He ran on emotion and an obvious passion for defending the United States of America. There was no lack of evidence of his dedication to his country. He was determined to be the first African American president, despite the odds. He persevered through rumors surrounding his faith, his birth origin. In November, 2008 he became the people’s president. Where have those seemingly innate traits disappeared to? Did he leave them at the door? Since the horrific Fort Hood incident, and the most recent Christmas Day “crotch bomber” scare, President Obama has appeared aloof and different from the man hopeful Americans elected into office.
It took President Obama two weeks subsequent to the Detroit-bound Northwest Airlines scare to seriously speak to his country on the failure of the federal government. It took him two weeks to address what went wrong and the apparent lack of inter-agency communication.
One may have expected his speech to shed light on new information, possibly lay out a plan to ensure Americans that they should no longer feel threatened of being sprinkled throughout the skies of Detroit. President Obama delivered on none of those expectations. Rather he spoke devoid of emotion, reciting what Americans already knew, what talk show hosts had already discussed while he was away on vacation.
I suppose that one could excuse this behavior as holiday fever. True, he was in Hawaii for the holiday. Sun rays and warm sandy beaches may have a relaxing effect on an individual. But this is not a circumstantial case. Obama exemplified similar behavior after the Fort Hood massacre. Again, Obama lagged in addressing the issue. He did not visit the site for several days and instead vacationed to Camp David, pulling a former President Bush-Hurricane Katrina move.
These instances act as fodder for claims that President Obama is ill suited for the role as the President of the United States. A country that demands on the scene leadership demands an individual who can be present, on the scene, after an incident transpires, threatening our nation’s security. President Obama appears more professorial than presidential.
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Kathleen Someah previously attended Kenyon College where she studied English and Political Science. She was recently an intern with a political think tank where she focuses primarily on issues relating to homeland security. She currently resides in California.
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