IT WOULDN'T MATTER SO MUCH THAT HE'S JUST A FIGUREHEAD...:

Obama the Weak: The perils of a sycophantic administration. (Fred Barnes, 09/14/2009, Weekly Standard)

There are three President Obamas. There's the Obama who defers, the one who dithers, and the one who's out of touch. The Obama presidencies have one thing in common. They're all weak.

Obama is a great talker. He's also what used to be called a "press hound." That's a politician who can't go a single day without lavish attention from the media. But talking and availability aren't the same as leading. Nearly eight months into his presidency, Obama has yet to offer strong leadership, on anything.

What's more, Obama is a liberal who's surrounded himself with liberals. His weakness makes his liberal domestic policies more vulnerable than they otherwise would be. For a moment after Obama's inauguration, Republicans were fearful of him. They quickly found that opposing him is safe and fruitful.

...if he'd had the self-confidence and political acumen to surround himself with strong executives to compensate for his own lack of experience. Instead, he has the least prepared cabinet and staff in modern memory.

Posted by Orrin Judd at September 6, 2009 2:02 PM