Leadership

Earlier today I posted a link on my Facebook page to a blog post that was critical of President Obama's leadership. You may read the blog post here.

One of my acquaintances posted the following comment:

Personally I like Obama and think he has better ideas than some of our Senators and Representatives.

I know many of your friends don't like Pres Obama, Noelle, but I get tired of president-bashing and disrespect. I didn't agree with Pres Bush (the son of the President Bush I did like) most of the time but I do not show disrespect for any holder of that office.

It got me to thinking. There are a lot of reasons to like or to dislike a president. Their policies may either reflect yours, or they may be polar opposites. Their interpersonal skills may either invite people to accept their ideas better, or it may repel people. Their ability to communicate may either draw people to them, or cause them to reject them. Their leadership skills may either create a sense of confidence, or a sense of uncertainty.

There are presidents with whom I completely disagree, but who nevertheless have demonstrated leadership. There are others with whom I find myself in agreement, but do not do a very good job of expressing their ideas.

President Obama is an example of someone who has demonstrated incredibly poor leadership. That is my opinion, but it is shared by a lot of other people, even, I suspect, people on his own side of the aisle.

I agree with my Facebook friend that we as Americans should be respectful to the office of the President, and I disagree with her that criticizing President Obama's leadership is disrespectful, or bashing. While I generally approved of President George W. Bush, there is no doubt that his communication skills were severely wanting, and saying so does not mean I don't respect him.

If I were President of the United States, I would be like a deer in the headlights. I am not in any way prepared for that kind of responsibility. I lack the leadership qualities necessary to be the leader of the free world. But then again, I am not seeking that job either. While President Obama's leadership skills are likely superior to my own, I don't think he is prepared for that kind of responsibility either. It takes a very special person to have the qualities necessary to be President of the United States.

President Obama has been faced with many challenges during his presidency, thus far, and he has been analyzed and criticized. Some of the criticism has been blindly partisan, and much has been based on honest analysis, and been right on target. Just the same way some of his support has been blindly partisan, and some based on honest analysis. I think that the next president will also face many, and perhaps even more challenges and crises, and he too will face criticism from his opponents and support from his allies. Some of that criticism will also be blindly partisan, some more honest. It is what every president faces, and I believe it will get worse, not better.

I am an ardent supporter of Mitt Romney for the presidency in 2012. I believe that his background and his skills are an excellent match for the challenges and responsibilities of the president of the United States. I believe that he will be able to weather the criticism he will certainly face, and he will succeed in helping our great country back on a path of fiscal responsibility and strong world leadership. He has demonstrated leadership, and while being the president of the United States is the biggest job he will ever have faced, I have great confidence that he will do the best job of any of the potential candidates out there.