A Punctuated Presidency

Can Labor Day—that turning point, that burst of fall energy, that end to summer ennui—come soon enough for President Obama? He's in one of those passive stretches again, where he's passionate about nothing and allows others to seize his agenda.

Watching his speech this week about Iraq, I found myself wondering what he really thought. He was scripted as he so often is. His salute to the troops, his summary of the war, and his unrealistic call for unity as we tackle domestic challenges were all delivered in the same wooden manner.

He's been like this all summer. The one moment of hope, when he burst out with enthusiasm for something, ended with a thump: his eloquent endorsement of religious freedom for Muslims, undercut the next day by his tepid language, left us uncertain about what he believed.

Whether we agreed with them or not, we knew what his predecessors thought. Though George Bush issued ignorant and often inane observations, his intent was clear--"I'm the decider," "Bring them on," "Mission accomplished." We knew where he stood. Bill Clinton talked spontaneously to us all the time. As if a popular professor, he explained complex subjects--Bosnia, welfare reform, Oklahoma City--while munching on a cheeseburger or boarding Air Force One. We knew where he stood.

Obama, on the other hand, is too often like a comma, a pause, a hesitator. Americans like their presidents declarative.

When he emerges from these passive states, as he did during his campaign and when he finally fought for health care legislation, President Obama, too, speaks from the heart. We know where he stands. But these moments don't come often enough. He's a wise man, but somehow his wisdom gets buried.

Perhaps this, his season of hibernation, will come to a close and we'll see more of the man we elected. God knows we need him.