|
Edited on Tue Nov-16-10 12:32 AM by Drunken Irishman
It's interesting how the President has been painted as not tough enough. This is something the media likes to do to liberals because it falls into a stereotype that while they're intellectually strong, they're masculinely weak.
This is not new. They've been doing it since I can remember. John Kerry, a man who went to war and put his life on the line for this nation, was often called effeminate and weak.
Recently, Sharron Angle told Harry Reid to man up. Implying he didn't have the balls for the job. A typical exchange we've seen from the right-ring press toward Democratic candidates who, while maybe not as raucous, have seen remarkable sets of legislative accomplishments over the years.
We've been told Democrats aren't manly enough. They're not John Wayne. They don't talk tough and they don't act tough. The Democratic Party, as Arnold Schwarzenegger so un-eloquently put it in 2004, is filled with a bunch of girlie men.
It was offensive then and it's offensive now. To imply Democrats are less tough than Republicans because they might not be as brazen and loud is ridiculous.
In fact, I would wager Democrats have proven over and over they not only have the fortitude to fight - but they also have the smarts to do it sensibly.
They know their battles and they know that path to a successful end result. I don't think Republicans do. I think most Republicans are quite content on banging their chests, making loud noises and eventually failing at getting what they want done because none of that has absolutely anything to do with being a successful politician. It might be what gets you elected, but it doesn't garner you support legislatively.
It's why George W. Bush does not have many domestic accomplishments to his name. He barked and he walked with swagger and he went to his ranch and cleared the brush - but what did that get him? We didn't privatize Social Security. His tax cuts weren't made permanent - which had he succeeded, the debate we're having now wouldn't exist. He failed at any type of social reform or budget reform. He promised tort reform and that didn't happen and he was supposed to bring about immigration reform and it was an issue left to the next president.
Bush was good at portraying an image of a tough guy. Someone who you'd see brawlin' it up in the bar on a late Tuesday night. Republicans loved that attitude. Democrats laughed at his shoot from the hip first mentality. It was successful in gaining votes, but it was not successful in changing Washington.
Bush was a failure not because of what he did - but because of what he didn't do. He proved politics is more than attitude. It's more than tough talk. It's more than getting out in front of the cameras and acting like Mr. Badass. That's the Hollywood version of the presidency - not the reality.
Because of this, I would wager that Pres. Bush was not tough at all. He was a paper tiger. Zhǐ lǎohǔ, as the Chinese put it. He gave off the image of a rugged cowboy, but deep down he wilted. He failed in almost every turn because he couldn't handle the heat. He couldn't handle the heat from the Democrats and he couldn't handle the heat from his own party on major issues like that immigration reform that never materialized.
He was a weak president. But because he played tough for the cameras and strutted around his ranch, the media bought into his image. A lot of people bought into his image.
Likewise, we've got a president now who is not about to lash out and wag his finger at the Republicans and the media. He's not hotheaded. He's not John Wayne. He's Bruce Wayne. He's calm. He's sensible. He's the type of president who would rather let his accomplishments speak for him than he speak for his accomplishments. The latter is easy. It's always easy talking ourselves up.
But that's Pres. Obama. It's not Pres. Obama to turn into Mr. Mean. Mr. Tough Guy. But, as Bush showed, outwardly image is not necessarily indicative of someone's true persona.
I do believe Pres. Obama is tough. I think a man who can take the criticism he has from both the left and the right and continue to put as much energy and fight into his agenda is someone who certainly has a great deal of strength.
While we debated back and forth here at home, fighting about his politics, demanding he answer our every concern, Pres. Obama was on the other side of the world, fighting to make this planet better.
He's come home now and the criticism continues and I doubt he'll give up. I doubt he'll give up his agenda because the Republicans have returned to power. I doubt he'll change his mannerisms because the left aren't content. I doubt he'll be the perfect president so many of us want. But I don't doubt his sincerity and his fight.
Pres. Obama isn't going away. As much as the Republican Party and many on the left wish he would, he's still here. And I believe he'll be here a few more years. They can try to marginalize him by questioning his masculinity and toughness - but I suspect that doesn't bother him. He's heard worse and he's probably seen worse in his life.
In the end, he'll continue racking up legislative accomplishments without the need to flex his muscles. Because true leaders lead and the pretenders only pretend to be something they're not.
|
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
