Obama fails the leadership test (again) by Trader_Jorge This financial crisis has perfectly illustrated how Obama is simply in over his head. Great talker, horrible leader. He lacks leadership instincts because he has never led. Never. A true candidate of change would be out shaking things up, rushing to the scene of the battle. McCain has done that. He had led. He stopped his campaigning to address a challenge. Obama said to 'call him' and only showed up after Bush summoned him. Basically, Obama is exhibiting all of the leadership skills you'd expect from a back-bencher and a junior senator -- none. He's just simply overwhelmed on the issue of economics and how to lead. He lacks the gravitas and presence to go toe-to-toe and debate a Paulson or a Bernanke. If a former civil rights lawyer and teacher came into my board room and tried to debate a financial expert, the expert would simply embarrass him. 'That's what's going on here, folks. Obama is being exposed as being a follower. He is being exposed as the lightweight young guy who has blended into the Senate without accomplishing much. He has done nothing that lives up to his speeches. Nothing. What is he doing to change things? How is he stepping forward to lead? We are mired in a major crisis and Obama just wants to campaign and read from teleprompters. He has dodged debates all campaign season long, evading McCain's requests for townhall meetings. Yet now that we have a crisis on our hands, he wants to have a televised debate? If he was truly an agent of change, wouldn't he want to go influence matters? His promises are empty, folks. He is all talk and no action. How did he lead on other big issues? He dropped the ball on NATO oversight, by not hosting a single oversight hearing. He dropped the ball on the critical issue of abortion, by saying it's 'above his pay grade'. He voted present 160 times in the state senate, refusing to take on controversial matters. He simply is not a LEADER. How can anyone say otherwise? It's these types of real world issues where he looks his worst -- when reality sets in and people realize that reading from a teleprompter isn't what's going to solve a crisis. Ironically, it's during crises that leaders like McCain look their best -- and McCain is looking much better than Obama on this issue. He's driving the debate, forcefully advancing his position, and showing leadership.
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john mccain has not stopped campaigning, he's still running ads, he's put up no alternative to the plan, he's looked like the proverbial chicken with his head off. president bush is currently the president, therefore he is "president" bush. the people who are blocking the plan you support are hardcore little government republicans. get your facts straight. third from last is not a leader.
Of course Obama made the call to McCain at 8:30 AM to get together and issue a statement to assure the American people they were working together to help with the crisis. McCain called him back around 2:30PM. Obama is the one who is taking the leadership roll in wanting to present the candidates visions of leadership for all the nation to see at the debate. Too bad that Obama didn't follow McCain's idea of leadership and suggest forming a commission to study the problem. On Monday of last week McCAin was saying the fundamentals of the economy are strong. Now McCain can't even attend the debate. One candidate has been the example of calm, cool, collected leadership(Obama) and the other has seemed to come unhinged and fold under the pressure.
GOP thinktank in action... Keep firing T_J!!! <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/tDaiLK0ii0k&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/tDaiLK0ii0k&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
Well put, Jorge The problem with Obama is that he CANNOT put himself in a position of leadership because he doesn't know enough. He's trying to skate by for the next month and a half before he gets exposed. You can't right a financial crisis with canned "hope" speeches, that's for sure.
LOL - Obama hasn't done a damn thing. He selfishly wanted to remain in Florida reading his canned speeches instead of coming to Washington to lend a hand. That is not leadership, friend.
Sorry. I now understand. Obama was HOPING he could CHANGE something by selfishly campaigning in Florida while the nation needed help solving a financial crisis.
FranchiseBlade, your response is a perfect illustration of Obama's lack of experience and over-reliance on magical, mystical empty concepts such as hope and change. Your rebuttal to the charge is that Obama made a phone call and called for a commission to be formed? In other words he's just doing more empty talking, and he can't convince anyone to do anything. McCain took ACTION. He suspended his campaign. He went to the Hill. He took charge. Obama had to be called to show up and do anything about this crisis. He followed. McCain led. Again, Obama failed the test of leadership. As a financial leader, I can tell you that Obama would be laughed out of the room. Looks like the same thing is happening in Washington. The pencil-necked egghead just lacks the presence and knowledge to lead Washington.
if each member of mccain's graduating class represent 1 billion dollars, mccain would represent the point at which this bailout would cost
Does anybody have any funny pictures of cats? I have been searching the world wide web and I can't find anything.
Sam, why hasn't Obama done anything to move this legislation forward? Does he lack the leadership necessary to accomplish this goal in a time of need? It certainly appears that way. McCain on the other hand is pushing to get the bill right. And you watch how the Republicans get their way on this one. Just watch.
