The Curious Passivity of Barack Obama

During the 2008 campaign, Barack Obama signaled to us the pattern we now face in our leader. It first surfaced when candidate Obama allowed his detractors—for weeks—to portray the Reverend Jeremiah Wright as an extreme nut without ever trying to reframe the issue. Finally Obama emerged with one of the best speeches he’s given, on race, and Reverend Wright disappeared.

Now with Obama as our president we see this same passivity as he retreats into the background when he’s needed most. For months he allowed the House and Senate to dither on health care reform, without inserting his leadership into the process, and, as a result, we still don’t have a bill.

Then surprise hit, when it shouldn’t have. Ted Kennedy’s seat is gone, and where was the administration? As David Axelrod weakly explained, “I think the White House did everything we were asked to do. Had we been asked earlier we would have responded earlier.”

Since when does the party in power allow any important election to occur without aggressive intervention on the part of the administration? Where is the Democrats’ equivalent of Karl Rove, who would never have allowed such a surprise on his watch?

As a result of this foolish passivity, we’ve lost our 60 votes and with them the hope of a meaningful health care bill. Unfortunately, we’re still waiting for the Reverend Wright speech.

In Obama’s interview with George Stephanopoulos earlier this week, the president talked passionately about the need for health care reform, but backed away as usual from getting involved in the legislative process. We should let the House “make its [own] determinations,” he said. Why? After all, he’s tried this and it hasn’t worked. It’s time to call in Nancy Pelosi and apply some pressure.

But that’s not Obama’s style, at least not yet. He’s still operating in passive mode, preferring his role as facilitator to leader.

Facilitation wasn’t a total disaster in his first year; he’s gotten some big stuff done. But bigger stuff lies ahead—and awaits a president to take the lead.