On leadership (why would anyone applaud " cheap GOP talking points"?)

[ProSense]

On leadership

By Steve Benen

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) delivered a closely-watched speech the other day, in which he went after President Obama over, among other things, the issue of leadership. “We continue wait and hope that our president will finally stop being a bystander in the Oval Office,” the govenror said. “We hope that he will shake off the paralysis that has made it impossible for him to take on the really big things.”

The next day, I received a few emails from liberal friends, all of whom are Obama detractors from the left, who seemed giddy but bemused by the fusion of Republican talking points and liberal complaints. They don’t love Christie, but they seemed to love the rhetorical shots Christie was taking at the president.

I find much of this pretty bizarre, not just because dyed-in-the-wool lefties are applauding cheap GOP talking points, but primarily because the argument itself is so weak. John Dickerson had a good piece yesterday on the nature of presidential leadership.

What the president’s critics really mean when they say the president “isn’t leading” is that he hasn’t announced that he is supporting their plans, or that he hasn’t decided to commit public suicide by announcing a position for which they can then denounce him.

By any measure, Obama is a leader. The first stimulus plan, health care reform, and financial regulatory reform he pushed for are all significant pieces of legislation. Christie’s measurement of leadership is doing “big things” even if they are unpopular. Health care, as Republicans will tell you, represents about one-fifth of the economy. Obama certainly wasn’t facing the prospect of popularity when he pushed for changing it.

I remember taking a class on leadership and being surprised, as a naive grad student, how complicated it was. Leadership at a conceptual level seems straightforward and obvious — a person steps up, presents a vision, and encourages others to follow him or her. There is, however, far more to it than that, and there are even different models of leadership (transactional vs. transformational, for example).

more

I need an "I miss Corzine" button!

[Blue Owl]

1. Probably 98% is a pre-recorded applause track

It's all M$M smoke & mirrors these days.

The only thing the GOP has going for them is the M$M covering their unpopular, declining asses.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

2. and the Republicans "lead" how???

:shrug:

It's a cheap and empty (like everything else with them) talking point. Obama leads the country but not where the right-wing wants to go, which is why they're so pissed all of the time.

[Tarheel_Dem]

3. I said this months ago, some of us have moved the goalposts so far to the left,

that we've actually met up with the teanutters. It's a very strange phenomenon. It started at NorquistDogLake, when Hamsher & Norquist joined forces, and it has spread like a virus. Let's be honest, we've seen in recent days that many of us have something in common with the baggers, whether we choose to acknowledge it, or not. ;)

[Supersedeas]

6. so you'd more toward the baggers in order to distinguish yourself from the leftist goalposts?

[ClarkUSA]

4. I'll bet lots of Dems, especially teachers union members, regret not going all out in 2010 in NJ.

I'm sick of Obama bashing "liberals" who are constantly parroting RW talking points about Pres. Obama.

[Pirate Smile]

7. "I'm sick of Obama bashing"liberals"who are constantly parroting RW talking points about Pres Obama"

+1

[dsc]

8. that would be 2009

[treestar]

5. K&R

The idea of "leadership" they have seems to come from the medieval era. Get into the modern world.