One reason I don't like pure legislators as President is that they've never really *run* anything - certainly not in the sense where they were directly accountable for results. Legislators get to hide behind the collective (and thus diluted) responsibility the legislative herd provides - a useful cover.
It doesn't mean they won't be able to become good executives - but oft times...
Every President, no matter what their experience, goes through an OJT process. How long and how well it takes is the test of both their metal and their mettle.
President Obama finds himself hoist on the horns of his rhetoric as he sought the office, and like Lyndon Johnson, finds himself having to fight a war he'd just as soon went away, so that he could reshape domestic policy and the polity to his ends and dreams. Heh.
His opponents (yours truly included) are accusing him of dithering, while his supporters say it's reasoned decision-making. We won't know until well after the fact, probably after he leaves office, really, unless he does really well or really poorly.
Meantime, the troops do their jobs, watching over their shoulder.
On this post over at Ann Althouse's place regarding "dithering Obama" comes a comment that is telling, and one representative of many email conversations with deployed friends and readers.
Indecisiveness in a leader can be lethal. And not deciding is a decision. It's a decision to do nothing, and let other actors drive the agenda. That's not leadership. There's a different word for that.
Dilettante.
I really don't want my wartime commander-in-chief to be a dilettante.
It doesn't mean they won't be able to become good executives - but oft times...
Every President, no matter what their experience, goes through an OJT process. How long and how well it takes is the test of both their metal and their mettle.
President Obama finds himself hoist on the horns of his rhetoric as he sought the office, and like Lyndon Johnson, finds himself having to fight a war he'd just as soon went away, so that he could reshape domestic policy and the polity to his ends and dreams. Heh.
His opponents (yours truly included) are accusing him of dithering, while his supporters say it's reasoned decision-making. We won't know until well after the fact, probably after he leaves office, really, unless he does really well or really poorly.
Meantime, the troops do their jobs, watching over their shoulder.
On this post over at Ann Althouse's place regarding "dithering Obama" comes a comment that is telling, and one representative of many email conversations with deployed friends and readers.
Word.The Drill SGT said...
To those of us like AllenS, Roger J and I, in other words combat veterans, the concept of your commander dithering is truly frightening. There is absolutely nothing worse than no decision. even a bad decision is likely to be better.
Terms like "Thoughtful analysis" and "considering all the facts" may sound great to academics and Lawyers, but when metal meets meat, the right mode is the 80% solution, e.g.
A good decision, made on time, aggressively executed, is infinitely better than the 100% solution, made too late, and timidly applied.
Indecisiveness in a leader can be lethal. And not deciding is a decision. It's a decision to do nothing, and let other actors drive the agenda. That's not leadership. There's a different word for that.
Dilettante.
I really don't want my wartime commander-in-chief to be a dilettante.
I'm not sure Obama has that.
At which point, I made like one of those cartoon cats--my feet were already moving down the road at speed while my mouth was still saying, "Uh, OK Top!"
And to his everlasting credit (and my never-forgotten appreciation), he was never as harsh about bad decisions as he was about no decisions. It was among the most important lessons I ever learned.
I just hope Obama doesn't come to regret his avoidance of military service and the valuable lessons he would have learned there.
My favorite Platoon Sergeant was over fond of the "Lead, follow or stand out of the way." paradigm, at least he seem to be when he was yelling at me.
On the other (left) hand, President Obama wasn't much of a legislator, either.
Besides, if Mike is an older gent, I know several who type that way because of vision issues, I'm inclined to leniency in that regard.
Gezackly my point regarding how the herd gives cover, especially to those members of the herd who are articulate and pretty.
Sanger,
My favorite 1SG has said basically the same thing to me, repeatedly, about the lack of a decision by officers and NCOIC's in general.
"Make a decision, Sergeant! Any decision, right, wrong or otherwise! Just don't stand there with your thumb up your butt looking stupid while you're trying to decide if you're coming or going! "
1) SSG Yelton: "Take all the time you need, but need all the time you take."
2) SGT Hill: "Look at how it's made."
"As an American I am not so shocked that Obama was given the Nobel Peace Prize without any accomplishments to his name, but that America gave him the White House based on the same credentials." - - Newt Gingrich
Consequently nothing he does will surprise me until he does something right.
OBTW, read Krauthammer today his piece is very relevant to this discussion
I can relate.
His style has been consistent.
If things went sour, he either --
1. threw the blame somewhere else or
2. if his name was prominently linked to the failure, claimed the failure was actually a *success*.
If things went well, he either --
1. marginalized the actual author of the success and maximized his own participation or
2. inserted himself for credit even if he had no role in the original action.
....goes by the name of 'Lucky.'
fdcol63, I LIKE those pieces of advice. I have heard the first, but not the second, but it makes perfect sense! Thanks for that.
BTW, Grumpy, I disagree. W never came off as passing the blame elsewhere, not on Powell, Rumsfeld, CIA, anyone. Mostly he kept that kind of stuff to himself, and for his integrity, he got crapped on routinely, so'd his Dad, really. I wasn't a fan of W, didn't vote for him the first time, but I have nothing but respect for him.... and all the more given all the nitwit libs and eurodorks who hate him so much.
You know how it goes, if the people who hate W were to like me, I'd hate myself more....
As for O, I mistrust and despise extremists at both ends of the spectrum... Libs may be dangerous, but nine black kids didn't need to be escorted into Little Rock HS because of liberal hatred. And it wasn't a liberal who shot kennedy, or bombed abortion clinics, or blew up all those people in Oklahoma City, and it _wasn't_ liberals who flew those planes into the WTC!! It was people like our zealous upper-case using friend who BELEIVE, but whose causes just happened to be different.
I consider myself to be generally conservative, but brown-shirts make me reach for the guns, no matter what "-ism" they worship: fascistism, communism, socialism, McCarthyism, or even unfettered screw-the-people capitalism!
VR
Hey John, man havent you heard? the F.B.I have added 400,000 new names on the list of suspected persons that may commit an terrorist act-400,000 names in just barely a year i wonder if they have my name or yours- know what i mean.whats the F.B.I doing?are they the Gestapo now?also i heard that our s-of-s Hillary Rodham Clinton has got her way allowing the F.B.I to use e-trace as a tool to list every gun and owner and she and the F.B.I had been doing this with us unknowning behind closed doors.how was it exposed? a Sheriff who discovered the agenda and blew the horn on them.the news is slow reporting this but you'll hear about it.everything is being put down on a data base for the F.B.I and B.A.T.F to be totally in control- to be able to know exactly where and who are armed.they are treating us like sex offenders now! i hope this aint true but fox is reporting it a -little bit and the JPHO a pro-gun lobby group is claiming it all as the truth.getting spooky huh! how many more #'s i wonder will they have by next year? 40 million? the F.B.I and the B.A.T.F are the new Gestapo and SD.and some police depts the new Kripo -if all this is in fact true.and who's allowing this? guess you know who.hey Obama go fight the real Terrorist and the real crooks.this goverment really fears our guns well thats good but treating us like sex offenders just because we belive in our rights to bear arms is against our laws and they think it's o.k .i'm going to stop now John before i start being "EVIL" by using all kinds of animal names for these scums.
guy who probably voted for Clinton and now Obama.maybe you just love Janet Reno.i dont know
probably not but please stop.o.k dont talk to me.i really dont understand people like you yeah- i know and i'm digesting to you right fine.and can you read this now?caps are off f.y.i. just piss off
i dont mock you. oh no ,it's him again...."sounds kind queer.please stop just ignore me.
all i got is ink of a black rose with dripping red and skull for tango co.i know it may seem unreal
and today i cant believe these guys making 6,000 dollars every two weeks,but i do believe we saved many innocent people and i hope thats enough .was it worth it? i returned broke,hungry,and all winded up.but i did get a degree in electronic engineering prayed to our Lord to grant me peace and he has and my Wife taught me to love again,JOHN i'm gonna skip town for awhile so you wont be hearing anymore of my crap i feel like i just commit a crime or something to myself.but thank you and bless you.and i pray for all the Warriors Who Serve
i pray for you all and for VICTORY .ole'Binny got a huge DEBT coming.