There is no doubt that Obama has bitten off far more than he can chew, and has doubled down by personalizing so many initiatives. The Cairo speech was noteworthy not only because Obama appeared in it 68 times, but also because at 30 points in the speech, he told other people and nations what they “must” do.
Obama’s line in the Cairo speech that no single nation should decide who should have nuclear weapons was widely taken as a rebuke to American power. However, there is another reading of this which is consistent with Obama’s constant first-person references and his personal ability to tell his listeners what they “must” and must not do. America shouldn’t tell other nations what they must do, but Mr. Obama thinks it is just fine for him to personally do so. Newsweek may have gotten it about right.
You will recall President Obama’s speech as ASU, where he derided traditional American aspirations of getting ahead in life, even as he ticked off, one by one, his own achievement of each of those goals. Hmmm. Let’s see. Aloof, charismatic, obsessed with power, “absolutely certain” that he has a special personal destiny. This can’t end well. No, this can’t end well at all.
I'm amazed more people haven't clued into this yet. But then, I'm amazed more people didn't clue into this during the campaign. The signs were all there. But people fooled themselves into thinking Obama was much too bright to fall for the stupid stuff he was saying to win the affection of the masses. Talk about outsmarting yourself.
Here's a simple thought exercise: Forget about Barack Obama for a minute. Just try to imagine a generic liberal President, very ambitious but not very experienced, presiding over a new administration and majorities in Congress. A President Bartlett type but not as savvy. Okay, ask yourself: what mistakes would he make?
I'm ticking off my list:
1. Thinks he can just propose self-evidently good ideas (to liberals) and have them become bills and sail through Congress, so he has waaaay too many irons in the fire.
2. Hasn't got enough experienced hands to establish order in the administration, so the chain of command is a zoo.
3. Thinks that people will do what he tells them to, because he's President and he says so.
4. Thinks the tools of campaign - a charm offensive and exaggerated rhetoric - will work for governing, without any behind-the-scenes heavy lifting. Besides, he has too many balls in the air to spare the time for any heavy lifting.
5. Thinks the tools of campaign work for foreign policy too. After all, everybody just wants to find a just compromise, right?
6. Thinks the limits imposed by the markets and American legal tradition are observed only by the timid. The bold leader makes his own rules. That's what FDR did, didn't he?
7. Due to steps 1 thru 6, he winds up saying things he didn't really mean to say, or which have unfortunate implications, which then have to be ignored or clarified or walked back, leading to unnecessary confusion.
and so on. I'm sure you can add your own examples. I see Obama running down the list. This really cannot end well. I swear, lots of people who never even supported Obama must still be mezmerized by his supposed greatness, for this not to be obvious yet. Or maybe they are just mezmerized by all those balls in the air. |
