Roundtable: Obama Tough Enough?
EmailHere’s how the roundtable weighed in…
NOONAN: “I think it is an old cliché in Washington that a leader, a president must be both feared and revered. I think this president's problems don't have to do with his personality and fearsomeness. I think it has to do with policy issues.”
DIONNE: “It takes a lot more toughness to say to your generals, "No," or, "Tell me why you really want to do this," than it does to go along with the generals. So I think on that front, it's wrong.
WILL: “The danger is that this narrative about him not being tough enough occurs in the midst of, A.) the argument about Afghanistan, where to prove you're tough, you might want to escalate, and, B.) when he has to make a decision about the public option. One thing he could do is jettison the public option, offend his left and make himself look moderate, but can he offend his left on the public option and escalate in Vietnam — in Afghanistan?”
TAPPER: “No, I don't think so. What you hear from — from them, when you ask them about this narrative, is, yes, we've heard this before. Is he tough enough to beat Hillary Clinton? Is he tough enough to beat John McCain? I think they think that they proved — I think empirically they proved that — that he was able to do both those things. “
KRUGMAN: “I think a lot of people are basically just complaining that he's a Democrat.”
What do you think?
- George Stephanopoulos
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Unfortunately, what the round table thinks about any particular subject of either party is irrelevant to the vast majority of this nation; nor do we look to them for guidance on what we should think. Fact is, the people you typically have on your panels come from a different income level aand live an elite lifestyle. They don’t appear to have even the faintest idea what’s going on “down” at our level of income and lifestyle and we don’t need them to tell us what we’re experiencing and can see around us.
Posted by: jan | October 18, 2009, 3:02 pm 3:02 pm
I have come to the conclusion that Krugman is a fool. “No economist saw the collapse coming”. Who is he kidding? Ron Paul, Peter Schiff, Marc Faber, Gerald Celente, etc. and others were warning of such things. As a result of this, I believe that the Nobel peer review group on economics need to be replaced. This goes for peace as well.
Posted by: Huh | October 18, 2009, 3:06 pm 3:06 pm
According to Rep Grayson he is not tough enough because he is a good Muslim leader. He said this while he was on the Bill Maher show. So apparently he is too soft as far as his fellow dems feel.
Posted by: randall | October 18, 2009, 5:18 pm 5:18 pm
Complaining for 2 reasons, George……..Democratic and African-American. Bottom line. The markets hit over 10,000 for the 1st time in 2 years…foreign policy is on right track…..and he has been in office only 9 months! All of this complaining….Pleeeeeze spare me. Someone has an agenda!
Posted by: sara | October 18, 2009, 5:27 pm 5:27 pm
Peggy Noonan needs to go to Faux News…she still thinks we are in the “cold war” period.
Posted by: sara | October 18, 2009, 5:29 pm 5:29 pm
I remember Bush Sr vs Dukakis. They both were campaigning as the, “I’m not as wimpy as that other guy” candidate. I worried one of them would still be trying to prove it after getting into office. I don’t want a weak and indecisive president, but I also don’t want one who is too bullheaded and self-important to listen to reason
Obama’s campaign reminded me of Jimmy Carter’s – I didn’t know who he was before the election and after all the campaigning I still didn’t know. I hope his presidency doesn’t mirror Carter’s too; one of the most ineffectual and weak presidents in modern history.
Posted by: Walter | October 18, 2009, 5:30 pm 5:30 pm
WILL: “…One thing he could do is jettison the public option, offend his left and make himself look moderate…”
No public option = moderate?
Then I guess the 70% of Americans who favor it are all liberals?
Posted by: The_Mick | October 18, 2009, 7:04 pm 7:04 pm
Is he tough enough? Not yet, he isn’t. I don’t really know what to think about him. I just wish we’d get the H out of these wars so maybe we can get our own country straightened around again. It wouldn’t really matter who is in or who is tough or isn’t. Do you know what? God’s in Charge.
Posted by: Ann Kimble | October 18, 2009, 7:17 pm 7:17 pm
Those who have to say or prove that they are tough, probably are not. You don’t see a Marine or Navy Seal going around saying I am tough… you just know it. Does attacking Iraq and leaving Osama to roam around free since 2001 show your tough?
Posted by: Lisowski | October 18, 2009, 7:18 pm 7:18 pm
Presidential campaign and governing “toughness” are distinctly different attributes. The latter involves persuading a majority of 535 elected congressional egos, many of whom are not very smart, or honest, and all of which have their own priority personal agenda-get elected again. This group, not particularly industrious, are also seemingly incapable of effectively dealing with more than one issue at a time. Unlike voters, the members of the legislative branch and their leadership, need some tough personal direction. Unlike he predecessor, Mr. Obama seems to be moved by good intentions. However, he risks turning The Audacity of Hope into the Audacity of Fiddle-Farting Around.
Posted by: B. Bear | October 18, 2009, 7:18 pm 7:18 pm
Why in the world would Obama jettison the public option?
Just because the corporate press doesn’t like it?
Posted by: Flash override | October 18, 2009, 7:57 pm 7:57 pm
No I believe that his weak appeasement attitude has made himself and our nations appear weak. He is nothing more than a modern day “Neville chamberlain”!!
Posted by: Dr342 | October 19, 2009, 5:31 pm 5:31 pm
I was very dissapointed to hear George Stephanopoulos use the term “tee bag” in place of “tee party” during the closing commentary of this past Sunday’s show. I was not surprised to hear Paul Krugman use the term, as I’m sure he gets the same juvenille thrill that Janeane Garafolo, Keith Olbermann, Anderson Cooper, etc. do when making this vile and immature reference. But, I’d assumed Mr. Stephanopoulus had more class than that. Apparently, I was wrong. Whether it was intentional, accidental or a simple fruedian slip, he should know better.
Posted by: J. Clouser | October 19, 2009, 5:45 pm 5:45 pm
Posted by Randall: According to Rep Grayson he is not tough enough because he is a good Muslim leader. He said this while he was on the Bill Maher show. So apparently he is too soft as far as his fellow dems feel.
You know as well as anybody else who watched the Bill Maher show that Grayson made the comment in jest. You neocons are so desperate you will spin anything!
Posted by: zee | October 20, 2009, 9:16 am 9:16 am
Krugman called it correctly.
Posted by: Max | October 20, 2009, 4:06 pm 4:06 pm