Atlantis Alumni

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Obama's Failure To Lead

An all to common thread among the critics of Barak Obama is his refusal to take the lead - to act presidential - on the important issues that the country faces and in fulfilling his campaign promises. Read Frank Rich in today's New York Times. Rich outlines how Obama depends upon his advisors too much (they are often wrong,) and fails to pull togehter the various themes and act on them in a way that could define his presidency in a poisitve rather than negative way. Rich pleads with him to fix his presidency by exercising forceful leadership.

The gay community knows Obama's failings all to well. We are overwhelming disappointed in him. Now a year and a half into his presidency he has done virtually nothing for us. Gay and lesbian servicemembers are still being discharged. The Obama Justice Department is still defending the Defense Of Marriage Act in Court, the Employment Non Discrimination Act is languishing in Congress...and the list goes on and on.

Obama is seemingly oblivious to the malaise affecting his presidency. He is lucky that so far no real viable opposition has emerged from the tired and backward-looking Republican Party. However, if he expects an energized base to help propel him into a second term he is in for a major disappointment himself. Frank Rich still thinks it's not too late for Obama to find his inner Teddy Rooosevelt, to become a forceful leader. I'm not so sure.

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