What doesn’t get enough attention in difficult political times is that failure breeds weakness and vice versa in what can be an acute and debilitating cycle. We know this. But we forget this. A Democratic president can’t win without the base? Or is it without the independents? Well, obviously it’s both. And winning politicians finds terrain on which to engage their political opponents where such ungainly coalitions are manageable.
Again, all obvious. But even knowing all this and with all the policy particulars having their importance, some things are critical to leadership that are more personal and intangible. Look at President Obama today and the guy just doesn’t have his swagger. The confidence is gone. And so is the smile. That’s human, I guess. It’s been a rough year. And like other presidents you can see the age on this president after only a couple years.
But people want to know they’re on board with a political leader who’s got a plan, who’s got something up his sleeve, who’s got some extra angle, some well of charisma or luck to draw on that makes the math in his team’s favor more than just 2 + 2 = 4.
Now, as I tried to hint over the weekend, people tend to forget that it took President Clinton the better part of a year to get his head screwed back on right after the 1994 congressional midterms. And even beyond the psychological dynamics it’s just hard to look too on top of your game when you’ve got all these jaunty Republicans milling around.
But it’s still important, perhaps the critical factor. No one wants to follow someone who looks like a loser or feels beat. Yes, I know all the different arguments about the tax cut deal and where he’s going to pick his fights and where he’s not or where he’s refused to so far. But the president needs his swagger back. Right now it may be his most critical deficit.
