Obama Leadership Equals Crisis Management
by Big Dog on Mar 7, 2009 at 17:05 Political
There is no doubt that Barack Obama assembled one of the greatest teams in history to run his campaign. He always had surrogates to go on the attack or to make claims of racism while he appeared to remain above the fray. His fund raising set all kinds of records. He received money from all over the world and some of the donors were American citizens who donated only the legal amount. His team was able to hide the fund raising shenanigans and keep on moving on.
Then the unflappable, charismatic junior Senator from Illinois actually won. That is when he found out that leading a campaign is a lot different than leading the country. Obama is getting more gray hair each day as his “tracking poll” from the stock market keeps making a nosedive. He has already spent more money than the complete cost of the war and has raised the deficit higher than Bush did in eight years. Bush took a small Clinton deficit and nearly doubled it and Obama has nearly tripled it (for those who think Clinton had a surplus, using the same accounting tricks the war on terror has cost NOTHING). Obama said he would abandon the Bush policies and there would not be more of the same. I guess tripling the deficit instead of doubling it counts.
People are getting weary of Obama because he has clearly demonstrated that he cannot lead. He is finding out that it is one thing to run for office and promise the world but that it is quite another to actually have to do something. The leadership of Obama (if we can actually call it that) is crisis management. This has been elaborated upon several times and Obama confirmed it today. The crisis management approach was lain out by Rahm Emanuel who stated:
“You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that is an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before.”
This was what Rahm said prior to Obama taking office and in the midst of the economic meltdown that was created by Democratic policies and probably assisted along by Obama supporters when there was a mysterious huge run on the financial market.
What the ballerina is saying is that they know that in normal times there are things that would not pass the sniff test in Congress. There are items that will not pass no matter what and that there are others that might pass but they would be politically unwise. With a crisis they can hype it up for all it is worth and pass things that would otherwise never pass just by screaming crisis and telling people that the world will end if we do not act NOW!
Interestingly, Hillary Clinton said the same thing on her little jaunt to Europe.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told an audience Friday “never waste a good crisis,” and highlighted the opportunity of rebuilding economies in a greener, less energy-intensive way. al-Reuters
Here the focus is on the environment and making things all nice and green. But the principle is the same. Use the crisis to scare up support for expensive repairs for an unproven problem and claim it is necessary in order to provide jobs and save Mother Earth. Incidentally, the Earth has been here for millions of years before man set foot on it and it will be here a long time after we are gone. Global warming will not end our time here.
So we have the ballerina and the Secretary of State discussing using a crisis to screw the country and they are on the same sheet of music because that is what their boss, King Hussein has decided to do.
Well, I don’t think he decided to lead that way. I believe that this is the only thing he knows. He has NEVER been a leader in his adult life. He was a rabble rouser in Chicago and he was present in the Illinois legislature. Then he went to the US Senate where he had an unremarkable stint. He ended up in the White House and he could not lead a group of people out of a burning building.
Let me correct that, he could lead his “followers” anywhere because they will do anything he wants. They are lemmings who will follow him off a cliff.
Today on his weekly radio address The Evil Won stated very clearly that his “leadership” style is crisis management.
“Yes, this is a moment of challenge for our country,” Obama said. “But we’ve experienced great trials before. And with every test, each generation has found the capacity to not only endure, but to prosper – to discover great opportunity in the midst of great crisis.” My Way News
The great opportunity of which he speaks is the opportunity for him and his Democrats to spend like there is no tomorrow.
And with them at the wheel, there might not be.
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Tags: Clinton, crisis, emanuel, global warming, Obama
Grim times ahead for sure. I am tired of this inexperienced empty suit already. I hope the rest of the American people are starting to see him for what he really is. And I’m tired of being lectured at by the usual suspects from Washington. John Kerry, in an attempt to seem important, said…
“I believe we have to insist that tax dollars be spent wisely because, otherwise, Americans will refuse to rescue any business struggling in the most difficult economic times since the Great Depression.”
I guess he doesn’t remember the economy under Carter…I do. But then we all can’t marry a wealthy heiress…twice. And the American people HAVE refused, at least in the polls I’ve seen, to bail out some of these companies. We are also against most of this massive spending which has nothing to do with stimulus or job creation. But our “leaders” in D.C. just go right ahead and do what ever helps them achieve their liberal, socialist agenda.
The midterm elections can not come soon enough for me.
You are right, Bill and when elections come I absolutely will not vote for anyone who has a “D” behind their name. Obama is destroying this country and his followers are helping him do it.
“People are getting weary of Obama because he has clearly demonstrated that he cannot lead.”
What world do you live in? What people are getting weary? What has Obama failed to do? What ways has he failed to lead in?
What world do you live in?
I live in the world that did not vote for this president after Bush(PAB)
What people are getting weary? See answer to first question
What has Obama failed to do?
Provide commanding sincere leadership in a crisis that he has hyped and used to flog his real Socialist/ Communist agenda
What ways has he failed to lead in?
He can not and has not presided over any plan to stimulate the economy
He did not advance a plan to bring all of the troops out of Iraq and intends to increase troops in Afghanistan ,he’s pushing a green agenda when more and more evidence suggest that the earth is actually going into a cooling cycle and finally PAB has not shut down Gitmo
Anymore questions?
Flo Ward:
The problem I see with Big Dog is that he doesn’t like Obama so he keeps projecting this downward spiral and failed leadership for Obama that doesn’t exist. This may be the case with you but I don’t know you so I’m not sure. Let’s just look at the issues you brought up though.
The economy? A majority of Americans support his policies to try and stimulate the economy and believe like he does that it is a crisis worthy of such an attempt. I’m not really sure how you can say it has been hyped when it’s one of the worst recessions in decades and combined with the credit crisis it has become the worst situation since the Great Depression.
Iraq and Afghanistan? Obama has said leading up to his election that he supported a responsible end to the war in Iraq and more troops in Afghanistan. He has changed some of his Iraq policy based on the opinion of his military advisers about the war but not much else has changed.
Green agenda? The Earth is not going into a cooling cycle according to any of the major scientific bodies in the world. I’m sure you can find some stray scientists but for now these groups are in consensus.
GITMO? Obama has put in place the steps to close the place but as many suspected during his campaign you cannot simply close it over night. Would you want him to?
I’m not really seeing his failure on these issues. Every issue you brought up has been followed nearly letter by letter how Obama campaigned and he has had very little compromise on these particular policies.
No more hatred for him than the left had for Bush.
Lack of leadership:
Telling Russia we will not put missiles in Poland if they help with nuclear Iran only to be rebuked by Russia.
Telling Iran we want to work with them only to be given conditions.
Dissing the PM of Britain.
Gitmo? Bush wanted to close it as well but had the same problems Obi is finding. Difference; Bush was a Republican so he was not trying hard enough. Obi is a Dem so he is trying hard but it is harder than just saying it.
He adopted many of Bush’s policies after getting into office.
They are not stray scientists. There are as many who oppose GW as who sign off on it. The Earth goes into heating and cooling cycles as it has done for millenia. More closely related to sunspot activity but Gore, the great scientist says otherwise.
Obi is too tired after 6 weeks to treat our closest ally with respect? Just a lack of leadership.
Can you refute the crisis management of the issue.
And what got us out of the last recession (the last big one)? Tax cuts. Not the agenda that most of the population opposes despite what you say.
If Bush really wanted GITMO closed he would have found a way. He did nothing about it for at least 2 years. Obama has set a deadline for when it will be closed and has said that whatever needs to be done to close it will be done by then. That’s the difference, not that Obama has a D and Bush had an R.
I fail to see how Russia and Iran’s response means lack of leadership for Obama. Obama and Clinton are working on these issues but frankly it’s still way too early to be making the kind of suggestions you do. But as I said before on another post you seem to think that because you think liberals treated Bush this way then you can do the same even though you spent 8 years calling liberals dumb for it.
Obviously I can’t keep you from telling lies and spreading falsehoods about how the scientific community feels about global warming, so I guess I’ll just let that one go.
On the issue of Brown being “snubbed” I’m sure Brown will get over it since he’s an adult and not a crybaby like the Republican party has become. But hey, maybe he can call Brown back and hold hands with him like Bush and the Saudis and everything will be great.
I don’t really know what you mean by the crisis management of the issue if you want to explain that a little more.
Few reasonable people depute that tax cuts would get us out of a recession because it has and would. Economists just argue that spending and tax cuts if done correctly can boost the economy quicker. If the last recession was of any example it’s that the tax cuts created a very weak economic recovery. Most of the population opposes what? The stimulus? You’ll find your evidence of that very lacking if that’s what you mean.
Poll after poll shows people do not support this stimulus (because it is not) but might support A stimulus if it were a real one.
Tax cuts did not lead to weak recovery, spending the money on stupidity caused problems. Yes, it was members of both parties who spent that money so no one is blameless.
He has been trying to close the place but no one will take the terrorists from there. Obama might end up letting them in our country. One can only hope that one does not kill people or cause a problem or Obama will be directly at fault and the unrest will cause a lot of problems.
Wait and see. He said it would be closed by next Feb. See if it is and where they were sent.
Crisis management: Use a crisis to get everything you want. Terrible way to do business but those who have never led don’t understand that.
You call them lies and falsehoods but I see it as an open debate on the issue. Let the scientists work on it but I am NOT paying more for a theory.
I find it funny you say the right imagined how Bush was treated. If that is the case then you are imagining Obama being treated badly.
For your information, I was tough on Bush for many things. I just happen to agree with more of what he says than I do those on the left.
I will use tough tactics and be very tough on Obama because he is going no holds barred on his rampage of the country. I do not intend to be sitting next to you hearing you wonder out loud how it happened.
I will not allow the country to become Socialist no matter what that takes.
I intend to hammer Obama for 2 years and hope that his poor leadership puts Republicans in control of one house of Congress so that we can stop him.
“Poll after poll shows people do not support this stimulus (because it is not) but might support A stimulus if it were a real one.”
I’m not sure what polls you’re talking about really. Maybe you can find one for us.
On the issue of GITMO and other things I won’t sit here and pretend Obama is going to succeed in doing what he wants but you cannot pretend that he isn’t moving forward with his agenda.
I think what you’re saying about hammering Obama is fine. I know there is a fundamental disagreement here. I just hope that in the future you base your concept of failure on things that have actually failed and not things you say have failed because you simply disagree with the policy.
I know a lack of leadership and I will determine failure as I define it. But, you disagreed with Bush on war policy and that kept you describing him as a failure and all kinds of other things even though he followed the agenda he set out, much like your messiah.
If we end up with higher unemployment and high interest then it will be a failure regardless of what you would like to call it.
Here is a poll
Now, most I see have it teetering 51-49 and 49-51 but quite a few think cutting taxes is the best way, I mean if we are to follow polls.
As for failure, failure is not that I disagree with a policy but that the policy does not work. I know these policies will not work because they have never worked.
And if you can tell me how to measure a saved job….
Even in the poll you show, though it is not majority support, more people support it than oppose it. The gap comes from large no opinion slots. But take this slightly more recent poll from Gallop:
I don’t know how to measure a saved job and I can’t tell you if we’ll end up with higher unemployment and inflation or not but I will say I’m slightly more confident than not that the jobs situation will get better though you have to be careful because it’s a lagging indicator. We can only go up as far as inflation is concerned but I know you said “high” and not just “higher.” We’ll just have to wait and see.
The jobs situation will get better no matter what. It always does.
On the tax cut issue of course people support tax cuts and they do help. That’s why the stimulus contained a lot of tax cuts.
Adam, the point is the more people know about it the less they like it. The support has been dropping.
The stimulus does not contain tax cuts, or not many. The idea that 95% of people will stay the same or get a cut is ridiculous because 40% of them pay no taxes. He is giving earned income and other money to people who pay no taxes. This will not help at all.
The people who need to have taxes cut are those who actually pay taxes. Smoke and mirrors.
And when he lets those Bush tax cuts expire people in the middle class will get socked.
The stimulus bill contains $288 billion in tax cuts for various groups.
So they say. Add the tax increases on everything under the sun and…
Of course that means there is about 500 billion in spending that does little to stimulate.
Why One Term Obama:
We paid over $35,000 fed taxes, over $15,000 State; will get combined $3,000 back if lucky. We worked our ways through college/grad schools, borrowed on our home to put kids through college & out to good jobs– still paying on all loans to some degree. Piad combined utility (gas,water, electric, applicance contracts like cable TV, cell phones, etc) of near 12,000 & another 12,000 for health insurance (We’re healthy/take no special meds or diets, etc). First & 2nd mortgages equal over $40,000. We run one ancient car and one we’re still paying on at $400 month(aboth get betw 24-30 mpg–no SUV gas hogs or motorized toys for us) We feed 2 dumb/beloved rescued dogs and some cats. We take no vacations, if we can repair things ourselves, we do, if not, we mostly go without. We buy little to no clothing new, give modest gifts when appropriate to family. IF you’re adding this up, and Ive not even talked about gas, car insurance, food, you already know that we make a good living..and yet, we’re living on the edge. My spouse received a 10% pay cut, I am facing 5-15 % pay cut. The first thing we did was to stop buying EVERYTHING not necessary for daily life: where we were going to put carpeting to replace 22-yr-old carpeting (already ripped up) will remain bare plywood. Repaint the house? Not. We’ll do the trim ourselves and hope the body of the house can take a few more years of weather. Leaky roof? Put bucket under it. Every-other-week cleaning lady, gone. Occassional self-employed odd jobber–gone. Once-a month yard help–gone. Cut and color your own hair, groom the dogs/cats as best you can yourself. Put in a vegetable garden and 3 laying hens. Nearly stopped buying prepared food. And so it goes. The next level up will be to stop all papers, cable TV, turn off the air-conditioning, and choose either a land line or cell, but not both. My point IS—-somewhere in this narrative you have to see that we are the type of people whose taxes support all those others who pay no taxes or who will be receiving some of our “redistributed WEALTH” and I use the term “WEALTH” as loosely as Obama does. When I make less, everyone else gets less. When I did all the things a good American might be expected to do—served my country, paid my way, paid my kids’ way, gave to others….and in return, I am to give more while being less able to do so, you get an out of work cleaning lady, odd jobber man, house painter/contractor, carpet sales/installer, beautician, animal groomer, and maybe even grocery store/truckers who haul food, and so on. Everyone here who “gets this” message from the Western Front, please raise your hand. If you also “get it” that when all of this happens, eventually there is no one at ALL paying taxes to support all those others. WHo was it on this comment board who said “jobs always come back?” They do if the right leadership is in the White House. I suggest that you all run out and put in your own gardens. Laying hens are really easy and take up very little space and give you a lot of eggs/meat substitute.