President Obama's Biggest Deficit Is Trust Posted 05/09/2013 07:06 PM ET Leadership: With President Obama failing on several fronts — from gun control and the deficit to homegrown terror and the Mideast — even Democrats are questioning his effectiveness as a leader. Beltway cognoscenti on both the right and left are trying to figure out how a safely reelected president enjoying the support of half the Congress and all of the establishment media can be so impotent.Why does such a talented politician — one blessed with Hollywood good looks, 100-watt charm and a remarkable gift for communication — have so much trouble working the levers of power in Washington? Why can't he close deals at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue? Is Obama, as a former community organizer lacking lines of authority, too inexperienced at running things? Is he too aloof? Too arrogant? Does he rely too heavily on his teleprompters in lieu of wading into the political trenches and getting his hands dirty? All of this is part of the problem. But it really boils down to a matter of trust. Obama just doesn't engender it. Even if he rolled up his sleeves, worked the phones and reached across the aisle, he'd have a hard time winning people over. He's simply not seen as an honest broker. Public opinion polls show he's also having a hard time convincing the American people he's sincere. Take gun control. A New York Times-CBS News poll shows gun owners don't trust the president even when they agree with him.As one told the Times: "I was really ticked off the law didn't pass, but I thought it was wrong of President Obama to use people who had been damaged by gun violence as props." He was referring to Obama trotting out the parents of victims of the Newtown shooting at last month's painfully staged news conference. He and 88% of other Americans wanted background checks on gun buys, yet less than half — 41% — trust Obama to "make the right decisions about gun laws."Typically, the president blamed Republicans for the spectacular defeat of his bill. "How can something have 90% support and nothing happen?" he carped in a televised tantrum. The "legislation showed respect for gun owners and respect for the victims of gun violence."But the public doubts Obama's respect for the Second Amendment (or even gun owners, who he once derided as hayseeds who "cling" to their right to protect themselves).Read More At Investor's Business Daily: http://news.investors.com/ibd-.....st.htm#ixzz2TlcdhsrBFollow us: @IBDinvestors on Twitter | InvestorsBusinessDaily on Facebook |
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