BHO: An Epic Pretender — Redux

I wrote the following syndicated column June 15, 2010. I repost it here, to ask if Obama has done anything since I wrote this to convince you that he is worthy of another term? What leadership qualities has he shown since this was written that indicates he understands what We the People want and expect in a president? What qualities has he shown that he intends to listen to We the People or that he even cares what we think? Then ask yourself if this is the man you want back in the White House?

Leadership isn’t something a person proclaims – it is the character a person shows. It is understood as an individual’s capacity to lead. It is the ability to maintain and increase/improve during good times. It is the ability to reassure and make disciplined, cogent decisions in difficult times.

Mark Shead, referencing the book, “Leadership Challenge,” by Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner, writes that the “five most important leadership traits” (Leadership501.com; June 10, 2010) are that a leader be honest, forward-thinking, competent, inspiring and intelligent. Obama can proclaim himself a leader all he wants, but, apart from assuming the title by way of beguiled voters, I argue he personifies none of those qualities in sufficient enough measure to warrant either our respect or our trust.

Pursuant to honesty, he has broken his campaign promises, primary of which was his repeated promise that families making less than $250,000 a year would see no form of tax increase. He broke his pledge of transparency from his first week in office, and everyone remembers his promise to hold legislation hearings on C-SPAN. Constraints of space prohibit a complete listing of his lies, but suffice it to say, as did Richard Baehr, “his entire campaign was built on lies” (“Obama’s Campaign Built on Lies”; AmericanThinker.com; Oct. 21, 2008).

The ultimate expose on the radical nature of our 44th president: “The Manchurian President: Barack Obama’s Ties to Communists, Socialists and Other Anti-American Extremists”

And the lies continue. Consider that he is spending more money than Tiger Woods earns for winning a tournament to keep his records and background secret. As I have often said – the only reason people hide things is because they have something to hide, and because they are liars and cheats – a saying that has been proven true time and time again.

Obama’s administrative agenda can hardly be called forward-thinking – whether one calls it secular-socialism, progressivism or just plain old socialism, it doesn’t work. The world has had over a century of examples showing the epic failures of his government model. It is a cataclysmic example of economic failure. See “Citizens of Subjects: Keynesian Economics” (Lance Fairchok; AmericanThinker.com; May 18, 2010).

Nowhere is his lack of competence more on display than with his handling of the BP oil spill along the Gulf coast. His lack of action and leadership is hurting the people of that area. He has to date refused to meet with the CEO of BP since the disaster began on April 22, but he did consult with James Cameron, a movie director best-known for producing fantasy films. (Albeit we now hear there is a meeting supposedly scheduled for tomorrow with BP executives.)

“Three days after the explosion … in the Gulf … the Dutch government offered to help. It was willing to provide ships outfitted with oil-skimming booms and it proposed a plan for building sand barriers to protect sensitive marshlands. The response from the Obama administration … [was] thanks, but no thanks. … What’s wrong with accepting outside help [from the pre-eminent country in the world when it comes to being] experienced with building dikes and managing water” (“U.S. and BP slow to accept Dutch expertise”; Loren Steffy; Houston Chronicle; June 8, 2010).


That’s either incompetence or ataraxia, unless Joan Swirsky is more correct than we can begin to imagine. (See: “The Obama disaster machine: unfortunate coincidence or malevolently premeditated”; RightSideNews.com; June 9, 2010.)

What type of inspiration does Obama convey? Military officers under his command refuse to obey his orders, choosing rather to face a court-martial. It goes without saying how conservatives feel about him, but even his liberal base is disillusioned and uninspired by him. Earlier this year, George Soros said he “was dissatisfied with Obama.” Anthony Romero, the ACLU chief, was recently quoted as saying he was “disgusted with Obama.”

Pursuant to his alleged intelligence, I hate to disillusion Paul McCartney, but having visited a library doesn’t make one an intellect. Neither does supposedly having been part of Harvard’s Law Review. Pursuant to his intellect and ability to grow and mature into a leader, I strongly suggest reading Robin of Berkeley’s article, “A Shrink Asks: What’s Wrong with Obama?” the last eight paragraphs of which are an absolutely chilling analysis.

A few more observations of a true leader are: A true leader doesn’t blame others and/or make excuses. They don’t bemoan misfortune – they find ways to overcome it. A true leader doesn’t have to tell you he’s the man and/or resort to theatrical behavior. You can sense the leadership qualities in them.

Obama is an epic pretender who has never run anything in his dysfunctional life, and it’s up to us to stop him from running our country into the ground.