Warning Signs Barack Ain't Ready!
by Larry Johnson (from No Quarter)
When I went thru paramilitary training with the CIA 22 years ago I learned more than how to shoot weapons, throw a grenade, reisist interrogation, or navigate rough terrain. I also got a chance to gauge how my classmates reacted under pressure. Most did very well. I learned, for example, I could trust Valerie Plame, Jim Marcinkowski, Mike Grimaldi, Brent Cavan, and others who, because they are still undercover, must remain anonymous. There were a few who cracked under the stress of limited sleep, physical exertion, and psychological pressure. Those folks you wanted to keep in positions where they would not be responsible for the welfare and safety of others. I learned I would like to know ahead of time what someone would do when the chips were down. You normally don’t want to wait until your house is on fire to learn your roomate is afraid of fire.
Remember George Bush on the morning of 9-11 after he was informed a second plane had hit a tower of the World Trade Center? He was lost. He did not know what to do. He was unprepared for the pressure.
Which brings me to Barack Obama.
I was chatting last night with a good friend, a retired Navy SEAL Captain, who said, “Barack may be a nice guy but what worries me is that he is even more unprepared than George Bush to handle a crisis.” Amen!! And we are seeing the warning indicators that this is true.
Yesterday’s clumsy attempt to smear both Palin and McCain with the clunky use of lipstick and dead fish as metaphors reveals a guy not handling the pressure of adversity with grace, humor, and steadiness. But that’s not the first time we have seen this Barack on display.
When he appeared at Rick Warren’s church–a conservative evangelical congregation known for a strong pro-life position–Obama was totally unprepared to answer a question about abortion. I could understand him stumbling at a Teamster’s meeting if hit with a question about when does life begin, but how could he be surprised at Rick Warren’s church? You do not have to be a political pro to anticipate that you would be asked something about abortion at a Warren hosted event. But Obama clearly did not anticipate it. The best answer he could come up with was the lament, “That’s above my pay grade.”
Let’s face the uncomfortable truth–Barack is like George Bush, a better public speaker, but equally insecure. Bush and Obama share a lot in common in terms of having political savvy to run pretty tough campaigns. But when it comes to the nuts and bolts of executive decision making, Obama, like Bush, is unprepared, self-absorbed and not a quick learner.
John McCain’s experience in combat and prison have equipped him to deal with the unexpected. Despite his reputation for a short fused temper, he has demonstrated an ability to remain cool under fire and stay on task. When his campaign collapsed in 2007 he did not cry or lash out at the press. He marched on.
We also have proof that Sarah Palin is made of stern stuff. She displayed far more grace and competence under pressure than Barack ever has. It was only the day after her riveting speech to the Republican Convention that we learned her teleprompter failed. But she did not miss a beat. She did not stammer and stutter. She did not sweat. With humor and confidence she gave the speech and did not reveal thru her actions that things were going awry. That my friends is the kind of leadership you want at the helm when a crisis hits.
FOR THOSE ON AN AGGREGATOR - CLICK HERE TO VIEW
And I’ll guarantee you this–if Sarah Palin was sitting in a school classroom when a plane hit the World Trade Center she would not be sitting there blankly trying to figure out what to do. When the pressure hits Barack he calls a woman a pig and a stinking fish. The only person in this race who is like George Bush just happens to be Barack Obama. He can try to run against Bush but the fact is that he is more like Bush than he is willing to admit.
SOURCE
When I went thru paramilitary training with the CIA 22 years ago I learned more than how to shoot weapons, throw a grenade, reisist interrogation, or navigate rough terrain. I also got a chance to gauge how my classmates reacted under pressure. Most did very well. I learned, for example, I could trust Valerie Plame, Jim Marcinkowski, Mike Grimaldi, Brent Cavan, and others who, because they are still undercover, must remain anonymous. There were a few who cracked under the stress of limited sleep, physical exertion, and psychological pressure. Those folks you wanted to keep in positions where they would not be responsible for the welfare and safety of others. I learned I would like to know ahead of time what someone would do when the chips were down. You normally don’t want to wait until your house is on fire to learn your roomate is afraid of fire.
Remember George Bush on the morning of 9-11 after he was informed a second plane had hit a tower of the World Trade Center? He was lost. He did not know what to do. He was unprepared for the pressure.
Which brings me to Barack Obama.
I was chatting last night with a good friend, a retired Navy SEAL Captain, who said, “Barack may be a nice guy but what worries me is that he is even more unprepared than George Bush to handle a crisis.” Amen!! And we are seeing the warning indicators that this is true.
Yesterday’s clumsy attempt to smear both Palin and McCain with the clunky use of lipstick and dead fish as metaphors reveals a guy not handling the pressure of adversity with grace, humor, and steadiness. But that’s not the first time we have seen this Barack on display.
When he appeared at Rick Warren’s church–a conservative evangelical congregation known for a strong pro-life position–Obama was totally unprepared to answer a question about abortion. I could understand him stumbling at a Teamster’s meeting if hit with a question about when does life begin, but how could he be surprised at Rick Warren’s church? You do not have to be a political pro to anticipate that you would be asked something about abortion at a Warren hosted event. But Obama clearly did not anticipate it. The best answer he could come up with was the lament, “That’s above my pay grade.”
Let’s face the uncomfortable truth–Barack is like George Bush, a better public speaker, but equally insecure. Bush and Obama share a lot in common in terms of having political savvy to run pretty tough campaigns. But when it comes to the nuts and bolts of executive decision making, Obama, like Bush, is unprepared, self-absorbed and not a quick learner.
John McCain’s experience in combat and prison have equipped him to deal with the unexpected. Despite his reputation for a short fused temper, he has demonstrated an ability to remain cool under fire and stay on task. When his campaign collapsed in 2007 he did not cry or lash out at the press. He marched on.
We also have proof that Sarah Palin is made of stern stuff. She displayed far more grace and competence under pressure than Barack ever has. It was only the day after her riveting speech to the Republican Convention that we learned her teleprompter failed. But she did not miss a beat. She did not stammer and stutter. She did not sweat. With humor and confidence she gave the speech and did not reveal thru her actions that things were going awry. That my friends is the kind of leadership you want at the helm when a crisis hits.
FOR THOSE ON AN AGGREGATOR - CLICK HERE TO VIEW
And I’ll guarantee you this–if Sarah Palin was sitting in a school classroom when a plane hit the World Trade Center she would not be sitting there blankly trying to figure out what to do. When the pressure hits Barack he calls a woman a pig and a stinking fish. The only person in this race who is like George Bush just happens to be Barack Obama. He can try to run against Bush but the fact is that he is more like Bush than he is willing to admit.
SOURCE
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