Why Isn’t He Better at Being President?

Commentary Magazine ^ | November 17, 2009 | Jenifer Rubin

[workerbee]

Obama is an affirmtive action product of average intelligence, historical ignorance, and the world view of an envious and resentful Third Worlder, steeped in leftist ideology and obsessed with race.

Perfectly phrased. This is the most accurate description of BamBam I've ever read. (slimy, Marxist pig dropping notwithstanding).

[ThomasThomas]

He made all the “Smart People” think he is smart. And then there are those of us who choose to live in reality instead of an intellectual utopia of theories.

[frposty]

re: Harvard Law Review

Have we seen anything he’s written during his elite schooling? Wasn’t he editor of that publication? If so who chose him for that position? What was the basis of that choice? Who were the other contenders?

[Mac from Cleveland]

And that bumbling idiot Hillary as well.....

[SoFloFreeper]

Because he is a prompter-reading liberal fascist.

[kaylar]

In February 2008, while we were awaiting the inevitable coronation of HRC as the Democratic nominee, my DH had the TV to MSNBC or CNN (not sure which). I was just walking through the living room, and my attention was caught by an unusually obtrusive male politician's voice. I cannot remember what he was talking about, but I remember being struck by ,well, how stupid and vapid were his droning remarks, even for a politician. I asked my DH, "Who IS that idiot maundering on?!?!"

It was BHO of course...And he was giving an address of some kind to an audience, so he was NOT off teleprompter.

I don't think he even reads speeches well! I have NEVER been able to understand why even his opponents think he's a good public speaker...Maybe it's because I heard him before seeing him as it were, and this "innoculated" me from BHO's appeal .

[Madame Dufarge]

March 11, 2009

"You would think this is the time he'd really knuckle down and get to work "

Carol Platt Liebau was first female managing editor of the Harvard Law Review;

It reminds me a little bit of my experience with him when he was president of the Harvard Law Review. You know, I hesitated to say a lot about this during the campaign because I really thought maybe it wasn't fair. That maybe, finally, when he got to be President, this would be a job big enough to engage and hold Barack Obama's sustained interest, because really, is there a bigger job out here?

[...]

[W]hen he was at the HLR you did get a very distinct sense that he was the kind of guy who much more interested in being the president of the Review, than he was in doing anything as president of the Review.

A lot of the time he quote/unquote "worked from home", which was sort of a shorthand - and people would say it sort of wryly - shorthand for not really doing much. He just wasn't around. Most of the day to day work was carried out by the managing editor of the Review, my predecessor, a great guy called Tom Pirelli whose actually going to be one of the assistant attorney generals now.

He's the one who did most of the day to day work. Barack Obama was nowhere to be seen. Occasionally he would drop in he would talk to people, and then he'd leave again as though his very arrival had been a benediction in and of itself, but not very much got done.

So, you know, you see that and you think, gosh, maybe that's the way the guy operates, hut then you figure ok, obviously he always had his eye on bigger and better things.

But now he's President...there really isn't a bigger or better thing.

Carol Platt Liebau

[Dilbert56]

The media believe Obama is smart because of the following syllogism:

Media Question-Begging Theorem

1. We, the media agree with Obama on almost every issue.
2. We, the media, are smart.
3. Therefore, Obama is smart. QED

Media America-People Theorem

1. The American People disagree with Obama on a lot of issues (51% are Pro-Choice, 2X conservatives than liberals, Gitmo, KSM in NYC, etc.)
2. Obama is smart (see Media Question-Begging Theorem)
3. Therefore, the American People are stupid. QED

[ClearCase_guy]

I gree with you. I find his style of speech-making to be off-putting. However, I tend to grant him some credit for this (I'm generous) because it seems to be a matter of personal taste. A lot of people see or listen to his speeches and actually say "I was really impressed with his presentation". Who am I to disagree with how they were affected.

But, personally, I don't get it.

On the matter of actual intelligence, however, I require some kind of data or achievement. Having people say "Well, I think he's brilliant!" cuts no ice with me.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

He’s never done anything before.

Why would he suddenly be good at being President?

He’s the affirmatve action President.

[frposty]

Holy cow if Liebau is telling the truth. Between now and 2012 I’ll bet a lot information about Obama’s past will be documented in a scholarly manner and reported to us.

[Mr Inviso]

Because he’s a lightweight moron with some seriously bad socialist software loaded over his anti-American inner-city Chicago operating system.

[GatorGirl]

Because it would be racist to point out that he’s really not that smart at all!

[GatorGirl]

Most schools have a “write on” competition by which submissions from aspiring law review members are judged by faculty and current members.

Once selected, every member is expected to work on the law review either by editing or submitting various articles.

Apparently, Zero wasn’t required to do this. It would be nice to see some transcripts or something he wrote. Have we ever had a politician who is such a cypher? WHAT ARE THEY HIDING AND WHY IS EVERY SCHOOL SO COMPLICIT??

Of course I can’t claim Harvard on my JD but my relatively lowly law school outranks Harvard in a number of areas!

FReegards! GG

[libstripper]

He was apparently on the Harvard Law Review for two years during the first of which, Jack Cashill reports, he wrote and had published a single, probably very heavily edited, case note. A case note is usually one student's description of a significant recently decided case that comments on that case and puts it in its legal context. Having written for the University of Illinois College of Law Law Forum, while in law school, I write from personal knowledge. Given the kind of heavily edited article that note was, it was unlikely to reveal much of his analytical ability, if any, very much of his own thinking on general matters, or his real writing style.

He may have been selected for his position by the normal method, academic competence, or have received a special AA appointment. It's unknown, all of his records being sealed.

In his second year he was president of the Harvard Law Review, an elected position where he was elected by the other student members of the Review, a position in which he apparently wrote nothing. As president, he probably had some management function doing things like deciding what topics the student editors would write about and who should get which assignments. He also would have had a significant role in deciding which second year students would get various editorial assignments after he and his classmates graduated.

[TChris]