Tragically Charismatic
Barack Obama was elected to the White House just after the turmoil of TARP and the climax of the crisis of financial markets. People throughout the country had deep suspicions of the government and justifiably so. After all, the Bush years were a feeding frenzy for cronyism and corporate welfare. The TARP and the AIG scandals called a bailout emitted a stench that fortified the convictions of those who say government is there to fleece people on behalf of powerful interests. Our president elect, who had so artfully inspired us to suspend our cynicism and believe that under his leadership we could make things better, faced an uphill challenge.
On inauguration day taming the financial crisis was still job one. Obama had, in the pressure of the financial fears, turned to a team of veterans from the Clinton economics team, most notably Larry Summers and Tim Geithner. They were shovel ready policy makers having manned the pumps at the Treasury in the 1990s. Unfortunately, their appointments aroused suspicions that the practice of shoveling money into Wall Street cronies would continue unabated.
Stories of Treasury Secretary Geithner dining with Pete Peterson in New York, or consulting with Robert Rubin in the halls of the Treasury were reassuring signals to the inside players of too big to fail finance. Yet they were tone deaf transmissions that could not be narrowcast only to those financial insiders. An enraged public was paying attention like never before. Business as usual was corrosive to the image of the newly elected President and the team did not get it. That image, crafted by candidate Obama, included anti lobbying statements and the Cooper Union speech on financial regulation. It was an image that had been heartily embraced by a body politic that was angered by the financial shenanigans of insiders who had used the people's money to limit their own losses and trashed the economy. Obama the candidate conveyed that he understood and would solve the problem. His pragmatism was part of his magnetism.
As AIG bonuses were announced, and defended by the Obama economic team on television, people talked along two tracks that could barely cohere. Obama is a good guy, give him a chance, give him time, was the melody of the music. Disbelief that his appointees were tone deaf to the concerns outside Wall Street and carrying on financial sector pandering was the discordant harmony.
The President is a wonderful communicator. A charismatic on the scale of JFK, and his poll numbers have ridden above the Congress and exhibit an extraordinary resilience. Yet, it is often observed by the wise old sage types, that one's brilliance stands adjacent to, and in partnership with, one's tragic flaw.
Rather than take on Wall Street with tough action that would demonstrate once and for all that the era of unregulated greed fed by a failed ideology was over, Obama tried to convince the American people that strength was demonstrated in resisting the urge to lash out at the captains of finance rather than in bringing them to heel. One wonders if he really thought this was true. Unfortunately none of us could infer if this was pandering to financial sector power or displaying a stroke of pragmatic genius.
But it had a terrible side effect. It did not abruptly and clearly differentiate him from the Bush regime that preceded him and the TARP tainted crony capitalism that was the closing act of Bush's tenure in office. Together with tepid efforts to affix blame onto the Bush/Cheney years for the large fiscal deficits he inherited, Obama, through his choice of appointees and early actions that were too Wall Street friendly, became responsible for the dysfunctional economy rather than the knight in shining armor that would solve the problems and lead us back to prosperity. Many people today, who see the Wall Street rebound and their bonus pool explosion alongside rising unemployment and foreclosures, have lost hope because they see no end in sight for the politics of Wall Street protectionism.
One year after his election, and 10 months after taking office people are feeling acute stress in a faltering economy. People need actions and will not depend upon mere words, however artfully delivered. Charismatic speeches are losing traction like a boy who cries wolf. People still appear to feel that the President is a good-hearted man in a tough job. But they can rightly ask if he has the nerve to get the job done.
A person with great persuasive power can use it in two ways in politics. It can be used to cultivate the energy of the general interest, to enliven participation to take on the special interests, or it can be used to try and mollify the people and to facilitate the agenda of elites behind the disguise. The former use of persuasive power cannot be successful if it is suspected of being the latter. The public can return to cynicism.
Our President must now resist the temptation to rely on his historic strength, oratory prowess. He and his advisors would do well to decide which subset of the powerful industry groups they will abandon as they navigate the remainder of Obama's term. This is not something they have done well in the health care debate where all the industry groups were taken care of, while the population's concerns were largely left behind the door.
To turn things around, after the elections in New Jersey and Virginia last night sent a shot across his bow, Obama must choose those enemies in the money politics world in order to give himself space to create benefits for the people who elected him. The people, particularly the young people, who are the ones he inspired to believe that under his leadership we could transform this nation into a hopeful nation built on personal responsibility and fair play, are waiting for actions, not words. As a nation we are stagnant now and the pain is increasing. The imbalances in our society are there for all to see and I sense that the pressure for action will not abate in the months ahead. If our President tries to talk his way out of this challenge without taking the risk of meaningful economic and financial reform, he will likely be viewed as a leader who was, in Tavis Smiley's words, Tragically Charismatic.
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Well reasoned and written. He has used his oratory to create in progressives, and to mollify the centerists. Result: muddled thinking and wasted opportunity. I am hopeful he recovers his groove, but I think as long as Geitner, Summers and Emanuel have his ear we are buggered. So far I give him a C+ overall, and it would be lower, were it not for his high falutin rhetoric. Parla, parla, parla. Giordy
I agree with Mr. Johnson. I am calling this "health care" bill The Medical Industrial Complex Enrichment Bill of 2009.
I have heard nothing about bringing back Glass-Steagall from Obama, et al. -- the banking system was stable and worked well (for the people) from the time it was enacted until the time it was repealed. Why not do something that works???
While being a great speaker is a genuine plus, it is only fluff. The real thing is substance. That means having good ideas and following through to turn them into successful policies.
Too many people are suckers for oratory, appearance, youth, style, fads and fashions. What ever happened to substance? The electorate need to grow up a litle bit.
He is a one half term president,as effective as Bush and even Clinton at facilitating the great malefactors as FDR characterzed them.No one is willing to wait until we've been picked totally clean,at least I hope not.
Obama is a terrible disappointment.
His poor choices of appointees who serve Wall Street (Summers, Geither, Emmanuelle) are only overshadowed by his fear of engaging in the critical topics of our time.
His 'hands off' approach to healthcare would be called malfeasance in another other position
His 'I can't decide' approach to Afghanistan would be considered criminal negligence in other arenas
His turning the returned of our soldiers at Dover into a cheap photo op is shameful
I gave him my votes, my money and worked on his campaign for months. His betrayal and ineptitude are shocking. He gives a nice speech - but it's all talk and no do.
Sorry, but I doubt you.
I cldnt agree more. I voted for the man, called union members and asked them to vote for the man, and was thrilled on election day to see a black man become the president. I kept thinking I only wish my dad was still here to see this. Unfortunately, in ten months he has shown me nothing but a willingness to bow down to power and wealth while at the same time trying to convince us he was still a candidate for change. I quit sending checks when he flipped on FISA. And after ten months in office I dont accept the excuse that he is a good guy who is overwhelmed with the office I believe he is an opportunist who is corrupt to the core. He is one of the most dishonest presidents we have had.
It is time to find a replacement who will primary Obama. It needs to be someone of great political courage. Someone plain spoken, but not bumbling in speech. Someone with some military cred would be helpful so his "patriotism" cannot be assailed credibly. Someone who has runs a business with a record there that shows humanity towards his/her workers. Perhaps a strong understanding of economics, but a better understanding of the common person. Someone educated, but not patrician in tone and temper. A bit of a firebrand would be nice. Someone with so much self-confidence and an intense sense of honor. Someone with a real knowledge of history, not the white-washed history. Someone who refuses to tolerate fools and is not afraid to be ruthless to any who seem too possessed of self-interest. Someone well-traveled with an ability to at least marginally communicate in Spanish as well. The person does not have to be squeaky clean, so long as he/she does not hide or make excuses. Someone with the balls to be blunt and an innate disdain of spin. Someone with the chops to go to to toe with the corporate titans and not cower in their shadows as does Obama. Someone not afraid to be a one term president, since that is the single most characteristic that makes us willing to give him/her 8 years.
My gut says it is a woman (and I am a man).
Bring back Howard Dean.
Howard Dean, Alan Grayson, or Dennis Kucinich would all be good candidates for president. Mr. Obama threw in with thieves and cronies after being elected by independents and progressives. Although I believe that Mr. Obama is a man of high intelligence and skill, he is not the leader we need now. A leader does not stick his finger up to see which way the wind is blowing... he takes the path needed to solve problems and then lays out the case for his actions. Obama will be defined by his response to "Death Squad" McChrystal in Afghanistan. If the President does not declare victory and pull the troops out, he's done. He's already screwed the pooch on the various bailouts and his thin charm is getting thinner. What a shame and a waste of talent. We sure didn't vote to have Larry Summers, Timothy Geithner, and Rahm Emanuel calling the shots. Let's bring back Howard Dean and give Obama some competition in 2012.
Dr Dean is employed by a lobbyist for big pharma guys.
Obama's bait-n-switch is empowering the right woing cults.
Could this be his intention?
yes
it is a dangerous game
the 'health care debate' was unnecessary, but empowered them
dems think it makes them look good, but we are not so dumb
If everyone knew the plan, so would the enemy.
Battle groups isolated from the main front can bemoan their isolation.
Or they can exploit every opportunity to take the fight to the enemy.
With lack of leadership, there is no fight.
"A person with great persuasive power can use it in two ways in politics. It can be used to cultivate the energy of the general interest, to enliven participation to take on the special interests, or it can be used to try and mollify the people and to facilitate the agenda of elites behind the disguise. The former use of persuasive power cannot be successful if it is suspected of being the latter. "
The last sentence is wrong as many didn't suspect it was the latter until now...
He chose the DLC path.
He will be a one term president.
Truthfully, didn't have to be this way.
He chose Rahm. He chose poorly.
"great persuasive power ... to ... mollify the people and to facilitate the agenda of elites behind the disguise."
Yep, that's seems to be it. Sad.
Didn't we used to call that lying?
Keep the change, we needed an actual Democrat. Not a DINO.
Actual Democrats do not vote for Ralph Nader.
the political climate over the next 3 years is simple. its easy, the more the repub party panders to their right wing extremists, the worse it gets for them. And the more the dems pander to their left wing radicals the better off they are. i and everybody i know who voted for the first time and put obama over the top have already been tricked with words. now its time for action. Or go get elected without us. If you can.
Part 1
I agree with all, you said, except if he is going to fight for the right rather than the moneyed & powerful, he should support Single Payer. However, & unfortunately, I see no reason to believe he is going to fight for anything. Washington is a game & he has bought into it. In January, keeping Lieberman served a purpose, as long as he would join to make 60 when necessary.
Lieberman has shown when it matters most, he is loyal least. Reid has now announced Reform is dead, this year. Probably next year because these types of Bills, especially when they are NOT Bipartisan usually do not get enacted during an election year. Lieberman no longer serves any purpose & should be cut loose.
Lieberman is of tremendous use: he's the fall guy. Obama used Lieberman to write an exception to the Freedom of Information Act so that the Abu Graib photos couldn't be released despite a court order to do so. Lieberman takes the blame; Obama protects those who share(d) the same financiers without taking heat from the left. (For more, go to www.pbs.org and watch Bill Moyer's interview with Glenn Greenwald on NOW.)
See part 2 below. I agree with you that Lieberman is serving Obama's needs.
Facts indicate the man is a phony. Unfortunate, but true. Many were sold on his oratory skills. Now that he is in office he has completely abandoned most of his campaign pledges. Granted, things take time, but he does not even vocalize what he said when campaigning. A BIG PHONY. Out in 2012. We need to move on. If a president cannot pursue and defend truth we are doomed. Do not get sucked into his appeal. Observe at what he is doing. OUT, OUT, OUT!
It's a real question whether Obama has what it takes to govern and to lead.
The signs are not promising.
Bye Bye Obama....
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