Presidential Decision Making

RealClearPolitics/Ottawa Citizen ^ | October 30, 2009 | David Warren

[nuconvert]

The extreme delay in getting decisions out of Washington that were urgent many months ago, on how to proceed in Afghanistan, was made sickly comic on Monday when President Barack Obama told a military audience that he would not "rush the solemn decision of sending you into harm's way."

Morale had been descending in Afghanistan, from what I could make out, among an under-manned allied force in serious need of reinforcement; casualties rising on uncovered flanks.

And then they hear this strange man in Washington, playing Hamlet with himself, dramatizing his own role in what should be a clear-headed and quick, unemotional decision-making process. After all, he announced his (vacuous) "comprehensive new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan" to great fanfare last March. All he has to do now is give it substance.

The Bush administration was, for all its misjudgments in other areas, good at making clear, clean, practical decisions with troops in harm's way. Bush himself commanded overwhelming support in the military vote for his re-election in 2004. John McCain, who could also be taken as having some idea about military issues, largely kept that vote. If Obama thinks he can now win the trust of soldiers, by blathering to them about the solemnity of his own august personal angst, he is as much of a fool as he looks to them already.

[nuconvert]

eeks. sorry about the title. It should be..Presidential Decision Making.

[BillyBonebrake]

Good, brutally honest assessment by David Warren.

[Parley Baer]

“Presidential Decision Making.”

He just votes “present”. No decision making required.

[ohioWfan]

The Bush administration was, for all its misjudgments in other areas, good at making clear, clean, practical decisions with troops in harm's way. Bush himself commanded overwhelming support in the military vote for his re-election in 2004.

Our troops miss having a real Commander in Chief. I wonder how many will re-up relative to the amazing committment during the Bush years.

[Freee-dame]

I wonder how many will re-up relative to the amazing committment during the Bush years.

...probably a lot since we are at nearly 10% unemployment. We were below 5% for most of the GWB years.

[ohioWfan]

That's a thought, but I'm not sure they'll re-up. It may be new recruits who can't find a civilian job, but the trained military knows how utterly incompetant and uncaring Obama is.

Their lives are at much greater risk because of this Marxist.......and they know it.

[Texas Eagle]

Mr. Dithers goes to Washington.

[hsalaw]

If Obama thinks he can now win the trust of soldiers, by blathering to them about the solemnity of his own august personal angst, he is as much of a fool as he looks to them already.

Ouch! As good as the line about the Obozo playing Hamlet with himself.

[browardchad]

I can, in fact, find nothing, in his record so far, resembling a presidential decision, or specific presidential direction; only purple prose, almost never to the point. It is surely evident by now, this is a president who cannot make decisions. It grieves me that the soldiers must pay for that.

Warren never pulls punches. God help our troops, and our country.

[Fresh Wind]

Presidential decision making...

Choosing the right golf club.