Barack Obama, faced with the opportunity to reveal himself as presidential-in-crisis, flunked. He’s a stand-around kind of guy. Oh, if they need him, he’ll be there where the administration and Congress are attempting to save the nation from possible financial meltdown. But the campaign is more important and, besides, a President has to demonstrate that he can do two things at once — presumably campaign and save the nation by phone. He is, after all, talking daily with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and others.I'm going to cheat a bit this morning, dears, since The Atlantic's Clive Cook says it better than I.
I do think Obama is handling the crisis much better than McCain--not because he is suggesting better remedies (he continues to say little), but because his instinct to reflect before opening his mouth and his impeccable taste in advisers are both working to his advantage.The "others" Jim fails to name are the same advisers to whom Cook refers and include two former Treasury Secretaries and a former chair of the Federal Reserve.
You tell me which shows leadership - quick action based on what you believe is correct and standing by it, consequences be damned or surrounding yourself with really smart people and after hearing all they have to say, making the final call.
I'll give you a hint. We've already had eight years of the former.
6 comments:
This is asinine. Almost as much as when John McCain was going to give his RNC speech via video from New Orleans, where presumably he intended to hold up the levees himself.
Sen. McCain - the Senate has gotten by just fine without you for the past year. They'll do fine for another 6 weeks.
This one is mind-boggler. I always think Wooten is wrong, of course, but as I posted at ajc.com, I always thought (or feared) that he reflected the views of some number of people. But this one is head-spinningly out of touch. Letterman has his finger on the pulse of the electorate way more than Wooten does.
I'm sure you guys will be shocked to hear me say I disagree. I think Obama and McCain should be back in DC working on this. It's a big issue that people care about and either McCain or Obama are going to have to implement this plan next year so they might as well have a say in the terms.
The election is also a big issue that people care about. I have only seen one poll on the matter, but 75% of the respondents wanted the debate to continue.
Given McCain's "fundamentals of the economy are strong" faux pas only a week ago, and Phil Gramm's "nation of whiners" comments, the idea that he can now rush in there and provide any insight of value is highly dubious.
Correction - make that 86% want it to continue.
http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReportEmail.aspx?g=54d651a7-a62b-4420-bb32-9dd6b2df8c02
Of course, this may be moot now, as the BBC is reporting a deal may have been reached.
Sidebar: I have approximately a bajillion different sources coming in to my news feeder, but I always seem to get the big breaking US news from the BBC first. Has anyone else noticed that?
Tactically, I think McCain is trying to postpone the VP debate next week.
As principle though, this postponement implies a view of campaigns as BS, to be discarded in lieu of bona fide public appearances.
As for Obama? He seems to be not taking the bait.
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