Obama's response

[avatar4321]

It's been a whole four hours and Obama hasn't flown out to Fort Hood. I mean what the heck?! He should have run out the door and flew out there immediately. Why isnt he there already?!

[cat slave]

Good question! Not on his list? He wouldnt get all the press??? Hes scared???
He doesnt care about anything but his agenda??? Yeah, thats it!

[Insein]

Well maybe it would have been better if he hadn't said anything at all instead of his usual buffonery.

http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/politics/A-Disconnected-President.html


Obama's Frightening Insensitivity Following Shooting
A bad week for Democrats compounded by an awful moment for Barack Obama.
By ROBERT A. GEORGE
Updated 9:18 AM CST, Fri, Nov 6, 2009

Getty Images President Obama didn't wait long after Tuesday's devastating elections to give critics another reason to question his leadership, but this time the subject matter was more grim than a pair of governorships.

After news broke out of the shooting at the Fort Hood Army post in Texas, the nation watched in horror as the toll of dead and injured climbed. The White House was notified immediately and by late afternoon, word went out that the president would speak about the incident prior to a previously scheduled appearance. At about 5 p.m., cable stations went to the president. The situation called for not only his trademark eloquence, but also grace and perspective.

But instead of a somber chief executive offering reassuring words and expressions of sympathy and compassion, viewers saw a wildly disconnected and inappropriately light president making introductory remarks. At the event, a Tribal Nations Conference hosted by the Department of Interior's Bureau of Indian affairs, the president thanked various staffers and offered a "shout-out" to "Dr. Joe Medicine Crow -- that Congressional Medal of Honor winner." Three minutes in, the president spoke about the shooting, in measured and appropriate terms. Who is advising him?

Anyone at home aware of the major news story of the previous hours had to have been stunned. An incident like this requires a scrapping of the early light banter. The president should apologize for the tone of his remarks, explain what has happened, express sympathy for those slain and appeal for calm and patience until all the facts are in. That's the least that should occur.

Indeed, an argument could be made that Obama should have canceled the Indian event, out of respect for people having been murdered at an Army post a few hours before. That would have prevented any sort of jarring emotional switch at the event.

Did the president's team not realize what sort of image they were presenting to the country at this moment? The disconnect between what Americans at home knew had been going on -- and the initial words coming out of their president's mouth was jolting, if not disturbing.

It must have been disappointing for many politically aware Democrats, still reeling from the election two days before. The New Jersey gubernatorial vote had already demonstrated that the president and his political team couldn't produce a winning outcome in a state very friendly to Democrats (and where the president won by 15 points one year ago). And now this? Congressional Democrats must wonder if a White House that has burdened them with a too-heavy policy agenda over the last year has a strong enough political operation to help push that agenda through.

If the president's communications apparatus can't inform -- and protect -- their boss during tense moments when the country needs to see a focused commander-in-chief and a compassionate head of state, it has disastrous consequences for that president's party and supporters.

All the president's men (and women) fell down on the job Thursday. And Democrats across the country have real reason to panic.

New York writer Robert A. George blogs at Ragged Thots. Follow him on Twitter.

Copyright NBC Local Media First Published

[gabosaurus]

Perhaps he was advised not to go.

Or perhaps he will do a low flyover, then go on vacation, like Dubya did with New Orleans after Katrina.

[Trigg]

Perhaps he was advised not to go.

Or perhaps he will do a low flyover, then go on vacation, like Dubya did with New Orleans after Katrina.

Or perhapse he'll hold a press conferance and make jokes and shout outs.:lame2:

[hjmick]

Well maybe it would have been better if he hadn't said anything at all instead of his usual buffonery.

http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/politics/A-Disconnected-President.html

Dr. Joe Medicine Crow did not win the Congressional Medal of Honor. He was awarded the Medal of Freedom, last August, by Mr. Obama himself. You'd think he'd know the difference. I mean, he was there when it happened.

Exactly how cerebral is Obama again?

[Kathianne]

I too wonder with Hjmick. As for the OP, my take is it was meant sarcastically regarding the criticism of Katrina.

In both cases, the President showing up would cause resources to be diverted and cameras to be aimed at their 'concern.'

Problem for Obama, he spent nearly 2 minutes of his 'address' on the conference on Native Americans and how great his administration was, before bringing up the shootings at Ft. Hood. Very, very tasteless. He's getting a well deserved raking over the coals for it.

[Little-Acorn]

"It was fascinating to see Barack Obama warning us not to leap to conclusions about the killings at Fort Hood, Texas-- after the way he leaped to conclusions over the arrest of Henry Louis Gates, when he knew less about the facts than we already know about the massacre at Fort Hood. "
- Thomas Sowell, from "Random Thoughts"

[avatar4321]

It was sarcastic. You'll notice that those same people who were complaining about Bush not jumping around after every incident arent saying a darn thing when Obama isnt either.