The Hill: Dem lawmaker blasts Obama as "arrogant, alienating"

Here's an interesting post from "AmericaBlog" - please follow link to original
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The Hill: Dem lawmaker blasts Obama as "arrogant, alienating"
By Gaius Publius on 12/13/2011 09:30:00 PM

Here's Democratic House member Dennis Cardoza (CA) writing in The Hill:

After observing President Obama for the last three years, it has become obvious to me that the president might prefer to be a university professor rather than do the job he holds today. While he might not realize that he feels this way, the evidence is very clear to those who work with or watch him closely. ...

In the president’s first year in office, his administration suffered from what I call “idea disease.” Every week, and sometimes almost every day, the administration rolled out a new program for the country. There was no obvious prioritization and, after the rollout, very little effort to actually pass the latest idea/imperative/plan/edict. ... This lack of focus also made it easy for congressional Republicans to stall and foil many of President Obama’s best initiatives — which they did with relish!

Early in his administration, President/Professor Obama repeatedly referred to “teaching moments.” He would admonish staff, members of Congress and the public, in speeches and in private, about what they could learn from him. Rather than the ideological or corrupt “I’m above the law” attitudes of some past administrations, President Obama projected an arrogant “I’m right, you’re wrong” demeanor that alienated many potential allies. Furthermore, the president concentrated power within the White House, leaving Cabinet members with no other option but to dutifully carry out policies with which they had limited input in crafting and might very well disagree. From my experience, this was especially true in the environmental, resources, housing and employment areas. Not by coincidence, these areas have also been responsible for much of the president’s harshest critiques.

He adds that Obama's "'arms-length' attitude" has cost him much, both in wins and in empathy. For example, "A senior housing official recently told me ... [Obama] had personally never met with a homeowner who had been foreclosed on."

Read on; there are other examples.

While Rep. Cardoza still prefers to vote Democratic in 2012 (duh), he's concerned that Obama's virtual "student body" (us) may not.