President Obama seems increasingly resigned to spinning his wheels in Washington. Is his frustration justified?

2015-06-21T18:26:46-04:00

In a speech at a California fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee last week, President Obama offered a remarkably candid assessment of how he has tried — and failed — to change Washington. Two paragraphs, in particular, stand out.

“I am frustrated, and you have every right to be frustrated, because Congress doesn’t work the way it should,” Obama said, describing a conversation with a disenchanted voter. “Issues are left untended. Folks are more interested in scoring political points than getting things done, not because any individual member of Congress is a bad person — there are a lot of good, well-meaning, hard-working people out there — but because the incentives that have been built into the system reward short term, reward a polarized politics, reward being simplistic instead of being true, reward division.”

“And as mightily as I have struggled against that, I told him, you’re right. It still is broken. But I reminded him that when I ran in 2008, I, in fact, did not say I would fix it; I said we could fix it. I didn’t say, ‘Yes, I can’; I said — what? . . . ‘Yes, we can.’ ”

Obama’s comments in California were the second time in a 24-hour period in which he expressed resignation to the political realities of Washington, more weary pragmatist than an optimistic change agent.

Earlier Thursday, speaking about the killing of nine people at a church in Charleston, S.C., the night before, Obama started angry, but that emotion quickly faded to grudging acceptance.

“It is in our power to do something about it,” Obama said about the mass murders with guns in recent years. “I say that recognizing the politics in this town foreclose a lot of those avenues right now. But it would be wrong for us not to acknowledge it.”

Obama’s framing of his inability to change Washington is, not surprisingly, cast in the best possible light for him: I tried, but politics is so broken that not even I (and remember that Obama, like almost all politicians, has a very healthy self-regard) could fix it. I can’t make people do things they just won’t do. I can’t bend the system to work properly. No one can.

division.http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obamas-hard-lessons/2015/06/21/56c07130-181b-11e5-ab92-c75ae6ab94b5_story.html?hpid=z5

Obama’s hard lessons

His frustrated words this past week in many ways define his presidency: “I didn’t say, ‘Yes, I can.’ ”

Response by Capt Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 21 at 2015 6:30 PM

2015-06-21T18:30:16-04:00

That depends. He has not gotten cooperation on his agenda. But, then he has not given cooperation either.

My way or no way seldom makes for gain.

Response by CW4 Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 21 at 2015 6:31 PM

2015-06-21T18:31:36-04:00

I think he has always felt somewhat frustrated his entire administration because of the lack of support between his administration and Congress. I'm not saying that I agree with all of his proposed policies but the country will never truly move forward without more of a cooperative effort between the President and Congress towards the actual good of the country.

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made Jun 21 at 2015 6:36 PM

2015-06-21T18:36:15-04:00

The President fails to understand something. The Constitution built our system to function not only slowly but at odds with itself.

"When it is working properly, it is not working at all."

Not to speak badly of the man, but I don't think he ever understood this fundamental concept of the Constitution. It's designed to have Government that CAN'T pass laws. If you look at the procedures for passing laws, it's built to be difficult. It's intentional. We aren't supposed to have "agents of change." We aren't supposed to be able to push through laws. They're supposed to logjam up.

All that said, his frustration is because he is expecting something he cannot have. He wants an efficient system for passing Law. Our Legislative Process is not that. It's like wanting a sports car that fits a family of 6, and gets 60mpg. You can want it all day long, but sooner or later, you need to face the reality of how cars are built.

Response by SFC Everett Oliver made Jun 21 at 2015 6:38 PM

2015-06-21T18:38:35-04:00

History tells us a lot. And n this case history tells us that many Presidents have had congresses from the alternate party and worked with them. It has only been the last 2 years President Obama has offered any type of cooperation. Remember "I won".....

This is a problem of his own making, or as we might call it lack of leadership skills.

Response by LCpl Mark Lefler made Jun 21 at 2015 7:14 PM

2015-06-21T19:14:38-04:00

His vision is absolutely better then anything the republicans have or will come up with, the blatant and willful obstructionism has made everything harder. Certain republicans have even admitted its intentional.

Response by MSG Brad Sand made Jun 21 at 2015 8:30 PM

2015-06-21T20:30:52-04:00

President Obama has led the way in dividing our Nation and then wants to blame Congress for the division. While I am not a big fan of Congress, the lion's share of the problem can still be set on his door step.

Response by PO2 Skip Kirkwood made Jun 21 at 2015 8:52 PM

2015-06-21T20:52:47-04:00

He has never learned to play well with others; and refuses to work with others and compromise on any issue. If your style is 100% "my way or the highway" you are doomed to frustration, because that is how the world works. You have to be willing to meet others half way, and he is not. The Republicans are not the only ones responsible for DC gridlock!

Response by SSG Gerhard S. made Jun 21 at 2015 9:13 PM

2015-06-21T21:13:26-04:00

Pres Obama is stuck in the SAME web of political ineffectuality that most Presidents face in the waining days of their 2nd term. As a lame duck President he has nothing to lose, and Congress, who still wants to get elected, has little to gain through supporting any controversial, or radical moves. If he's truly surprised, he didn't do his homework, otherwise, his "frustration" can only be political in nature.

Response by PO1 John Miller made Jun 21 at 2015 10:53 PM

2015-06-21T22:53:40-04:00

Maybe bills and laws can't get passed because people (politicians) want to attach unnecessary fluff onto them!

Response by MSgt Manuel Diaz made Jun 22 at 2015 12:06 AM

2015-06-22T00:06:08-04:00

Yea and he did mention how the constitution has his hands all tied up, but he sure seems to get a lot of unconstitutional things passed, and he is still going on about how more gun control would have stopped that church shooting. If I recollect properly, most previous potus didn't get involved with personal verbal opinions on state murder crimes like Obama, just sending a representative for funerals if needed

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 22 at 2015 12:13 AM

2015-06-22T00:13:22-04:00

Here's the root cause of why he feels this way - it's of his own making. He collaborated with (then) Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid to stonewall any movement on the Senate floor. Votes that he would be forced to veto, that he'd rather not...or republican ideas that he couldn't afford to have implemented and actually work - that would prove counterproductive to his own ideology.

This is a case of the sibling that picks a fight with his brother or sister and then runs crying to mommy that someone else started it! This man-child never should have been elevated to this office.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2014/aug/06/lynn-jenkins/rep-lynn-jenkins-blames-harry-reid-do-nothing-sena/

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 22 at 2015 12:44 AM

2015-06-22T00:44:31-04:00

In 2007, then Senator Obama would rail against the way that George W. Bush governed. He voted to defund the Iraq War. He voted to not raise the debt ceiling, saying it was "unpatriotic" to run up the national debt at the rate it was going... and that was before the Lehman Brothers crisis.

Later, of course, President Obama went a whole 'nother way. Holding both houses of Congress, he was able to see any legislation he wanted through. Congress promptly passed a preposterous, pork-filled nightmare of an $847 Billion stimulus package, then since that wasn't enough, a subsequent omnibus spending bill that tacked on another $400 Billion or so. That was before the Affordable Care Act. Congress has been stuck doing continuing resolutions ever since, RENEWING all of this spending annually.
Then along comes a Republican House, and sequestration is born. We are told how horrible it is and how the government can't possibly run with spending caps in place. All this despite the "reduced number" being substantially larger than just a couple years earlier. All sorts of dire predictions are made, and through an act of gross negligence, the sequestration law was written in a way to make the caps particularly painful - the idea being that Congress would just HAVE TO come up with an intelligent, comprehensive plan to bring spending to heel. Well, they didn't.
Now we have a majority Republican legislature, and by appearances they are going to bring appropriations bills to committee and scrutinize the line items as opposed to glomming it all together into a monster nobody reads.
Now the President is frustrated. I'll bet he is. Now he will have to sign or veto bills instead of letting Senator Reid do the dirty work while he gets to be a "statesman".

And the President is fed up with "Business as usual" and "gridlock"? Please. The President could have gone another way and chose this route purposely and after some internal deliberation. They were going to do it his way. I am reminded of when the President publicly lectured Senator McCain post-election (I forget the issue at hand), dismissing McCain's words with a reminder about who won the election. He didn't have to do that, but he did. And he seemed to savor the moment.
I could pile on here, because the ironies in the President's frustration are manifest and manifold.
Unfortunately, this malaise and the President's historical enmity towards the Clintons will make for some nastiness in the Primaries.

The country writ large and the military in particular have been treated very roughly these past fifteen years. Our standing in the world has fallen precipitously and our enemies are emboldened. A penny-ante band of pirates in the persons of the Islamic State, Boko Haram, Al-Shabaab and others are mockingly advancing, knowing that we will do little more than drop a little ordinance. Our economy is nothing like it should be. Wages stagnate.

I hope, no I PRAY that whosoever the American people entrust with being the next steward of our great republic can pull us out of this morass and back to our rightful place as admired by our friends, feared and respected by our foes; magnanimous in peace and terrible in war. A nation that instills our values of liberty, loyal dissent, and a melting pot of cultures into a great union.
No party has a monopoly in good ideas. This game of brinksmanship has to end if we are to achieve greatness.

Rant over.

Response by Capt Seid Waddell made Jun 22 at 2015 1:47 AM

2015-06-22T01:47:41-04:00

I believe that his frustration is justified - and it is the result of his own hubris over the past six years.

If he had been willing to work cooperatively with congress (in both Parties) rather than shoving his ideas down unwilling throats he would have built up enough trust to be more effective in his dealings with them today.

What goes around comes around, and that is what is galling him today.

Response by Capt Walter Miller made Sep 4 at 2015 12:00 PM

2015-09-04T12:00:25-04:00

Getting the Iranians to agree to a deal is hardly an example of the president spinning his wheels.

Walt

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 17 at 2015 10:41 AM

2015-09-17T10:41:17-04:00

Instead of asking or saying the system is broke lets look at how to fix it. For one as the president you HAVE to reach across party lines and its your responsibility to bring the party's together to better the country not your agenda. Now as to how to fix the problem we need term limits on all seats no more career politicians, if you make them go back to the private sector you will see businesses and jobs come flying back to the US. Because they will pass laws that help companies instead of hurting them due to them wanting a job when there time is up. Its my opinion that is the only way to fix Washington and its going to take the states to do it they need to convene a national convention and put term limits to a vote.

Response by 1LT Aaron Barr made Sep 25 at 2015 10:50 AM

2015-09-25T10:50:51-04:00

No, it is not. The Will of the People is most closely represented by the House of Representatives which threw out his party only 2 years after he became President. A large number of those Republicans were elected to stop his agenda. He has refused almost any compromise, ignored Congress and acted consistently against it.

Response by MCPO Roger Collins made Oct 11 at 2015 5:52 PM

2015-10-11T17:52:05-04:00

Seems to me he has been very effective. Particularly given all those pesky limitations placed on him by the Constitution.

Response by LTC John Shaw made Nov 11 at 2015 2:04 PM

2015-11-11T14:04:52-05:00

President Obama could have been a leader of all Americans, he made the choice to be a leader of the Democratic Left. President Obama is the only leader who I have seen speak as if he was not involved or supposed to be the leader for the last seven years. Interesting that his blind spot extends completely around his actions.
Here is an idea, meet with, talk with and reach compromise with your Congressional leadership. The GOP Congressional leadership has done nothing but compromise, that is why many in the GOP don't trust the leadership.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Nov 16 at 2015 10:07 PM

2015-11-16T22:07:39-05:00

He is no war president and he fuels hatred in this country.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Dec 17 at 2015 12:21 PM

2015-12-17T12:21:17-05:00

It seems our government is focused on special interest groups, thus, making society more divisive.