There is one piece of the anatomy that is necessary for a person to have in order to succeed in the position of Commander-in-Chief, and that is a body part that President Obama is severely lacking. That piece of anatomy is a backbone, and everything that Obama has done and said up to this point shows that he doesn't have the spine to be President of the United States.
Am I being too harsh with my words? Maybe. But I am not trying to be malicious here. Although I oppose most of his policies because of a difference in ideologies, I'm also not comfortable with the highest position in this country being subverted by the human-equivalent of a jellyfish. There I go again. It's not my goal to be mean. I'm just trying to shine some light on one of the President's chief failures. But it's not mean if it's the truth, right?
Let's tackle this from another direction. If I was one of President Obama's advisers I would sit him down for a pep talk, and I would outline how he acted and reacted to certain key events that occurred during these past few months that would have a serious impact on how he guides policy in the future. The decisions that he has made so far will only weaken a weak leader even further.
1) Health care reform.
Mr. Obama, you are a wonderful speaker, and when you talk about the deficiencies of the health insurers and how a government option is going to help uninsured Americans and lower the price for health care, you make me believe it. Your words can seduce and inspire, but only for the few minutes it takes for rationality and the facts to come flying back into my head. And that's the problem with your words, Mr. Obama. They are short on facts. It's not that I believe that you are lying to me and the rest of the American people. It's just that you speak in romantic generalities and that goes to soothe the fears of Americans for a only a short period of time. Since this debate has raged, you have refused to DEFINE your agenda, allowing critics to make both just and unjust claims against your very own ideas. And it's easy to do when you don't have concrete ideas to unveil to the public. The public becomes scared that things can change for the worse and when you go to reassure them, you speak in those romantic generalities again. It's not enough. What's worse, you backtracked on the very heart of your reform, putting the public option on the chopping block when criticism got too tough on you. And then you put it back on the table when you found that little bone in your back that wants to be a spine one day. Or was that just Pelosi's spine borrowed for the occasion as you came under fire from your own party. It seems to me and the rest of the people that not even YOU have a clear idea how you want health care reform to unfold, and that is what is scaring people the most. Stop being a jellyfish and outline in a clear method that everyone can read what you expect from Congress. Then there can't be any UNJUST criticism of your plan if it is all laid out. There can only be JUST criticism and items that you can refute and debate about.
2) Van Jones.
Mr. Obama, your opponents on the other side of the aisle are going to look into every person's record that you have in your employ, and when they find a crack that they can exploit, they are going to try to widen it into a chasm. Take a lesson from our last president. Bush was dumb as a doorknob, but at least he had a spine in the crooked form of Dick Cheney. No one was booted from that administration without a great fight. Huge injustices were routinely ignored in the face of great outrage and media coverage, and still Bush would not bend on many issues. The man sucked as a president but at least he had goals that were never marginalized by Democratic attacks or public outcries. Mr. Obama, you let one minor functionary go in the form of Van Jones, and it's not going to stop there. He was a kook, sure. But now you've given your opponents a victory and they are going to keep the ball rolling when it comes to scrutinizing those who work for you. Bush would have barely commented, and definitely would not have relented so easy. Get ready for the next round of attacks. If you don't, you are going to watch your administration fall apart one by one.
3) Speech to Students.
This was by far the stupidest issue for both Republicans and Democrats. Mr. Obama, you were set to tell students to work hard and do well for themselves, that by excelling they would be doing their country good. But you let attacks by the opposition get to you again. You let Republicans guide your actions, and maneuvered you into changing your speech and releasing it early to stop any criticism. Such a tiny issue in the whole scheme of things, and you let the Republicans tell you what to do. If you can't even exercise control over what you are going to tell school children, then how are you going to solve such problems as health care, the economy, and foreign policy. If you let yourself be browbeat over such trivialities, then there is no way in hell that you are going to control the conversation on much larger and broader issues that will confront the people of this nation.
Mr. President, please stick up for yourself. It has gotten very embarrassing to see. Nine months and you are caving in left and right. You have no clear cut agenda of your own, no original thinking and no hard-set ideas. All you have are those flowery words that make us swoon, but will not serve to make life for American's any easier in the end. If events keep up this way, you will definitely be a one-term president because you will have let the opposition guide your policy into a ditch. When I criticize your actions, I don't want to feel guilty in the end because I didn't pick on someone my own size. I mean, I am just a tiny blogger after all. I shouldn't feel that way when I talk harshly about the most powerful person in the world.
Now stand straight and tall, puff that chest out and stop bending in the wind. I mean, what are you afraid of? It's just Congress, after all.
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