August 9, 2011
America Learns that Rhetoric Isn't Leadership
Barack Obama's weakness is thinking he can talk his way in or out of virtually any opportunity or difficulty.Dana MilbankBeing a Real Good Talker helped him get the job heading the law review. And entering politics. And succeeding early there, albeit within Chicago's rigged system. And being an RGT thrust him onto the national stage at the Democratic National Convention in 2004 when delegates had the foolish notion that John Kerry and John Edwards could win.
Obama is very proud of his talking....Trouble is, real leadership is more than talking and calling for things. It takes a while, but over time listeners begin to notice rote rhetoric, predictable patterns, empty words.
The economy crawls, the credit rating falls, the markets plunge, and a helicopter packed with U.S. special forces goes down in Afghanistan. Two thirds of Americans say the country is on the wrong track (and that was before the market swooned), Obama’s approval rating is 43 percent, and activists on his own side are calling him weak.To the above, Glenn Reynolds adds:Yet Obama plods along, raising gobs of cash for his reelection bid — he was scheduled to speak at two DNC fundraisers Monday night — and varying little the words he reads from the teleprompter.
It’s as if, in some sort of national spasm of carelessness and self-deceit, we elected a guy entirely unqualified by experience or personal characteristics to the single most important office in the land, to serve during a period of unusual troubles that he was not equipped to address.Tough way to learn a lesson, America.
"The economy crawls, the credit rating falls, the markets plunge, and a helicopter packed with U.S. special forces goes down in Afghanistan. Two thirds of Americans say the country is on the wrong track (and that was before the market swooned), Obama’s approval rating is 43 percent, and activists on his own side are calling him weak."
And may I add: While American's are on the edge of their seats (or window ledges), President Obama proudly and forcefully walks to the podium and says, "Nothing to see here folks. There is no problem but we need to raise taxes on the rich. Stop that damn bickering. Have I nice day America."
The telling sign was the market dropping another 200 points after his speech. Great job.
Posted by: Max Diesel at August 9, 2011 10:18 AM"The telling sign was the market dropping another 200 points after his speech. Great job."
Yes, tack some time on to my sentence in Hades for schadenfreude at that little turn of events.
A buck says that, from now on, the Obama team schedules his public speeches for 4:01 pm or later, when the stock market cannot immediately react to his words.