Obama's Katrina

Thinking before doing is one of Barack Obama's strengths, but not in this oil crisis. The President's famously deliberative style has not served him well.

When an uncontrollable gusher of this magnitude threatens the economy and ecosystem of an entire region, it's not enough for Obama to essentially adopt a wait-and-see stance in letting the oil industry tinker and experiment in vain.

Obama is an odd mixture of an activist, yet slow to act, president. Even in his signature achievement so far -- overhauling health care -- he let Congress dither for nearly a year until finally making clear exactly what he wanted.

The President's pattern is to swoop in at the last minute and close the deal. He's good at it.

But sometimes presidents cannot wait to see what everyone else thinks and does before acting. When it comes to the Gulf region in environmental chaos, we needed a starter, not a closer.

Also on Craig's blog: Obama faces a meltdown akin to the unraveling of his predecessor.

 

 

 

Follow Craig Crawford on Twitter: www.twitter.com/craig_crawford

Comments

[Countess]

09:06 AM on 05/27/2010

I think Crawford makes an excellent point for a change and no matter how you try to rationalize his behavior Obama appears almost indifferent which is shocking to many Americans of both parties.

[TYSTICK]

08:23 AM on 05/27/2010

With great regret, I find myself in total agreement with Craig. In past times I admired the Presidents style of allowing others to get involved with working things out in a Democratic and non-partisan manner. I have tried throughout my career to master the art of successfully delegating tasks. However, in this situation, once the President realized that BP was not being honest in their reporting, not having an action plan available, and more concern for money and image over forthrightness and legitimate concern for the economical and eco disaster it is causing, the President should have launched every resource available to stem this oil gusher. Right now I am shocked as I learn the true impact that this entire problem, in the long term, will result in. With the economy where it is along with the jobless tragedy, the long term outlook is hugely dismal. I am hearing insane numbers of 50 years or more for complete recovery. As of today, 38 days of gushing is totally unacceptable! It is time for each and every resource to get involved in a no holds barred attack on this problem, and the President MUST lead this attack. I personally do not want him dealing with anything else! No hosting foreign dignitaries, no trying to get social amendments trough Congress, no recreation time, NO NOTHING! Just get out in the front as the Chief, and get a handle on this problem.

[standard]

06:43 AM on 05/27/2010

Exactly!

In a crisis, we need a leader, not a mediator. That was as true with the health care crisis (already in full bloom) as it is now with the BP greed-and-disaster crisis (evidently growing by the hour).

Calling out the Coast Guard en masse and ordering every available boat in the area to assist them would not have hurt matters in terms of containing the spill--and might have turned a Bush43-style, after-the-fact public confidence disaster (on top of the ecological nightmare) into a Dunkirk or Battle of Britain: the best possible response under the worst possible conditions and so, a national rallying point at the time and a basis for confidence and pride long afterward.

What made Giuliani such a hero (if only temporarily) at the time of 9-11? He was on the scene immediately, said all the right things initially, and attempted to coordinate the rescue effort personally. He didn't just issue press releases and hope for the best: he was the face and voice of the first response.

[bonncaruso]

03:56 AM on 05/27/2010

What the hell is he supposed to to? Go down there and plug the hole himself? Hell, if BP can't do it, do you think the marine will rush in to save the day? This is not jurassic park, this is a real catastrophe of epic proportions! If the estimates are only half-way correct, then we are now witnessing one Exxon-Valdes spill every two days, which mean we are now approaching the equivalent of AT LEAST 20 Exxon-Valdes spills.

No one in the history of our planet has had to face this yet.

What should the marines do? Nuke the damn thing?

Come on, Obama is doing the right thing. Acting rashly can make this all much, much worse.

[Manx]

03:26 AM on 05/27/2010

Following the BP catastrope, Obama behaved just like the technocrat that he is. And Thad Allen, the Coast Guard commandant, behaved just like the quintessential bureaucrat that he is. With a technocrat and a bureaucrat in charge, the result is lackadaisical.