Barack Obama suddenly looks like a magician out of tricks what with good press having deserted him completely. Every section of the fourth estate seems to be handing him a mauling for perceived incompetence. From his cowboy handling of Afghanistan to his inept grappling with the sensitive issue of Islam or even his comical dash to bid for the Olympics, the media has abandoned its self created darling. What plumped for Obama is his charisma. Ironically, what is doing him in is just that. The “eloquence over experience” jab, once dismissed as a losers’ rant is now fast gaining acceptance amongst a wide cross section of opinion makers. Obama is not helping matters by indulging in a series of bloomers. He seems to alternate his leanings towards India or China depending on the side of the bed he rises from. The magic wand for the economy is yet to kick in. The cynical silence that greeted the announcement of his Nobel Prize threatened the credibility of the award itself. The first year of Presidency, one that leaves indelible and material impressions has seen Obama at sea more often than not.
Strangely, Obama was elected at a time when the economy was in a mess and the global business press (and corporate citizenry) making a cry for top bosses who were shorn of flashy trappings and could get on with the job with their heads down. Recent American business history is replete with examples of poster boys having to make way for boring, faceless leaders who could just stay the disciplined course. These CEOs were expected to navigate treacherous turbulence with a back-to-the basics mantra coupled with the right doses of “responsible” tokenism through voluntary paycuts and similar Gandhian acts. B-School gurus seem to have reached a consensus that regimented, restrained leaders are the best bet to weather a storm. The probability of their indulging in high-risk cavalier acts which could plummet organizations into a hopeless abyss is indeed low. With brighter weather round the corner, when significant course correction is the recommended order of the day is when the flesh pumping, awe-inspiring prima donnas merit their place in the sun.
One could therefore argue that the worst of the financial crisis was behind Obama when he occupied the hot seat. Hence, pizzazz over substance is what America needed too given that turnaround is what the doctor ordered (to put it mildly). Here is where the difference sets in. It has more to do with the process of selection than requirement or expectations from leadership. While several CEOs do have tailwinds in the form of ivy league degrees, loquacity and oodles of luck, it is rare for an individual to occupy the corner office without a track record of demonstrated success. (typically multiple times over). An open election system which does not call for any “qualifications” for the top job on the other hand, is bound to throw up leaders like Obama who get tossed upstairs on the strength of grandiloquent rhetoric. While he will probably land on his feet ultimately, the gestation is proving costly for America. The first couple of years are the only hope a nation has of steps in the right direction. The latter half of the tenure will be spent towards re-elction anyways. America deserved better than love and fresh air.
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4 comments:
Perceptive, but a perhaps a premature commentary on Obama's ability to deliver. Bemusing gaffes and trivial indiscretions apart, think your opening line itself betrays an impatience (from which we all, of this day & age suffer) for instant results,if not deliverance. In the post WWII era, cant think of too many who have had to assume the reigns of power amidst an unprecedent global economic crises and faced with an equally challenging domestic policitcal agenda (War, Health Reforms, Climate Change, etal). Can we be a little patient and spare a minute to think about the weight of the monumental expectations that the nation has of him ? I think, yes, we can !
More when we meet, lest I be accused of surrogare blogging !
cheers
P.S :
Didn't Churchill's eloquence & posturing (remember the 'V') shine through like a ray of hope for a war weary and exhausted nation? "...the soul of nation long suppressed (or in deep distress, as in the present case)...perhaps does need some audacious utterance of hope to bolster its self confidence (with due apologies to the revered Pandit).
Please overlook the spelling error.
Yes, his approval ratings are below 50% for few weeks in a row now! This is the lowest level of approval for Obama. Even when he was the junior senator from illinois his approval ratings never dipped below 50%. So the american public thinks as you do.
But stop and consider for a moment. Here is a man who is energetically tacking the problems of the day. Does not ignore global warming. Does not ignore china. Does not antagonise russia needlessly. Is tough with Netanyahu. He is being pragmatic with American power. As a politician he has won an important victory with the passage of the health care reform bill by attempting to build consensus.
Also he has reached out to the muslim world like no other western leader has. Those wounds run deep. They will heal with time. Atleast the process has begun. And he did not ask for the Nobel peace prize. I agree it was too early and too much but that's not his fault!
He is a president of a democracy not an autocrat like Putin or Hu. So while he may want to do a lot more, he will have to do it with consensus and some posturing for the american public consumption. Give him time. His 1st year has been better than both clinton and the bushes - 43 & 41.
May not have matched your expectations or is it that he has not matched your hope?
I would imagine, the world would rather have thim than Bush 43!
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I think your linguistic prowess dominates the underlying reality in my view. I must admit that Obamas Thought-Word-Deed is a tad asynchronous or may be more than a Tad But...but...his vanguards weren't any better. They probably said less and did less. And ofcourse his ascendency has been during an unprecedented era. So the mans job is tough. Then thats why you are President of the US of A, you may argue....And I have no answer....good thought provoking writeup though..keep it coming..Cheers
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