http://www.ijreview.com/2013/10/90183-obama-become-absentee-president/Has Barack Obama Become An Absentee President?
Michael Miller
On October 27, 2013
Barack Obama has been accused by opponents of being much more fond of campaigning than governing. And now, facing a myriad of problems, has he all but become an absentee president?
As Daily Caller columnist Neil Munroe observed Saturday, Obama is distancing himself from the critical task of repairing his crippled Obamacare website so he can return to the campaign trail.
“The president is a very interested observer in this [repair] process [and] is being regularly updated on it, and is holding that team accountable for results,” Josh Earnest, his deputy press secretary told reporters Oct. 25, while flying with the president to three fund-raisers in New York.
Obama’s departure Friday from the White House illustrates his focus on electoral and ideological gains for progressives, rather than on economic and practical gains for actual Americans.Obama’s aides say neither he nor they paid enough attention to the website development program during the summer to realize the site, HealthCare.gov, would crash once it was put online. So far, they have repeatedly refused to explain Obama’s management failure. Munroe continued:
In the last few weeks, he’s also distanced himself from the budget impasse that temporarily shut down part of the federal government. He’s walked away from upcoming budget negotiations with the elected GOP majority in the House, from the high-stakes national debate over immigration, and from the unfolding crash of his Middle East Foreign policy.So, again, has Obama become little more than an absentee president? Is he much more comfortable in the role of a campaigner-in-chief who would rather lob insults and accusations at Republicans than roll up his sleeves, involve himself in tough negotiations and accept ownership for problems within his administration?
In response to Obama’s comment to a high school class in Brooklyn last week – “I liked math, but then it started to get harder. That can be so frustrating.” – a Facebook follower commented:
“I liked being president until people started questioning me and holding me responsible for things. That can be so frustrating.”Seems to me that hits the Obama presidency nail square on its head. This president loves nothing more that campaigning, speaking before adoring crowds and playing president. Governing, dealing with difficult issues and accepting responsibility – not so much.
