Obama blames us--the people--for our dysfunctional government!

I admit that I have never been a big fan of Barack Obama, the politician.  But then I am not any much a fan of most politicians either; whatever their political stripes, they all tend to trigger my olfactory senses the same way that a skunk does!

As President, it appears that Obama wants to intentionally cast himself as the campaigner-in-chief, and not as the chief executive.  Because, as a campaigner, Obama can engage in rhetoric, war of words, and do a masterful job of us-versus-them.  Which is very different from the job of the CEO, who is expected to deliver the results.

So, what does President Obama do when he understands very well that the "other side" is not to be a faithful puppy?

This will not happen unless the American people demand it.  If parents and teachers, police officers and pastors, if hunters and sportsmen, if responsible gun owners, if Americans of every background stand up and say, enough; we’ve suffered too much pain and care too much about our children to allow this to continue -- then change will come.  That's what it's going to take.

Um, hello, it was just about two months ago that the American people, including "parents and teachers, police officers and pastors, if hunters and sportsmen, if responsible gun owners, if Americans of every background" expressed our preferences at the ballot box.  After that, it is up to the elected officials to figure out how to to act on those preferences.  Two years from now, we the people will once again let you folks know what we demand.

But, instead, the President seems to suggest that if his plan doesn't come to pass, it will be because we failed to stand up and demand action?


We can't stand up and demand action on every possible item, from gun control to climate change to how many lightbulbs there ought in the Senate.  We cannot have a referendum every single day.  It is to make collective governance easier that we elect representatives.  It is the job of the President to work it all out and act on our preferences.

The hassle is that Obama the President doesn't want to engage in the tough negotiations.  Hey, I understand that.  I don't suffer fools well.  But then, recognizing that trait in me, I stay away from certain roles within my sphere of influence.  To preside over the government requires negotiating with those who oppose his ideas.  As much as I didn't care for the womanizing side of Bill Clinton, well, he was one artful negotiator.  I loved how he forced Newt to blink first in that showdown. Maureen Dowd, whose columns can often get wacky, has, for a change, something useful to say:

[The President] always seems to be dancing alone. And that was the vibe of his swan-song press conference for Act One of his presidency.
His words were laced with an edge — churlish, chiding and self-pitying. He sardonically presented himself as Lonely Guy, shafted by the opposition, kicking around the White House on his own. Days before his second inauguration, he seemed to be intimating that the job he had fought so hard for and won against all odds was a bit of a chore, if not a bore.        

If Obama wants to fault us, the people, for not demanding enough action, then he ought to remember what he said about his own people, in his flowing campaign rhetoric back when he was Senator Obama: "We are the ones we've been waiting for" ;)