The Obsolescence of Barack Obama

[The Rabbi]

From Fuad Ajami. One of the best-written pieces I have seen for a while. He is spot on. Nothing creates dislike for Obama and his policies like seeing him and them. When he was unknown everyone loved him. Now?
Fouad Ajami: The Obsolescence of Barack Obama - WSJ.com

Not long ago Barack Obama, for those who were spellbound by him, had the stylishness of JFK and the historic mission of FDR riding to the nation's rescue. Now it is to Lyndon B. Johnson's unhappy presidency that Democratic strategist Robert Shrum compares the stewardship of Mr. Obama. Johnson, wrote Mr. Shrum in the Week magazine last month, never "sustained an emotional link with the American people" and chose to escalate a war that "forced his abdication as president."

A broken link with the public, and a war in Afghanistan he neither embraces and sells to his party nor abandons—this is a time of puzzlement for President Obama. His fall from political grace has been as swift as his rise a handful of years ago. He had been hot political property in 2006 and, of course, in 2008. But now he will campaign for his party's 2010 candidates from afar, holding fund raisers but not hitting the campaign trail in most of the contested races. Those mass rallies of Obama frenzy are surely of the past.

More at the source.

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

Read this in the am.... OUCH!

Very biting indictment.. and spot on.

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

A great piece on what happens when we elevate style over substance.

 

[Ragnar]

The Reagan and Bill Clinton stuff gave it a nice perspective.

Perspective, fwiw, having been something so sorely lacking in all things Obama.

 

[B. Kidd]

Ajami is an excellent analyst. Hussein's biggest failure was not surrounding himself with smart, pragmatic men; which in itself, is a sign of above competent leadership.
But, the well of effective leadership has been dry for some time now.

 

[The Rabbi]

Ajami is an excellent analyst. Hussein's biggest failure was not surrounding himself with smart, pragmatic men; which in itself, is a sign of above competent leadership.
But, the well of effective leadership has been dry for some time now.

Obama has surrounded himself with Yes-men, one of the weakest cabinets I can remember.
Bush in his first term had actual professionals working for him.

 

[antagon]

i agree with that assessment of bush's cabinet, however, their performance and propensity to overpower the chief has soured me to the idea of the seasoned pro cabinet. i'd rather not have the heavy-weight resumes if they are going to stink it up in application.