Everything in Its Own Time

Article first published as Obama: An American President on Technorati.

Aaron Sorkin got it right, back in the mid-nineties. The quote from The American President (1995), “…I was so busy keeping my job that I forgot to do my job,” is an accurate statement about Obama today. Hollywood presidents are always bigger than life, but occasionally they reflect the reality of the situation. Unfortunately, that is the case right now, but instead of seeing the real President step up and take control like in the movie, we’re obviously heading into an early re-election campaign.

First, one must consider who is doing the talking now on behalf of Obama. Robert Gibbs is now an adviser for Obama’s re-election campaign. He is no longer working for the administration. Why he was the one chosen to deliver the message that the President is not primarily concerned with getting re-elected is difficult to comprehend. Gibbs’ job description no longer includes speaking on behalf of the President – he speaks on behalf of the Presidential candidate seeking re-election.

Second, there is the message itself. Suggesting that Congress focus on creating jobs is an inappropriate comment. Congress does not create jobs – at least not jobs that would actually improve the economy. Yes, Congress can create new jobs within the government, but that is merely shifting the money around. Instead of paying unemployment, it is paying wages. It decreases the number of people that are unemployed, but does nothing to decrease the debt – quite the opposite.

Third, beyond the quick mention of the payroll tax relief remaining intact, there is nothing substantial coming from the Administration or Obama’s re-election campaign staff about concrete changes to improve the economy. There have been many accusations made about this president being an ideologue, and unable to admit that what he has attempted so far simply isn’t working. Accusations that the Administration wants to continue on the same course of throwing money at the problem have gone unanswered in any meaningful way. Government spending should be viewed as an addictive action. “Insanity is repeating the same mistakes and expecting different results” – a variant of another well-known quotation on insanity is attributed to Narcotics Anonymous. Appropriate to see that organization pointing out the problem we are facing now when it comes to the “Beltway opiate.”

But the unfortunate fact is that the vast majority of Americans may very well forget this little message from Gibbs, the re-election campaign consultant. Worse, they may miss the irony. Washington was rife with double-speak and non-committal replies to important questions before this Administration, and will undoubtedly remain so. However, perhaps the historians of the future will pick up on the fact that this practice has been raised to an art form by Obama – beyond his utter failure to lead because it got in the way of his re-election campaign, he may go down in history as the master of the fine art of meaningless political oration.