THE GREAT COVERUP; WE MUST NOT LET ANYONE SEE THERE ARE NO CLOTHES
It is remarkable how "obfuscated" Obama's performance has become. It is masterful control of perceptions and a masterful hiding of what is really going on.
However, when what was actually going on with Obama was clearly put out there, in Ron Suskind's book Confidence Men, it was ignored. (See the review and excerpts from his book, to get a better idea of what is involved - per administrative higher ups there's "no adult in the White House".)
Clearly most people lack the knowledge or the interest to look deeper - while they buy into the skillful rhetoric of well-fashioned sound bites, with all the troops lined up to be consistent with the campaign theme.
Indeed, we are looking at a case of "the emperor is wearing no clothes", but most people are saying he has beautiful clothes, covering up for his lack of performance, perhaps because they like him and want to give him some leeway and perhaps because he is the one they must protect to stay in power. (The Tale.)
Obama is clearly an excellent speaker, a man who can create great hope and promise wonderful things - a beautiful tapestry painted like the emperor's clothes.
GREAT HOPE
Having voted for Obama in 2008, given a poor alternative at the time and hoping for a "transformation", I was pulling for him to come through, that somehow others would support him sufficiently to make up for his apparent total lack of sufficient experience. But as I saw and then read and then studied more of what he was and is doing, I could come to no other conclusion, barring a miracle, than he was a "professor", idealistic ideologue whose theory was well-meant but who could not "execute." (No fault of his own, but due to his great ability to leapfrog over the hump of actually being qualified.)
THE MAKING OF A PRESIDENT
So, with Axelrod and Plouffe, he was fashioned into a rock star saviour, where, despite Hilary's jumping up and down and pointing out his lack of experience, the people could "believe in him" and that somehow he would create a new era where all people were better off (but especially those people who had the most votes).
THE GREAT SKILL
He also, to his credit, has a professorial ability to grasp and put together concepts, weaving them into knowledgeable sounding perspective, using great rhetorical skills. The problem turned out to be that theory, while nice, was not enough, and lack of understanding of effective management and economics left him weaponless in the battle to manage the most powerful entity in the world.
THE BLUNTING
Thank goodness that all President's have great advisors surrounding them, who can blunt the damage that could be done with lack of practical knowledge and without skills.
The performance of a President is always obscured to some extent. However, the cover up of this otherwise wonderful man's inability to perform is one of the most effective I've ever seen.
He's even being considered equal to Romney in the ability to perform, when there is no contest. (See Experience Side By Side.) Obama doesn't even have more than two years of activity in the Senate, backed up only by his being a state senator, an untenured professor, and a community organizer. (Those are all good things in themselves, but certainly not anything that would remotely qualify anybody to be President of the United States of America! Perhaps you think this is a biased conclusion, but look for yourself at the facts. So many are denying them. But, methinks, the Emperor has no clothes!)
TAKING CREDIT
Obama took credit for the increased oil production, when he actually had no positive effect on it, reducing federal land permits and drilling by 40%. (See Oil Claims, for the actual facts.)
Obama takes credit for saving Detroit, which was a good thing, but falsely maligns Romney who wrote an op-ed, with a bad, misunderstood title chosen by the NY Times, that laid out "managed bankruptcy reorganization [which was what was done] and then assuring Detroit's survival with "government guarantees of the necessary loans." (See The Actual Facts About What Romney Said In Support Of Saving Detroit - In Print!)
Obama took credit for the stimulus package, as if it was his origination. However, both parties were already working on stimulus packages, as it did not take a genius to figure out one was needed! However, the bungling of the final product was a result of his imposing several wrong-headed, impractical restrictions and some non-practical, fictional strategies - such as his famous "shovel ready jobs".
Obama takes credit for getting unemployment down to 8% or so, yet anybody who looks knows that the number is largely due to so many people giving up hope and leaving the work force, so that they are no longer counted as "unemployed". Those who have given up, are underemployed, and those still seeking jobs but not yet employed amount to about 18-19% (Gallup poll) The economy recovers naturally, as part of a normal cycle, from a recession, without any intervention. However, this economic recover is the slowest on record (MSNBC article), hampered by excessive or inappropriate regulations, anti-business sentiment, class warfare, uncertainty of costs and taxes, and lack of smart incentives.
A good idea, but one of the most costly and most underfunded, was the health care act. A classic "non-managed" conglomeration of many good ideas with poor execution and unanticipated problems. It was just bad management, period, with a lot of deceptiveness to get it passed. One of the main problems was that it was against the advice of his advisors, who said "the President had chosen wrong in making health care this top agenda item", when clearly the economy should have been first. This diverted energy from what was most important. (See the historical account: Review Of Confidence Men.
GOOD STUFF
Surely, once practical approval was obtained from those who are managing, the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell was positive.
The idea of universal health care, proposed by boh parties, was certainly good.
These were positive things, the minimal product of a professorial idealist with good intentions but little ability.
FATAL FLAWS
Talking good ideas and responsibility but have budgets turned down 97-0 and 99-0 in the Senate and proposing nothing concrete to address the "third rail" (politically sensitive) issue of the underfunding of the liabilities of Social Security and Medicare by an estimated $100 trillion (see the Trustee's Reports for each of those). Isn't something missing here????
Postponing the approval of the Keystone Pipeline until after the election, giving up on getting jobs sooner, for political purposes, as acknowledged by Dems also. NY Times
Blaming, making excuses (as Steve Jobs asked the President to stop), talking of Fat Cats, Unfairness, the 1%, oil industry as perpetrators (as well as Wall Street), etc. are all victim statements and appeals for victim thinking and waiting for rescue, instead of actually laying out what will work. Probably the worst flaw in the President's execution.
THE EMPEROR HAS NO CLOTHES - BUT WHO WILL BOTHER TO LOOK?
It is so apparent, not just by "opinion" but with actual facts and numbers, that the President is a fine fellow, but one whose inexperience and lack of executive skills has led to lack of sufficient progress and to some possible damage - at least we are losing the progress we could have made otherwise with an effective executive.
But, my question is, "who will bother to look and see?" Will the coverup work? It has a high chance of working, from evidence so far, unless a few more people will step up and give it some thought and consideration.
Will you do that? (And then make whatever conclusion you decide, but at least use "rational decision making" on this vitally important matter for the future of the United States Of America.)
