckless attacks go. (Remember all the harping about William Ayers, for example?)
But, now, Obama is President and his campaign persona is not serving him as well over time. He seems too soft, too "agreeable," too malleable, more diplomatic than Presidential.
Obama and his team don't "get it" -- yet. Obama has to act more in charge. He has to tell people what to do and what will happen rather than acting so passive - as if he's swept up in Washington forces beyond his control. Plus, he must act like he's unafraid to alienate and anger interest groups, institutions, powerful individuals and people he knows well. He can show that to us by not only being more decisive, but, when he encounters partisan bickering, whining responses or reckless remarks, he can speak up - with force - and say, "I disagree with you and here's why: Boom, boom, boom" If you want to debate it, I challenge you......I'm confident my approach will work and I intend to convince the Congress of that.....Meanwhile, I ask you to stop making unsubstantiated, thoughtless remarks. They help no one."
OK...I'm fantasizing a bit here, but, Obama doesn't seem to realize that if he creates an appearance that other people can push him around, there are damaging ramifications to that image. People like to think their President will stand up for himself, and, refuse to take too much crap from others. Remember Ronald Reagan? Like him or not, the Gipper created an aura that he knew how to say NO and did it his way.
I ask you: During the completely out-of-control health care debate, did Obama display leadership, particularly a capacity to stand up for himself and his beliefs? He was awful in that regard! People, organizations, the right-wing attacked him relentlessly for months - especially last summer, when the Tea Party crowd got intense and ugly. Obama must have thought he'd benefit by taking the "high road" again. He said far too little -- and the health care bill essentially got taken over by others.
Even with simple things, Obama lets himself look weak. Recently, he made a big deal of anouuncing a deadline for the US Senate to take their big vote on the health care bill. Shortly afterward, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi indicated she didn't agree on the deadline and that more time may be necessary. For several days, this difference lingered publicly. Doesn't the Obama team realize that Pelosi undercuts him by doing that? Why don't they tell her to stop doing that?
I realize Obama's team cannot control everyone and everything, but this sort of disagreement on the timing of health care votes has happened before - and hurt Obama. If Obama does not know how to run a tight ship, then he should bring in some seasoned Washington veterans to help him do it. It's silly to see Pelosi or Reid, who are supposed be "allies," undercut the President's cause.
Obama's failure to assert himself has shown up in virtually every setting and context. First, Obama has not let us see him acting decisively in his own White House. Second, he has come off as a weak pushover in his relationship with the US House and Senate. Obama has allowed a perception to build - probably accurate - that he fails to lead the Congress, that Representatives and Senators often do not take him seriously. They seem to lack respect for him and their loyalty to him seems limited - even in such a short time. Members of Congress seem to feel they can do and say whatever they want - without consequences or fallout from the Obama Administration. They do not fear President Obama.
I'm not advocating government by fear. I just sense that Obama should be concerned about his authority and clout appearing this diminished this early in his first term.
Look at other examples.
- Have we heard of anecdotes about the President taking firm positions and holding people accountable with regard to his own Cabinet secretaries or members of his staff? Can somebody tell me when that has happened, in a significant way, during his first 15 months as President?
- How can so many stories appear recently that raised questions about Rahm Emanuel and his role as chief of staff without anyone from the Obama team weighing in? Some views associated with Emanuel in these articles made Obama look bad, but, again, there was silence. I think Obama would've benefited by saying something assertive.
- I'm not focusing just on his staff. In the debate on financial regulation, has Obama warned banking executives or CEOs of the consequences of they're repeating reckless, selfish activities such as giving themselves bonsues,etc? It seems all I've read about is corporate executives ignoring the Administration and Congress and doing whatever they please - even after the economy was on the verge of collapse last year. And why isn't Obama more vocal in insisting that financial regulation legislation stay strong rather than get watered down and weakened by Congressional committees? Where is Obama's backbone here?
- On Afghanistan: I liked Obama's careful deliberations before his decision to send 30,000 additional troops - which I totally opposed, but, what's striking is that Obama - again - didn't let us see how he led on this matter. What we saw was General McCrystal irresponsibly make public remarks about why the Administration had to send troops. Then we heard Obama met with McCrystal, but, Obama team chose to keep that private. Then, Obama made his decision, which pleased McCrystal. Then, within days of Obama's big speech on Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made public remarks about how - in actuality, the troops probably would not come home as soon as the President said. Obama, meanwhile, said nothing. He appeared much weaker than he realized. It seemed Gates and Clinton were speaking with more authority than Obama. How could the President and his team not "get" that?
- With Iran, Obama advocated engagement. Then, he talked tough when he learned Iran was proceeding with development of its nuclear capacity, but, in recent months, what has Obama said or done to send a clear, forceful signal of the US position on Iran? Yes, I know Clinton and others have made public remarks, but too long a period has passed, when, again, Obama has created an impression of passivity. Iran, meanwhile, has gotten itself in the news constantly in recent days. The image is that Iran is doing what it wants with no consequence whatsoever.
- Obama has allowed this massive anti-government sentiment (in the US) to mushroom partly because he and his team have spent way too little time asserting how and why much of their proposed "government intervention" was necessary and is not a "government takeover." Similarly, the Administration has not asserted or demonstrated sufficiently how it will reduce the incredible debt it is contributing to through its programs.
- Obama has been so wishy-washy on the Middle East that Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has taken advantage of him. Netanyahu has ignored US wishes by continuing to allow Israeli settlements to be established in occupied territories. When Israel announced recently that 1600 new homes were to be constructed in east Jerusalem at the same time Vice President Joe Biden arrived for a visit, it showed how unafraid Netanyahu is of Obama. Biden and Clinton have voiced appropriate criticisms of Israel's actions, but, now, with Israel whining that the response was too severe, already, there are signs of the Obama Administration capitulating. When is Obama going to put a stake in the ground and leave it there - even when it angers or disappoints someone like Netanyahu?
Sooner or later, I hope Obama realizes he must become more assertive. If not, I fear he'll lose his effectiveness and be voted out of office after only one term. I realize that Barack Obama may just not have the constitutional make-up to be more of a "street-fighter." But, I think he's trying to succeed in a way that may be impossible. He insists on putting out a publicly "harmonious" image even when there is often disharmony all around him. He keeps insisting on staying "in the middle" on issues and trying to split differences even when one side is more "right" than the other. He keeps talking about bipartisanship when the Republican Party only takes action after action to disrupt and destroy his presidency.
It's time for Obama to make large adjustments. If he doesn't have the personality to take on more of his adversaries, then he should bring in some new allies who can do if for him.
I think that's the way Obama should go -- to hire a new top advisor (or two or three) to help him manage his vast agenda so that he can address "the big picture." Obama is so multi-talented that - like Bill Clinton - he can involve himself in the micro and macro aspects of his job; however, Obama has shown his greatest talents are in handling the "big picture" aspects of leadership. When Obama gave his big speech in Cairo, for example. He is outstanding when he paints in his broadest strokes and looks at how countries and peoples and purpose are all interwoven.
Obama has said he admired how Reagan influenced public attitudes and effected change - even though he differed with him politically. Well, Reagan had some top staff around him that knew how to manage the White House.
I think Obama needs new help in his inner circle. Hell, he needs help in simply learning how to assert himself.
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