That’s the way to show us you’re paying attention after Massachusetts:
President Obama’s biggest mistake so far is being an overachiever?
“If there’s one thing that I regret this year is that we were so busy just getting stuff done and dealing with the immediate crises that were in front of us that I think we lost some of that sense of speaking directly to the American people about what their core values are and why we have to make sure those institutions are matching up with those values,” Obama told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos in an exclusive interview at the White House.
And he went into office, he says, giving us more credit for quickness than we really deserve:
The president said he made a mistake in assuming that if he focused on policy decisions, the American people would understand the reasoning behind them.
“That I do think is a mistake of mine,” Obama said. “I think the assumption was if I just focus on policy, if I just focus on this provision or that law or if we’re making a good rational decision here, then people will get it.”
A President’s day is too full for him to read the news and get a direct feel for what is going on – but he has a huge staff to do just that for him. Is anyone at the White House cluing the big guy in, at all? No one likes to be the bearer of ill tidings, and subordinates are likely to soft peddle bad news to spare the boss…but, after a while, the truth does have to get in there.
Or, does it?
Carter never figured it out and he eventually got mad at us for not being smart enough to see what a wonderful job he was doing. This went over like a lead balloon and Carter was crushed in his re-election bid. We all joked that Obama was “Welcome Back, Carter” – but perhaps we were being prescient? Its hard to be as obtuse and self righteous as Jimmy Carter, but Obama is clearly shooting for it, so far.
Barry, time to get Carville on speed dial…you need someone out there who can give you some good advice and let you know what the real world is up to.
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