Today's Washington Post

President Obama is a mystery.  His enemies have never stopped claiming that he is secretly a Muslim and ineligible for the office of president because of his supposed foreign birth. His approval ratings are in the basement.  In response he travels to Indonesia for what he says is a kind of homecoming.  He gives speeches there about his outreach to Muslims and visits a mosque.  How did this man become president?  He seems to lack any real "feel" for the political process in the US.  He seems to want to be a statesman rather than a politician.  pl 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/09/AR2010110901388.html

There will be a review of "progress" in Afghanistan next month but according to the article below no significant changes will be made in policy.  i fearlessly predict that a lot of  "progress" will be reported.  pl

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/09/AR2010110906893.html

No government in Iraq yet.  Maliki wants to continue to wield the power we more or less handed to him.  McCain and his buddy Joe L. are in Kurdistan trying to persuade the Kurds to give up the presidency to Allawi whose people are making vaguely threatening noises.  Iran watches with interest.  119 Iraqis killed last week in car bombings.  Hey!  Mission Accomplished!  pl

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/09/AR2010110901751.html

 

 

Comments

[Dave Schuler]

Still, it's uplifting to know that any Indonesian boy can grow up to become president. ;-)

[lina]

Why do you say President Obama's approval ratings are "in the basement?" He's been holding steady at 45 percent forever. It's kind of amazing when you consider 10 percent unemployment added to the ubiquitous negative propaganda.

[Patrick Lang]

DS

Indeed. pl

[BillWade]

Today's Huffington Post indicates that the 2011 Afghan start withdrawal date is going by the wayside and that 2014 is the new thought.

Needed:

Ron Paul, Speaker of the House, now

[Spafford]

I heard a radio report this AM that Obama's favorable "ratings" had bumped up a bit to 47%, for whatever that is worth. But yes, the Obama admin leaves me shaking my head from time to time with their double messages.

[Dan]

The reason for the travel to other counties is that he is attending the G-20 summit in South Korea that starts today. I believe that it is customary for U.S. presidents to visit other countries nearby both before and after such summits.

It would have been strange for the president to have not visited Indonesia considering the time that he spent there growing up. The people who think he was born overseas are not going to vote for under any circumstances and there is no point in snubbing a major country like Indonesia in the vain hope that in doing so he convince some Palinites to support him.

His approval ratings are about what you would expect given the unemployment rate. I believe that Ronald Reagan had similar approval ratings during the early 1980s during the recession.

[walrus]

Col. Lang,

"He seems to lack any real "feel" for the political process in the US. He seems to want to be a statesman rather than a politician."

Told you so, and why, ad nauseam. He cannot do empathy. His 2012 campaign will be a disaster, but there are many more gaffes to come before that.

I recently read an old biography of Lord Kitchener, a slightly hagiographic one, written in the 1950's before it was permissible to label him as a repressed homosexual and narcissist, characteristics that jump out of the page now when you read it.

The criticism of Kitcheners what we now call "Management style" in the last paragraph of the book are perhaps applicable to Obama; - an inability to do teamwork or manage a team, thus taking on sole responsibility for trying to solve impossibly large and intractable problems oneself.

To put it another way; I have an acquaintance who has been a highly successful Director of one of our largest banks. I asked her what her secret was: "My job is to make sure that others can succeed at what they try and do" was her reply.

Have any "Stars" appeared out of the Obama Administration? I don't think so, apart from Hilary Clinton, who managed to captivate Australia during her short visit last week.

[graywolf]

PL:
"How did this man become president?"
Well, a lot of people - including, seemingly, most of the people here - voted for him.
I believe that you stated your Obama preference in 2008 because McCain reminded you of a past CO.

[Patrick Lang]

graywolf

I still think McCain is/was nuts. pl

[ex-PFC Chuck]

Dan:

The reason for the travel to other counties is that he is attending the G-20 summit in South Korea that starts today. I believe that it is customary for U.S. presidents to visit other countries nearby both before and after such summits.

The Pakistanis are something less than pleased by the fact that Obama chose to visit India but not their country.
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/LK10Df01.html

[dh]

He's just saying what Bush said. The war(s) are aimed at bad muslims. Good muslims are safe. Of course that isn't necessarily the way muslims see it.

[ex-PFC Chuck]

Walrus:

. . an inability to do teamwork or manage a team, thus taking on sole responsibility for trying to solve impossibly large and intractable problems oneself.

Your suggestion that the Kitchener assessment you quote applies to Obama is much too kind. I suggest three possible explanations, none of which are flattering, nor are they necessarily mutually exclusive:
1. A colossal misreading of the national mood from the time of the financial meltdown in September, 2008, and through his election and the first few months of his administration;
2. An utter and complete lack of spine; and
3. A deep strain of cynicism in his character that drove an intentional bait-and-switch campaign.

[optimax]

People are missing the point that calling Obama a statesman instead of a politician is a compliment. He is also a salesman but unfortunately all we have left to export is military and mining equipment.

[flite]

"A statesman rather than a politician." How rare is that anymore?

[graywolf]

"I still think McCain is/was nuts. pl"
My niece, a Republican staffer on Senate Armed Services Committee, agrees with you.
She has had frequent interaction with McCain.
Unfortunately, these were the 2 choices.
Perhaps in 2012, the Republicans will run a plausible candidate, but I'm not holding my breath.
If Obama continues on his current path, the Republicans will not need a plausible candidate - just one who breathes.

[Ronald]

I would be disappointed if Obama had chosen not to visit Indonesia because mouth-breathers back home think he is a Muslim.

No matter what he does, they will not see him as legitimate, they will never vote for him. Ignore them.

[Jose]

I voted for FoolBama and I am a Republican.

Can't stand the Clinton's for many reasons. but Hillary would have been a better President.

She has the required cojones for the position.

Still think Romney would be a better President, but I have been wrong before. lol

P.S. Notice all are Harvard graduates and that might be the problem.

[Castellio]

Yes, dh has it right: the wars are aimed at bad muslims. Good muslims should understand they have nothing to worry about.

Good muslims are defined as those who contribute generously and regularly to Aipac. Bad muslims are all the rest.

[Patrick Lang]

greywolf

She is correcto! Certifiable! Biden is also nuts. I saw a joke the other day about he and Bibi discussing anger management.

BHO was always for me a case of "faute de mieux."

Hey, I was for HC. she looks pretty good now except that she is "covering" for BHO. I guess it has becoe a habit over the decades. pl

[Bobo]

President Obama is ours to kick around for another few years and I suspect his approval ratings will improve as our economy improves.

While Obama is a very competent and inspiring campaigner that all went out the door once he was elected. It's like we had an electrolux salesman telling us all what good could come of the product as long as we bought it. But once bought the troubles began.

As for trips to India or Indonesia that is part of what President's are suppose to do and who could blame the guy for getting out of town after the drubbing his party took.

To me, a nut voter, he is a one term President but then put him up against a Tea Partier he will hands down as his competence will return as a campaigner. Of course what did people think they were getting with a Community Organizer???

[Patrick Lang]

Bobo et al

You folks don't understand. I have no objection to his trip. What I think foolish is what he has said during the trip. pl

[Fred]

Optimax, I'm sure the 'free market' crowd and Wall$treet can still find a few million jobs to export.

How about Graywolf2012?

[Clifford Kiracofe]

greywolf,

In the 1980s, when I served on the Senate Staff (Republican side of the aisle), a colleague dubbed him the "Manchurian Candidate" and that moniker stuck among my circle. Violent temper, that weird glaze in his eyes that would come up...wound up really tight. It was no secret that he was rather cracked.

Biden's thing I recall was extended stream of consciousness rambles after which he would get this very self satisfied grin and folks would ask themselves just what was it he was trying to say.

I am glad to see a US president in Indonesia and in India. It's symbolic more than anything else and perhaps he will generate some good will. I certainly hope so.

I heard, though, that some Indian politicians were taken aback by the President using a teleprompter in Parliament.

I have heard around town (DC) that the President uses a teleprompter in White House meetings which has also taken some folks aback. One wonders how scripted he is and who is scripting...

On the other hand, my brother saw him in Charlottesville, VA at a Dem rally on the weekend before the elections and said he was electrifying and spoke eloquently with no notes of any kind.

[Patrick Lang]

Clifford K

I was once subjected to a screaming rage by Biden on the subject of the sacredness of Israel so I am not impressed with what you say. did you ever read that book? Oh, I forget. you are too busy to read fiction. pl

[optimax]

Fred,

At least with Graywolf you would know what you were getting and would probably bring back the Kitchen Cabinet--in a culinary sense.

I hear Obama has a teleprompter on the headboard of his bed.