Obama's "Chief" Problem

One can only speculate why Obama chose West Point to as his podium for his Afghanistan speech. Perhaps he thought it would give him that “Commander in Chief” look. The cadets didn’t seem to see him all that chiefly. Then again why would they. The military have laid everything on the line; a line which seems to move with the whims of Washington. Barak has blamed, delayed, and all but talked the war issue to death. What he did not do in the past months nor again last evening was instill confidence that he can be “Chief”.

A brief look at Obama’s history shows that he is willing to allow the CIA, FBI, and Secret Service take responsibility for Administration actions. He seems unwilling to prosecute any real criminals and will all too easily make Americans the criminals. Last night he telegraphed his punches to the Taliban and told them what to expect and for how long. When you look at the rules of engagement that he has saddled out troops with they are fighting uphill in every direction.

Our soldiers in Afghanistan can’t engage the enemy if civilians are present. They may not conduct searches unannounced nor at night. If they see the enemy, they are not to fire until the enemy engages them. Who in the hell does Obama think he is and what gives him the right to neuter our troops like that.

Chris Matthews said that Obama’s speech was given in the “enemy camp” and went on to comment how lackluster the cadet’s response was to the “O” speech. Duh! Many of these cadets will soon be deployed to fight within these confining rules for a president whom appears is not all that committed to winning.

Everyone knew when Obama was elected that he was short on experience and long on talk. Forty minutes into his speech last night only proved that he can talk long and loud. Perhaps he thought his facial expression and tone of voice would show his resolve. For a community organizer they may just get it done: speak a bunch of hype and hope the crowd gets involved and does the heavy lifting for you. None of the great leaders have ever been talkers. They have been doers. “Commander in Chief” is not a title; it is a responsibility.