President Barack Obama is acknowledging in the wake of this week’s election rout that he hasn’t been able to successfully promote his economic-rescue message to anxious Americans. Obama says in an interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes” that he “stopped paying attention” to the leadership style he displayed during his run for the presidency.
Obama also said he recognizes now that “leadership is not just legislation,” and that “it’s a matter of persuading people. And giving them confidence and bringing them together. And setting a tone. And making an argument that people can understand.”
“And I think that – we haven’t always been successful at that,” he said. “And I take personal responsibility for that. And it’s something that I’ve got to examine closely as I go forward.”
Obama said that’s the response he’s giving to “some of my Democratic supporters who express some frustration.”
Obama’s Democratic Party lost control of the House in Tuesday’s midterm elections, as Republicans picked up a net gain of at least 60 seats, setting up a more divided government — or shared governance — in January, depending to what extent the two parties can reach accommodation on such vexing issues as the economy, energy, immigration, education and the war in Afghanistan.
Democrats had held sway in both the House and Senate since the 2006 election. The balloting Tuesday also puts House Republican Leader John Boehner of Ohio into position to be the next speaker, succeeding California Democrat Nancy Pelosi. Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va., seems set to take position of House majority leader.
Democrats did retain control of the Senate, although their majority margin has been substantially decreased.
obama has been an embarrassment to the office of president. I don’t trust him, believe him or even like him anymore. His statements are clearly lies since he is smart enough to know it was spending not his failure to communicate that turned voters against democrats.
Obama also said he recognizes now that “leadership is not just legislation,” and that “it’s a matter of persuading people. And giving them confidence and bringing them together. And setting a tone. And making an argument that people can understand.”
Leadership is not persuading us and telling us where we want to go. Leadership is listening to us, and then leading us to where we want to go. It is not leading us to where he wants to go and expecting us to follow him simply because he is the leader.
Secondly, we aren’t stupid, “making an argument that people can undestand.” assumes that we are. It is not that we did not understand the argument, it is that we did not agree with the argument. That is a big difference, just as there is a big difference between arrogance and humility.
Obama has spent more time saying he didn’t explain health care “reform” well enough than he has actually trying to explain it.
@Greg
Here, here. It could not be said better!