Obama's happiness deficit (big whiner, ends mtgs early for BB)

Washington Post ^ | March 15 | Fred Hiatt

[PghBaldy]

Here's a theory about why President Obama is having a tough political time right now: He doesn't seem all that happy being president.

...I started thinking about this a few weeks ago when Obama confidant David Axelrod, noting that the president always makes time for his daughters' recitals and soccer games, told the New York Times, "I think that's part of how he sustains himself through all this."

Really? Is the presidency something to sustain yourself through? He did ask for this job; we didn't make him take it. And so it seems fair to ask: What part of it does he enjoy? Formulating rational solutions to complex problems, for sure...

[PghBaldy]

If insider accounts are to be believed, Obama would rather preside briskly over the meeting and then go up to the family quarters or out for some basketball.

[Pelham]

“He doesn’t seem all that happy being president.”

Funny. A lot of the rest of us aren’t any happier with him being president.

[rbg81]

Is the presidency something to sustain yourself through?

---

I’ll say he asked for the job. Now he has it and he doesn’t like it? I guess the journey of personal discovery isn’t going too well.Too bad—he can leave in 3 more years.

[mlocher]

Happiness deficit. Poll deficit. Budget deficit. Whatever...

[ClearCase_guy]

He’s in way over his head.

[Paradox]

Obama never wanted to _be_ President. Remember how, back when he first got elected to the Senate, he said he was too inexperienced? Well the “Powers that Be” convinced him to _run_ for President, which he enjoyed, but he didn’t want to really _be_ President. He still doesn’t.

[Marty62]

Typical shooting star syndone.

Hot on the way up...Burning out on the way down.

[Hardastarboard]

Formulating rational solutions to complex problems, for sure

0bama is a one trick pony. Socialism isn't a rational solution for any problem, complex or not, but it is his only solution, every time.

[stefanbatory]

why wait? oh yeah...Biden

[NoExpectations]

and from another article about his weekly CEO lunches...”A number of CEOs who have participated have come out grumbling about the affairs, saying that there is a lot of talk from the President about himself and the job he’s doing and less on what the CEOs are seeing in the real world when it comes to the economy, job growth, and the way Washington is working.”

He doesn’t want to work with anyone. He wants to dictate. That’s the reason he is unhappy.

[BluH2o]

My take on this ... he’s an affirmative action president, thrust forward by events he certainly embraced and now finds himself in a situation he is little suited for ... essentially someone who is well beyond his level of competency.

[ryan71]

He’s a pathetic narcissist who doesn’t play well with others.

[wita]

Community organizing isn’t exactly preparing oneself for reality. Inner city America, is exactly NOT America, and hopefully never will be.

[Jaidyn]

This is typical of him. He never held a job for long, and I imagine he missed a lot of college classes, if he even attended. He’s been complaining about the rigors of being president for some time, now. He wants the glory, but is too lazy to put out constructive effort. He loves to campaign when he has the full attention of his audience. When in a mixed setting, he has no clue how to respond, and usually fumbles. He is lousy at give and take, but would make a good dictator...

[MsLady]

Yes he is. And my guess is, he’s way overwhelmed too. I think he throws an idea out and let’s everyone else take care of it. I think he likes the perks and hates the job. Not that I could do it any better, but, HE asked for the job.

[McGavin999]

We understand that, even without war and recession, it wouldn't be easy. His predecessor partied and stuck him with the tab

Yeah, boy, did Dubya every party. 9-11, recession following, country in terror, constant threats. Boy howdy did Dubya ever party. WAHOOO the good times just rolled.

Does the Washington Post have any writers who have more then one brain cell?

[SonOfDarkSkies]

Obama has always been a floater (i.e. slacker who floats from one job to the next without ever excelling at anything).

• He was an affirmative action student who took full advantage of his ethnicity to skate into big name schools (the fact that he has hidden his transcripts speak volumes about his probably performance).

• As a community organizer, he wasn't particularly effective as actually getting anything done (it was said that his greatest asset was that he could make folks believe that "he could do the job.")

• As a state senator, (according to former Chicago reporter Todd Spivak) all of his legislative accomplishments were in his final 7th year and were handed to him by his mentor, Ill. State Senate President Emil Jones).

• As a U.S. Senator, all he did was run for president (and it has been said that his campaign only began when Reid noticed Obama was getting bored and wanted to return to Chicago to run for Governor).

[moose2004]

“And so it seems fair to ask: What part of it does he enjoy?”

Simply put, he loved campaigning, and still does, he enjoyed making wild claims about what he could and would do as president, lying at every stop on the trail about everything and NEVER being called on by the MSM to explain himself in detail. And of course he really enjoyed blaming everything on Bush. As an executive, to put it mildly, he stinks.

[primatreat]

“I’ll say he asked for the job. Now he has it and he doesn’t like it? I guess the journey of personal discovery isn’t going too well.Too bad—he can leave in 3 more years.”

I think he will be “leaved” by Thanksgiving. Impeachment is a wonderful word!

[Ticonderoga34]

He’s a spoiled man-child. God help us.

The question in my mind is whether he will run for reelection. He can have a lot of fun being a former President without any of the grown-up responsibilities of being POTUS.