President Obama often bemoans the fact that he has been burdened with unique and extraordinary challenges. But all presidents have faced great challenges and all have had to deal with multiple crises. Even so, Obama may find the job exceptionally difficult for two reasons: (1) He did not bring to the presidency any meaningful work experiences that prepared him to handle the profound challenges inherent to the position, and (2) he and his advisors are mostly left-leaning ideologues who arrogantly believe they can reshape the country and the world by applying their “superior” intellect and ideas to difficult domestic and foreign policy issues. Instead the President and his minions have littered the political landscape with failed policies and broken promises (e.g., high unemployment, Obamacare, closing Gitmo).
But the President’s dithering throughout the Libyan crisis has awoken many to the fact that this seemingly decent, pleasant person may be in well over his head. No one can say with certainty whether bombing Libya was the right decision. However, there is substantial unease among even his most ardent supporters that the President has mishandled the entire affair. Richard Cohen, the liberal columnist, wrote that it was three strong women, Hillary Clinton, Susan Rice, and Samantha Powers, who pushed a reluctant Obama into the decision to attack Libya without Congressional approval. (Even Bush got Congressional approval!)
Cohen sums up the concerns many have about this presidency, “ . . . the Obama administration has applied incoherence to confusion. It is an odd, dangerous, mix . . . . The change that Obama promised has settled on us all like an irritating drizzle. His ideas were untested by either age or experience . . . .” (Washington Post, 3/22/2011)
These latest actions (and inactions) regarding Libya are part of a continuing pattern of incompetence in the oval office and in the administration in general.
Jim Littlejohn
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