Oh no, President Obama's got himself some trouble! Turns out that -- according to the New York Times' Helene Cooper -- everyone's trying to figure out whether he's "a wimp or a warrior." And the growing consensus is "wimp."
Clearly, Americans have no confidence in young President Smarty-Pants to keep us safe from terrorists whose pants fail to explode. Of course, the problem with political reporting is that the reporters spend most of their time talking to politicians. Floating in the bubble with spin doctors and PR gurus doesn't exactly give you insight into the opinions of the rabble. Everyone in Washington may be thinking that Obama has a "wimp problem," but everyone in Washington was sure that no one wanted a public option for health insurance. They don't exactly have their finger on the pulse of the nation... [CLICK TO READ FULL POST]
Like every Democratic president since John F. Kennedy, President Obama is battling the perception that he’s a wimp on national security.It’s not just coming from Republicans (for example, Dick Cheney’s accusation that Mr. Obama is trying to pretend that the country isn’t at war). Now barbs are coming from the center too. This week’s Foreign Policy magazine has a provocative cover: Mr. Obama next to Jimmy Carter with — gasp — an “equals” sign in the middle. New York Times/CBS polling shows that public approval of Mr. Obama’s foreign policy dropped 9 points to 50 percent between last April and November. Leslie H. Gelb, president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, wrote on the Daily Beast blog two weeks ago that Mr. Obama needs to toughen up with his adversaries. “He puts far too much store on being the smartest guy in the room,” Mr. Gelb wrote. “He’d do well to remember that Jimmy Carter also rang all the I.Q. bells.”
Clearly, Americans have no confidence in young President Smarty-Pants to keep us safe from terrorists whose pants fail to explode. Of course, the problem with political reporting is that the reporters spend most of their time talking to politicians. Floating in the bubble with spin doctors and PR gurus doesn't exactly give you insight into the opinions of the rabble. Everyone in Washington may be thinking that Obama has a "wimp problem," but everyone in Washington was sure that no one wanted a public option for health insurance. They don't exactly have their finger on the pulse of the nation... [CLICK TO READ FULL POST]
