Take your clue from Chris Matthews, who sometimes presents wisdom without even knowing that he’s doing so. On Hardball yesterday, he kept repeating the significance of the latest poll which shows that only 8% of voters “blame Obama” for current economic conditions, and saying that it is that statistic which enabled Obama to go "on the attack" yesterday.
You’re damn right, and that is why I am so annoyed with Obama.
He waits to attack until it is safe for him to do so. He waits until 92% of voters are blaming the other guy before he attacks the other guy. Bush never did that. He knew what he believed was needed and he went after it. Sure, he lost a few. He lost on Social Security privatization, and then he came right back and went after immunization for the telecoms and got it from a hostile, Democratic Congress.
Yes, I hate that he was able to do that, but I wish to God we had that kind of leadership today instead of what we have.
Attacking only from a position of overwhelming strength is a fine policy for fighting wars, but political leadership requires the willingness to change minds and the courage to attempt to do so even when you know that you might lose. Obama folds with anything less than a straight flush in his hand.
A determined leader cares not which way the wind is blowing. If it is blowing against him he furls his sail and rows the boat against the wind. Obama, if the wind is in his face, either sails downwind or drops anchor and waits for the wind to change. As a result this nation is drifting leaderless from one crisis to the next, reacting foolishly and aimlessly and heading for the rocks, while Obama plays futile tug-of-war with Republicans for the helm.
Update: And it seems that waiting until today was ineffective as to my objective of avoiding intemperance. Oh well, fuck it.
No comments:
Post a Comment