O No
Perhaps the White House miscalculated the oil spill, figuring they could sit back and blame BP and that would be enough. Nevertheless, beyond the fingerpointing, what is the next move?
Oddly, some critics (and erstwhile fans) feel more talk is needed. Certain people apparently want Obama to inspire the nation with loud, perhaps angry words.
As historian Douglas Brinkley puts it:
There was a feeling he was going to be one of these presidents that moved us with words the way John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan did in recent decades. Instead, Obama has presented himself as the unflappable president, with the engineer-like approach of Jimmy Carter and the legislative astuteness of Lyndon Johnson. But in a time of great crisis, people aren't looking for Johnson or Carter. They are looking for powerful rhetorical leadership -- words that move the country in a positive direction.
That's a pretty strange statement, since it's my experience that oil spills respond better to engineer-like approaches than powerful rhetoric.
Maybe the President knows what he's doing, maybe he doesn't. But I've always preferred leaders to be quietly competent rather than whip us into a frenzy.
Oddly, some critics (and erstwhile fans) feel more talk is needed. Certain people apparently want Obama to inspire the nation with loud, perhaps angry words.
As historian Douglas Brinkley puts it:
There was a feeling he was going to be one of these presidents that moved us with words the way John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan did in recent decades. Instead, Obama has presented himself as the unflappable president, with the engineer-like approach of Jimmy Carter and the legislative astuteness of Lyndon Johnson. But in a time of great crisis, people aren't looking for Johnson or Carter. They are looking for powerful rhetorical leadership -- words that move the country in a positive direction.
That's a pretty strange statement, since it's my experience that oil spills respond better to engineer-like approaches than powerful rhetoric.
Maybe the President knows what he's doing, maybe he doesn't. But I've always preferred leaders to be quietly competent rather than whip us into a frenzy.
posted by LAGuy @ 12:02 AM
2 Comments:
How often has your preference been satisfied?
Almost never. I look at politicians as hired hands who should do their job (such as it is) as quietly and efficiently as possible, with no grandstanding. But it seems most voters, especially for big offices, would rather be excited by rhetoric. I'm just surprised when people so openly ask be inspired by public servants, rather than finding meaning on their own.
Post a Comment
<< Home