YOU PICKED A FINE TIME TO TELL US HE'S REAL:

The real missed opportunity in Obama’s first year (Clive Crook, December 27 2009, Financial Times)

Measured against what different groups of voters thought he had promised – everything they desired – the administration’s performance looks poor. Measured against what voters were entitled to expect, it looks much better. [...]

Independents have much the most reason to be disappointed. They see – and are right to – a broken political system. Congress is polarised to its roots. The country’s wide political centre is largely unrepresented on Capitol Hill. Committed Democrats and Republicans can hardly bear to be in the same room, let alone talk to each other. Mr Obama promised to strive for consensus. On issues such as energy policy, healthcare, education and immigration, there is no reason why moderates on both sides cannot make common cause. That is something many Americans long for. It was the great hope independents had of Mr Obama.

In his first year, he rarely even tried. He simply chose not to exercise this kind of leadership.

The reality is he was a junior senator without any executive experience (outside the Harvard Law Review) and not a single legislative accomplishment to his name. The lack of leadership is exactly what people were entitled to expect.

Posted by Orrin Judd at December 27, 2009 4:51 PM