President Obama brought speech-making to a knife fight. Not real effective. He's forgotten that Republicans today don't flight nice; so, it's little wonder that throughout much of 2009 he's been out-fought by his opponents and outdone even by moderates in his own party. He's let his enemies define him, and define the issues. That's because he's not sure enough of his course to begin with, and--perhaps actually more important in the short-term-- he's not sure how to inspire or instill confidence among his base or Independents.
I worry that the US has replaced a frat punk-in-chief with a dreamer- or celebrity-in-chief who seems most gifted at being cool, sounding lofty, and looking great at star-studded events. A lot of style, but not as much savvy, bravery, or political craftiness as might be hoped for.
Thus it is that we get these apparent failures and missed opportunities. Perhaps these situations will yet be redeemed, but I am not inclined right now to think so:
*Consider that Sweden's government managed to bailout its banks and make a profit to return to the people/taxpayers. (It took time--years--but the plan was in place first!) President Obama, however, lets the banks continue to run away with our money while Larry Summer et al make sure things aren't really reformed in terms of regulations. What is more, the Administration then shows it's willing to lose [our] money on not just the banks, but on manufacturing, too! It goes ahead and literally rewarding failure by bailing out General Motors. Again -- no plan.
*Also, consider that by having no solid plan relative to stimulus and America's economic future, President Obama let Congress define the stimulus, and thus we've been gifted with a largely ill-considered, pork-laden stimulus package. There was too little focus, too little imagination, and too few good ideas in the stimulus as far as I'm aware, and no convincing narrative to support it, either! (Ah, the vaunted Team Obama communications machine! It's gone!)
The "green future" economy ideal that is oft-cited relative to the stimulus also seems overplayed--by which I mean, unsupported by evidence--to me. Thus, it's probably bunk. I like facts and evidence. They are comforting things. But all the Obama Administration has provided is a sort of promise, a "Just trust us. Gee, where's your faith and hope?" kind of rhetoric about how the stimulus will lay the ground work for some amazing green economy future.
I'm largely unconvinced by it. For starters, the technology for a green future is already being produced more cheaply in other countries. A recent visit by an NPR reporter to the dockyards of Seattle discovered that there were two types of shipments on them: out-bound timber and in-bound wind turbine blades....from Brazil. How is the US going to suddenly start out-performing in green manufacturing? (Oh, government subsidies. Great.) The US will have a difficult time being competitive in any emerging global "green economy" (whatever that even means exactly) especially given the demands our unions make regarding wages and benefits--the same sorts of demands that, because they were met, played a large role in dooming GM.
*Switzerland managed to create an affordable health care system for its nation out of a network of private insurers--carefully regulated and with some standards and centralization imposed, but nonetheless a good nationwide and technically private health care system. Britain managed to create single-payer health care back in the 1950s, and yet still it maintains a vibrant private insurance industry for those who wish to and can afford to participate in it. But what do we get? We get a health care bill that is actually going to make health care more expensive in the US, I greatly fear, mainly because--again--President Obama didn't have a plan, and brought "bipartisanship" and "compromise" to the fight, as if those things were weapons against opponents. He dismissed single-payer as an option right off the bat, and ceded the effort for health care (oh, I mean health insurance) reform to Congress. That's like letting a bunch of demolition derby drivers do the valet parking at a wedding.
Of course, candidate Obama's plans were always fairly specifics-light proposals. His was a campaign of style over substance--not without substance, but not detail-rich, to be sure. Yes, the pre-election proposals that were in place became less relevant perhaps when the Great Recession came upon us. The election of Senator Obama was the cleansing of the palette much more so that it was a program for clear policies and proposals, it was an adjustment on the national level that was desperately needed after 8 years of corruption, deep cynicism, and abject mismanagement of domestic, economic, and many military affairs. The prospect of McCain-Palin was, in my opinion, the prospect of getting 4 to 8 more years of the same, if not worse. I was a supporter of then-candidate Obama once New York's primary was past. (I supported Hillary as I'd pledged to do.) So, I am not secretly opposed to the President's goals. I want to see him succeed! I badly want that! But...I'm also I’m not afraid to tell the truth, either, and the Democrats under President Obama's style of leadership thus far have become such a confused, unfocused mess that to declare that one wants "Democrats" to succeed--or even the Administration--now requires the follow-up question, "Succeed at just what exactly? Because they don't seem to know what they want." Well, they sort of do. Vaguely. Some days. Then they change their minds.
This Administration has fallen on its pretty, young face, I worry. It seems ineffectively passive aggressive, way too often indecisive or conflicted, and occasionally even feckless. Independents now outnumber Democrats and Republicans in the US, and among them the approval ratings for President Obama and for particular initiatives like health care reform have rightly (no pun intended) plummeted. What missed opportunities! I was the base (but part of the uncool older-than-20something base--that is, the part of the base that actually regularly votes), and right now I feel almost completely unrepresented by the Democratic Party at local, state, and federal levels, including by both President Obama and the Congress.
Would the Republicans do better? Good Lord, no. They have no real plans, either. And they've certainly had moments recently of bumbling and even ridiculous political communication. But, what the electorate did in November 2008 was vote to "give the other guys a chance for a while." That goodwill is rapidly disappearing. It doesn't matter that the Republican Party is a religio-corporatist, scare-mongering, conspiracy-loving, radicalized institution seemingly joyful about the hypocrisy and anti-intellectualism in its leadership’s increasingly populist ranks. The Republican Party will win elections in 2010 if the American people do not see any clear vision on the part of the Administration or Congress. Don’t chide the American people for being impatient. They are. But the Administration’s real problem may be a failure to communicate goals and the steps we'll take as a nation to obtain them. Voters will "give the other guys a chance" come November 2010 unless things change remarkably between now and then. They might. November 2010 is a political lifetime away. But they might not. Regardless, they certainly won't change without President Obama getting the message that there are segments of his base--including Democrats like myself and Independents who supported him--distinctly underwhelmed and a bit disorientated at this point. He's getting the message, I think. Let's see what happens next. For now . . . the record is, in part:
*US standing in the world: Yup; that’s better.
*Health care reform: A bit; but, no evident plan for further progress (I think it will emerge eventually).
*Civil rights progress: Nope, and no evident plan for any progress. Some "blah blah" about Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT)...someday; but, it's clearly empty pandering.
*Real results for America obtained from other nations in the world: None I’m aware of. China owns us monetarily; Pakistan owns us (our prospects for success in Afgahnistan anyway) militarily.
*Financial reform: Nope, and no evident plan of any that I know of except a plan to regulate some derivatives, maybe a new consumer protection agency. (Well, it's a start; but, the latter one is probably just more government spending we can't afford right now.)
*A plan to return the middle class to viability and fairly address the widening wealth distribution disparity in America: Nope.
*Promoting small business, which is the engine of American job growth: Nada.
*(Oh, and Democratic Party reform: Nope, and certainly no evident plan for any to come.)
The President's somewhat to be pitied, a bit to be scorned, and in a tough spot that certainly is not entirely of his own making. He inherited a great storm of issues and crises. But vision, communication, leadership--I hoped that those are things would come with the deal. And those things are dependent upon him. If they're lacking, he can't blame others. And so far....? Hmmmmm. I'm not so sure.
He yet may prove to be the ultimate political genius, a master of the possible, who realizes that the possible is not the enemy of the perfect, and who is playing all efforts with a savvy I fail to see right now; but, for me, so far this is becoming a presidency of sighs.
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