Is Obama Too Nice?

If you take a look at any of the books on President Obama and the ‘o8 campaign that have already been published, it’s hard to find anything very objectionable about the man. If I try really, really hard I can come up with a few things he has said or done that aren’t perfection. He still smokes... he made fun of John Boehner’s perpetual tan, ummm... maybe he has an ego that’s what, typical of ambitious men?

The problem, the flaw that may be his undoing is also his greatest strength. He’s a nice guy. Not just a nice guy the way your neighbor is nice. He seems to genuinely respect other people. Maybe not their ideas, but their right to have ideas and to fully express them.

During the campaign, it was clear to me that Hilary Clinton had no problem whatsoever going for the jugular. Sometimes it was active: “And, if I'm not mistaken, that relationship with Mr. Ayers on this board continued after 9/11 and after his reported comments, which were deeply hurtful to people in New York...”; sometimes passive, “He’s not a Muslim, as far as we know….” When Obama kept his arguments cerebral and did not attack, I thought that as the first serious black contender for the office he was well advised to avoid showing anger toward a white woman. But here it is more than thirteen months since the inauguration and he’s still that nice guy! He doesn’t attack and he doesn’t insult.

Nothing demonstrated that more than last Thursday’s health care “summit”. Obama took on the dual role of leader/facilitator for the meeting. This was community organization at its finest. He listened to everyone. He was able to adroitly hear the content and manage the process at the same time. THAT'S SO HARD!! I’ve done this with workgroups or “stakeholders” in past government jobs and it is extremely challenging. How much easier would it have been if Obama had someone else facilitate the meeting. He then could have retained more gravitas with his comments interspersed strategically from time to time. So why didn’t he do it that way? My guess is that he wanted maximum control of the six-seven hours and he knew he could manage both roles. But he also wanted, by facilitating it himself, to maintain a high level of civility in the tone of the meeting. I was in awe of how well he did this and could still take a humorous jab at “well-prepared” Republicans like Eric Cantor, “Let me guess, is that the 2400 page bill?”

It was clear early on in this meeting that no Republican compromise would be reached. It appears that the GOP sees more benefit in defending health insurers than expanding coverage to the millions of uninsured. But did Obama miss an opportunity? Could he have upped the ante by calling out Republicans on their failure to be constructive? I worry that the level of respect he shows the opposition translates to: “He can be rolled”.

In the summer of 2008, it looked like Obama was lacking the chutzpah and fire in the belly that gets you elected. Nevertheless, he sprinted to the finish and began his presidency with intelligence and grace, restoring regard for the US on the international stage. But as the health care initiative drags on and is in danger of getting bollixed up forever in Senate procedural argument, can the President do more? Or is it his nature to let the “community” work out their own differences?

What are your thoughts?