I am not arguing that Obama has tried to do too much, a trope that seems unmoored from the reality of the office. He could, however, stand to think about a soundbite or two (or three) that would give the country a clear sense of where he wants to leave us after his hour upon the stage.
There is no intellectual shame in pithiness. “The only thing we have to fear,” “Ask not,” “I have a dream,” “Tear down this wall” all spoke to deep and complex forces in the life of the nation and of the world. Obama has yet to add to his own tag to the American story. As soon as he does, the bond he needs will begin to form, and this bond can make all the difference, if only once or twice in a presidency, for it’s what encourages voters to extend a White House the political credit needed to get something done. No bond, no trust; no trust, no credit; and no credit, no progress.
What is with all of these people? Forget that Obama already rolled out his own slogan, “Yes We Can!” The idea that Obama’s problems all stem from poor communication skills or practices is absolutely bizarre. The same people who think Obama is the most eloquent speaker since MLK or Cicero or Reagan also think his only problem is that he hasn’t effectively explained himself. Obama himself thinks his only failing was to eschew the cowbell.
“One thing I regret this year is that we were so busy just getting stuff done . . . that I think we lost some of that sense of speaking directly to the American people. . . . I think the assumption was, if I just focus on policy, if I just focus on the, you know, this provision, or that law, or are we making a good, rational decision here, that people will get it.”
Right. Never mind that nearly every time he goes out to explain his “good, rational” decisions, support for his decisions either goes down or barely budges. No truly sane person could look at his communications itinerary over the last year and say, “Gosh, if only he spoke to the public more.”