Keith Olbermann's Special Comment says it better than I could.
But I need to say something.
In the past I've suggested that SecTreas Geithner is a victim of the Peter Principle.
I am now going to extend this argument: President Obama is also a victim of the Peter Principle: good Senator, great campaigner... lousy President.
... What's more, he's surrounded himself by similar folks - victims of the Peter Principle, all!
Rahm? - Competent DCCC chair, competent chair of Democratic Caucus.
Wholly out of his depth as White House Chief of Staff.
AgSec Vilsack? - truth to tell, I've no idea what he used to do, but presume he was competent. As Secretary of Agriculture, l'affaire Sherrod demonstrates fairly clearly a deplorable lack of judgment and willingness to yield to inappropriate - and misinformed - political pressure.
Without going line-by-line thru the rest of Obama's advisors & Cabinet, my bet is that the same victimhood has befallen them all: all are victim's of The Peter Principle, and are now completely out of their depths.
How else to explain the lackluster record of this Administration, its reluctance to advocate strongly for what the Campaign promised were strongly held convictions, and its basic ineptitude to deal with even mild political attacks?
Pathetic.
Update:
[Note: what follows is copy/pasted from my response to a comment... I'm guessing few folks read comments, and want to get this response more fully 'on record']
don't get me wrong:
i secretly thought about voting for mccain in '08, only because i thought it cruel to burden anyone i liked with w's mess!
... and i'll be voting for obama in 2012 (assuming he's the dem candidate).
that said: i'd prefer to see obama bring his extremely effective campaign messaging to his role as leader of the free world! - his inner circle seems to have persuaded him that a low-key, 'bipartisan' approach - always seeking compromise - is a wise course. i believe this approach is foolish.
cleaning up w's mess requires boldness - articulating clear goals & fighting for 'em.
yeah - he might lose the occasional political battle, but the way he's going he's losing the war!
Flame-throwing Robot Dog Hits The US Market
1 hour ago
Maybe he is a lousy President. But ask yourself: Knowing what we know now, who would you rather have been President in '08. And I don't mean just from the general election; I mean out of all the primary contenders.
ReplyDeleteAnd in 2012, who would you prefer: Romney? Palin? Clinton, after mounting a primary challenge?
Also: Obama did get Health Care Reform done. That was no small feat.
don't get me wrong:
ReplyDeletei secretly thought about voting for mccain in '08, only because i thought it cruel to burden anyone i liked with w's mess!
... and i'll be voting for obama in 2012 (assuming he's the dem candidate).
that said: i'd prefer to see obama bring his extremely effective campaign messaging to his role as leader of the free world! - his inner circle seems to have persuaded him that a low-key, 'bipartisan' approach - always seeking compromise - is a wise course. i believe this approach is foolish.
cleaning up w's mess requires boldness - articulating clear goals & fighting for 'em.
yeah - he might lose the occasional political battle, but the way he's going he's losing the war!