Examples of a failing Presidency

How could you let a bill to fund foodstamps die in the House?

Your own mother raised you on foodstamps! 

It is during your tenure, that the use of foodstamps have risen the most.

What do you stand for? What are your priorities? 

Justice

Detainee’s despair has pushed them onto death’s doorstep at Guantanamo.

It is unsatisfactory to have 41 vacancies for judges with no nominations.

We are reaching the statue of limitations to prosecute bankers/businessmen for the financial debacle of 2008 after you and Holder established two task forces to address/stall the issue.  There are millions of Americans whose homes went underwater and were wronged by the remedy which allowed bankers to put public money into bonuses because Geithner was such a wimp.  Is Justice socialism for the rich and capitalism for the poor?

The Economy – social unrest

The second great depression was met with innovative monetary policy and failing fiscal policy.

The stimulus package wasn’t appropriate for the problem at hand and fueled political discord in the partisan way it was passed. The Executive then set no fiscal policy for many years.  It’s current fiscal policy is sequestration?!

There has been evidence of lower class frustration in the UK, France, Sweden, China and Brazil. I feel there is enough contagion that will affect America.  I predict a “not guilty” verdict in the Geo Zimmerman/Trayvon Martin case would ignite it but I have a mixed record on social unrest predictions.  I predicted the Occupy Movement but projected it to become Watts Riots, which didn’t happen.  You’ve got to admit you didn’t see the Occupy Movement coming, I just felt the injustice.

I don’t buy Emanuel’s remedy of education being the opium of the masses to address the 5% of anarchists in Chicago.  The better answer is economic prosperity and you don’t have a clue how to achieve it.

You will be remembered for the failing bridges, bankrupt cities, wages going backwards, the injustice to seniors who were short changed on their pension plans and the first generation of parents who despaired that their children would be worse off than them.

Your Executive is like someone who is ill but doesn’t yet know they are sick.

Your government has no agenda and can’t keep up with the paradigm shift in economics, politics and power, let alone outline policy for main street.  You never kept your first term promise to work on the economy every day or if you did your efforts have been pathetic. You are not the right man for the time and you failed to assemble the best minds in America to address the problems.

You need a private economic summit to discuss the changes in economics with L. Summers, P. Krugman,  J. Siglizt, A. Greenspan and J. Galbraith.  What drivers does government have to navigate the economy nowadays?

Once the “what” has been defined you need problem solvers like James Baker, Bill & Hillary Clinton, Robert Gates, Nancy Pelosi and Leon Panetta to tell you how to do it.

The Office of the President truly needs a Department of Government Affairs, which is in touch with every member of Congress to lobby for the priority bills, such as the Foodstamps bill.  There is a paradigm shift in the power structure of Congress and you haven’t placed sufficient resources to deal with it.  Your election team was successful in finding the road to re-election.  It is their analysis of Congress that is required to salvage your Presidency.

We have seen cowardice from you in dealing with the injustice to S. Sherrod and your pronounced failure to build an economic team brimming with leadership and confidence.

These are big strategic ideas well beyond the scope of Valery Jarrett.  We still fail to understand her reading of the facts to justify firing Robert Gibbs or Shirley Sherrod. 

Hope and Change, Rebuild the Middle Class, Yes we can.

I told you so.

Minding the Store

Your Presidency will be noted for not minding the store.
There is no Obama agenda because your style of management is to micro-manage so staff is not empowered.  It is not team Obama, it is just Obama. 

Critical positions, like the Chief of Staff or Economic advisers are revolving door positions. Their views are undermined because they don’t have a track record of Presidential support, they are merely transients.  Your staff operates like the Toronto Raptors, a new line-up every year, look where the Raptor’s finish.  It is ironic how Obama, the Candidate criticized G. W. Bush’s advisers of group think yet Obama, the President only chooses replacements from his tiny inner circle.

Your selections are hard working but are not empowered to be effective.  The terminations of Robert Gibbs and Shirley Sherrod appear to be done with a capricious flick of power yet poor performance is not always corrected.  Why have there been so many Chiefs of Staff and changes in Economic advisors?  There must be some kind of interference on those in the position, to prevent them from doing their job in a manner which pleases you. There is no reason to take these jobs, only to be undermined.  It is clear that the source of interference, as well intentioned as it may be, is part of the cause of the failure to govern.

The people selected have not demonstrated an adeptness to handle the levers of power.
The failure to provide a fiscal policy has been harped upon by many Governors at the Federal Reserve.  The nation needs a fiscal policy. Your staff churn may be a contributing factor in the failure to govern affairs of the nation.

You are not able to evaluate staff performance.  You had no conviction on the outstanding effectiveness of Sheila Bair or Elizabeth Warren and substituted non-descript men. You didn’t pull the trap door on T. Geithner or E. Holder whose performance could be considered suspect if not failing.  You went a whole year without nominating a judge to vacancies and this year of the 81 vacancies have only nominated 37 judges.  This is clearly not doing the people’s business after 5 years on the job.

You must know, that I don’t think you can get anything done.  I think Hillary Clinton can get things done.  What’s the difference?
She knows how to pick good people. You don’t.
She knows a lot of people.  You don’t.  She has the A list, you have the B list.
She empowers her people.  You don’t.  Your staff is second guessed by V. Jarrett.
She knows how to problem solve.  You don’t. 
She understands the levers of power.  You don’t.
She sets an agenda.  You don’t.
I think you need Hillary Clinton’s help.  America needs to get things done in your remaining time.

Your record is of broken promises "Hope and Change", "Return of the Middle Class".  You really don't know how to get there from here.

You must break your bad habits and change.  Cut back on the micro-managing by empowering staff.  Reduce the influence of the interference.  So many of the current distraction issues could be handled by an empowered Chief of Staff, but because you micro-manage you are stuck addressing issues that drag you down.  You fail to select team members who demonstrate wisdom or adeptness at pulling the levers of power. My opinion is that V. Jarrett is an amateur compared to L. Summers or A. Greenspan. 
You don’t agree, but look at your record. America needs a fiscal policy.

I told you so.