Five Signs

Five Signs of a Flailing Presidency

The White House tries its hand at damage control.
by Fred Barnes
03/30/2009,
Volume 014, Issue 27

The Highlights:

1. His allies are moving to protect the president.

In a political emergency, this is the highest obligation of everyone in the administration. The president must be distanced as far as possible from decisions that led to the problem, even if he is made to look out-of-touch or actually incompetent.

>NF: And when the POTUS actually IS incompetent?

In the AIG case, Obama is like a cuckolded spouse, portrayed by administration officials as the last person to learn about the bonuses, though HE signed the economic stimulus legislation with a provision assuring they'd be paid. A front-page account in the Washington Post played along, absolving the entire administration of blame.

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner said he didn't tell the White House until March 12, two days after he learned of bonuses totaling $165 million and the day before the checks went out. What could Obama do? He was "stunned," the president told Jay Leno last week. Obama said he takes full responsibility for the mess. Then he went on to blame others.

>NF: That's too funny. I laughed until I puked. Well, I would have puked anyway.

2. The president gets out of town.

... last week was a good time for Obama to skip town, mingle with worshipful fans, and dodge the (suddenly) unfriendly Washington media mob. The idea is to get through to the American people directly, without the press filtering his every word.

>NF: Without the press reporting something that resembles the actual truth, you mean.

3. Top spokesmen dismiss the crisis as a 'distraction'.

Anything the president doesn't want to deal with or discuss, like AIG bonuses, is automatically a distraction from the important business the American people have elected him to focus on.

>See #2 for that distraction thing.

4. Administration figures can't keep their stories straight.

It's easy to keep your story straight when you're telling the truth. It gets harder when you're not.

>NF: They should just ask the Clintons how they did it.

5. The president indulges in hyperbole.

Presidents sometimes lose their rhetorical grip during a political controversy. Obama has. He went into high gear defending Geithner... Not only that, Obama likened the financial firms Geithner is dealing with to terrorists. "They've got a bomb strapped to them and they've got their hand on the trigger."

>NF: Barack Hussein Obama should visit Bethesda and Walter Reed Hospitals and see what damage real terrorist bombs do before making casual hyperbole.

Oh wait. Barack Hussein Obama coming face-to-face with brave and honorable men and women wounded in service to their country? That won't happen. Not unless the media circus is allowed in also.

One more thing. If Obama is showing the effects of a political crisis, how can he josh about basketball and bowling and other light subjects with Jay Leno? When in trouble, play to your strengths, such as being a likable, regular guy.

It worked with Leno.

"Mr. President," he said, "I must say this has been one of the best nights of my life."

>NF: Aww, Jay. I used to like you a lot. I guess I can start going to bed earlier now.

Fred Barnes is executive editor of THE WEEKLY STANDARD.