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Barack Obama -- More Presidential By The Day
What makes a president presidential? From communication research we know it comes from credibility defined largely by expertise, trust, conviction, comfort and something called homophily (perceived similarity).
President Obama's expertise gaps occasionally show. For a while he was blaming the past - the economic burden left to him by an irresponsible prior administration. That comes up now and then, but he's moved on. He is more informed now and it shows.
With regard to trust, he has gone to the people with speeches, town meetings, even on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, which was criticized intensely by many Republicans. All are part of getting his messages out to us in an era of media sound bites. It is smart. Where he falls down a bit here is in transparency that was promised. It showed in White House Press Secretary Robert Gibb's press briefing on March 30 when he clumsily tried to explain why GM CEO Rick Wagoner was forced out by President Obama but failed CEOs of Banks were still in place. And his presidential trustworthiness slips, too, by his willingness to bet the bank, so to speak, on the ideas of two men - Timothy Geithner and Lawrence Summers. Here is where they seem uncertain. Here is where we hear less than we need to know and he may too.
Conviction is evident when he speaks. It was evident in his comments to the Iranian people, somewhat lacking in his press conference on March 24th. But overall, he has developed a demeanor of confidence that does not slip over the line into arrogance, as it so often did with President George W. Bush. President Obama has a number of aligning actions at easy reach (e.g., "Well, look ...." ) that help him to convey his ideas with confidence rather than close-mindedness. Our previous president confused those two.
His comfort level is more evident by the day. When Vice President Biden made a joke about Chief Justice Robert's flub of the oath of office, the new president was immediately testy. He was as yet uncomfortable in his new role, tired from the election and inauguration, and snapped too soon when he might have made light of the issue or merely given Joe a friendly nudge. We rarely see that testiness now.
He is also still one of us more than he is one of them. And this is critical - a line he needs to watch as power always alters those who possess it. When I heard a senator complaining about the president making time to meet with his children when they get home from school, claiming that CEOs don't do that, just like real men don't eat quiche, it was laughable. More senior managers and working people in general ought to at least call when their kids arrive home from school because they usually have a lot to say at that point unlikely to be expressed later when they're tired and hungry. President Obama hasn't fallen for the myth that the only road to success is the one that leaves your family in the dust.
Rare is a president who learns so fast, who observes so deeply, who can take criticism and walk away better for it. In these ways, whether or not we agree with his decisions regarding more troops in Afghanistan, more money for bailouts, rights of detainees, prioritization of pressing issues, and even his family's choice of dog, it's worth noting that he is emerging into a president cognizant of his power, yet aware, too, of those who gave it to him. He delays on promises delivered now and then, and there's a tendency toward insularity in his choice of advisers, but he learns his limits and new ways to lead as he goes and that's a far cry better than what we had before.
Dr. Reardon also blogs at bardscove.
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A lot more criticism than compliment, all under the guise of scholarship. At least Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh have courage to say what they think and not try to make it a doctorial thesis.
I'm still upset about his intent to absolve the CIA agents who carried out Cheney's and his lawyers' orders to torture people, but your article does help keep it in perspective.
Great piece, Kathleen -- I agree completely.
What the naysayers on this blog fail to realize is that you can feel this way and still not agree with every single policy decision. I'd take President Obama over the alternatives any day!
Obama listens to the people with a caring heart and responds to their needs. This is what a true leader does. He sees the whole. FDR did this and the country came back from the rampant avarice of uncontrolled greed.
If there is one thing history has taught us it is that Humankind cannot control greed of any kind. We have and will do anything for money. Greed is a disease no different than alcoholism. It destroys people, families, communities, nations and empires. We have become an addicted nation and the cure lies within. By an admission of truth we will overcome.
With Bush we saw the disease. With Obama we seek the truth.
.....Greed and hunger for power.
Neither goodness nor righteousness can be legislated, nor should they be. It is up to each of us to choose the greater good, but "the devil is in the details".
Two things come to mind from the campaign. First, he asked voters to be there for him amd promised to be there for Americans. Second, he said this is not about him, but about us. Be active, be vigilant. get your Senators and Reps on speed-dial. Mine are not on the banking committee but trust me, I have no problem calling Chris Dodd's office and Senator Kennedy's on health care. If you don't like what your bank is doing, call or write the OCC. Obama's first 100 days have been remarkable. Think of the bigger picture, we need to grow our GDP and get America out of a ditch. Obama is forward-thinking and with our help, will rebuild our economy and infrastructure. Let's keep our eye on the ball. Yes, we can! Check out Gavin Newsom's new energy article, good stuff.
Really?! Let's see. Increasing war in Afghanistan, asking for the same amount of money to perpetuate war as George W (83 billion), hiring the head honcho of the Federal Reserve bank as Sec of Treasury
(!?) blatantly lying about withdrawing troops from Iraq, lying about the closing of Guantanimo, employing lobbyists... Yeah, he's learning fast, alright. Unfortunately, he's following Bush's lead.
This perfectly illustrates why Democrats don't even need Republicans as adversaries. Instead of sticking by our elected leaders, who are eminently more aligned with our principles than any Republican, we pick them to death because they don't immediately fill our own specialized wish list. Our party includes so many special interest groups--LGBT, labor, anti-war, women, minorities, etc.--that no president could make ever satisfy us all. Creating unity in our party is like herding cats. We should take a lesson from the Republican "dogs," who run in packs.
You view it like a ball game. Two sides. Two teams. Us against them. Dem or republicans. you are the problem.
AMEN. I say this all the time
Couldn't have said it better myself!
"power always alters those who possess it" and "Absolute power corrupts absolutely". President Obama must be ever vigilant against the corrupting influences of power, but like Kathleen Reardon I see President Obama as "Rare... learns so fast, who observes so deeply, who can take criticism and walk away better for it. " He is more secure than Clinton, FDR and maybe even Lincoln without being arrogant. His life journey to date has definitely enabled him to be a rare breed of leader! Yet, like Queen Esther in the Bible, he may be at this place and time for just such reasons as our present state of the economy, moral dilemmas and world leadership position. "To much is given, much is required" Our country and our president have much to offer in making a real difference not only for millions in America but around the world.
What a wonderful comment. Thank you for offering it.
Jimi Hendrex said (paraphrasing) When the Power of Love supercedes the Love of Power then we will know Peace.
This is what I see in President Obama, Humility and Intellegence than Ignorance and Arrogance.
He said,
Our Destiny is not written for us, but by us. (Barack Obama)
More Presidential each day? The oath is to protect and defend the Constitution. If he isn't doing that, he isn't presidential at all - as a matter of fact, he's Bush!
When he starts doing exactly what the Constitution says, he'll start being "presidential".
Are you afraid of being American? No? Let's get rid of the Fed. Let's go back to REAL money. Let's convict those who have committed treason, starting with Clinton, and then Bush. That is Obama's job. Right now, he doesn't seem up for it.
Neither do you! Just talk. I'm not up for it either - I don't feel like taking up arms. That's the problem! We can keep blaming government, but guess what? We have met the enemy, and he is us! (Thanks, Pogo...)
Aaaaah. A breath of fresh air in this ultra-pro-super-Obama world our fellow citizens seem to be floating in. I feel like I'm in Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Stepford Wives, Twilight Zone... There are very few of us... who are seeing this. How can that be? It's blatantly obvious.
The twlight zone occurs when individuals are expecting super human miracles to occur over night. That's your problem. Give the president the time and breathing space to give you everything which he promised. If you are fair, then you understand that. If you just want to critize, then that's different unwinnable ball game that you want him to play.
puppymama you're being a puppymama.
That feeling is the "backlash" of the last 8 Bush years...it's called being "Bushed",
really, that's what it is. Sickening huh?
What happened to candidate Obama? The man who repeatedly told us willing participants that he was different than the past. The hope and change icon that would re-evaluate how our government operates and make the necessary changes to right the wrongs and heal the sickness that was George W. Bush's presidency. I want to know where that Barack Obama is today. It seems like a different guy is inside the suit. Where is the courage to stand against mega banks that foolishly,greedily, gambled with peoples life savings in a crooked game. Where is the moral courage to call out the war profiteers and expose them as the pack of politically connected, politically protected, jackals who would trade on the death and suffering of our armed forces and those unfortunate enough to be caught in the crossfire of one mans lust for notoriety and revenge? Will there be no accounting, no one held responsible for what has happened to America? And will we, the willing participants, decide it is all too much bother to look at the past? Are we going to sweep it under the rug where it will hide like a festering boil, waiting to erupt again?
With so many problems face our nation at this moment, you want Obama and our Congress to spend all of their time on (probably ineffectual) hearings. Wouldn't you rather they work to save our a$$es? Is there a statute of limitations on war crimes, or can we wait until we've extinguished the economic inferno burning down our house? Frankly, if somebody stole my car, I wouldn't spend all my time and effort pursuing the thief before I bought a new vehicle. Justice is right and good and has no expiration date. Vindictiveness, on the other hand, is impatient and selfish and often leads to a big backlash (remember Clinton/Lewinsky?). Keep writing your Senator, which is where the responsibility for investigation lies, and stop aiding the tea-bag right by attacking our president for them.
Kevin, give him time, please.
Mad, time is not a luxury to be afforded in this economy. I honestly believe given enough time, the trend toward wealth concentration will reduce Americas to an oligarchy much like Mexico. Very few citizens are benefiting from the trillions (loaned/given) to banks and insurance companies. 401's didn't suddenly bounce back from their massive losses did they? Home are still being foreclosed on at record pace. Banks are trading money with each other at nearly 0% interest and then tell you how great they are for giving only the most credit worthy loans as low as 4.5% One in nine homes are sitting empty and there are MILLIONS of adjustable rate mortgages and interest only loans due to reset over the next ten years. I do not know much about New Orleans, but I will venture this presumption, public housing is still disappearing, tens of thousands of poor people have been marginalized to the point of giving up, and developers are quietly buying large swaths of real estate at pennies on the dollar. You see, government is systemically skewed toward powerful, wealthy people and corporations. Any amount of assistance handed out to the average citizen is designed to keep them in place and is done so grudgingly, ie; drug testing welfare and employment assistance recipients. Time is not on our side.
Where did he learn that torture is against the law and that the Bush administration tortured and that an investigation by an agreed-on non-partisan party is needed immediately?
"Rare is a president who learns so fast..."
Learning fast is great but it would have been better if he had actually been qualified and prepared for the job on Day 1. "President of the United States" is not a job that usually has an "on-the-job-training" period.
Good, well-written article by Ms. Reardon - the most fair and unbiased article I have ever read here.
"Learning fast is great but it would have been better if he had actually been qualified and prepared for the job on Day 1. "President of the United States" is not a job that usually has an "on-the-job-training" period."
George W. Bush had none of the experience necessary to be President, and it showed -- it showed in his illegal wars, his torture policies, his illegal wiretapping, his disaster mismanagement, and so much more.
"We do not want another candidate who needs on-the-job training" -Dan Quayle, the most unqualified person ever to have ever ascended to the Vice Presidency.
Not to mention the most unqualified also ran ever , Sarah Palin. Would that have made you happy ?
Plus, GWB never listened, and he never, ever learned during the entire 8 years of his tenure.
ALL Presidents 'learn on the job'. There is NO job in the 'real world' that completely prepares you for being President. NO one EVER elected to the office of POTUS has ever come to it fully skilled. It takes time & experience.; perhaps you might withhold your naive view and realize just how 'unique' the position is.
Yes, the President is growing into the job and has impressed enough people that his approval rating keeps climbing. So far he has handled things very well, with few mis-steps.
The dealings with the criminality of the previous admin will have to gradually creep forward, so far he has released memos that were incriminating, so he isn't that reticent in actuality. Everything doesn't have to be done this minute, especially when you have some major crimes that take major time to investigate to get it right.
The President wants us to nudge him to keep their feet to the fire, we have to do our part, he surely cannot do it all alone.
Obama is a breath of fresh air after eight years of stench.
His demeanor is arrogance not confidence... He makes no bones about who he will let question him, his traveling teleprompter, his many speeches that are of deflection and necessity.....
sad and bitter ... your side lost!
How sad...the things we must believe...
Everybody uses a teleprompter. Try something else.
Guessing at Barack Hussein Obama's motives and pretending to read his mind are not useful ways to gather facts, information or evidence. You probably mean to say that his demeanor APPEARS arrogant to you--and maybe there is a legitimate universal standard for claiming so. If you could provide some specific, concrete examples of how the President's appearance clearly demonstrates the inner quality of conceit or egoism then I encourage you to bring them up for discussion.
Personally, I would not put my trust in any leader who carefully hand-picked his audiences during public speeches and "town hall meetings." I would worry about any president who pretended to publicly endorse major legislation and then signed off on not supporting that legislation in private. I would also worry about any president who literally, deliberately and publicly described his policy speeches as "propaganda" that had to be repeated over and over again to really be believed.
George Bush, the human traveling teleprompter, discussing his plan to save Social Security in Tampa in February 2005:
"Because the--all which is on the table begins to address the big cost drivers. For example, how benefits are calculate, for example, is on the table; whether or not benefits rise based upon wage increases or price increases. There's a series of parts of the formula that are being considered. And when you couple that, those different cost drivers, affecting those--changing those with personal accounts, the idea is to get what has been promised more likely to be--or closer delivered to what has been promised. Does that make any sense to you? It's kind of muddled. Look, there's a series of things that cause the--like, for example, benefits are calculated based upon the increase of wages, as opposed to the increase of prices. Some have suggested that we calculate -- the benefits will rise based upon inflation, as opposed to wage increases. There is a reform that would help solve the red if that were put into effect. In other words, how fast benefits grow, how fast the promised benefits grow, if those--if that growth is affected, it will help on the red."
Confident and not deflecting from the message, eh?
What he really meant is: I'm over my head and please, don't listen to me.
I love the president, I voted for him. But, sometimes I wonder if he's too smart for his own good. His most rabid fans are always saying how he is two or three steps ahead of everyone else, and there is little doubt about that. But, I can't help but wonder if he is so far ahead of those he leads that he is making it difficult not to question his every move. And it seems sometimes that he is even far ahead of his advisers and confidants. Why is Gibbs always seeming to not quite know what to say, or how to respond to questions that seem obvious in everyone's mind. I love the president and I support his agenda and most of what he does, I just wish I knew more about what he is GOING to do more than a day ahead of time so that I can react appropriately and not over react when I am disappointed by something he says or does. And, in a way, I'm not so bothered when I am disappointed by this president because he IS so much better than previous presidents. But at the same time, we need to realize he still has some learning to do, and we need to keep his feet to the fire and make sure he is doing what is best for ALL of us
Here's a thought. Why don't we shut up and let him do his job rather than "question his every move"? I refuse to read any more HuffPo post that starts with "Obama must," "Obama has to," "Obama needs to." Didn't we elect him because we trusted him to run the country? Or have eight years of watching Bush's incompetence conditioned us to criticize every hiccup?
Thank you!
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