It’s perhaps the biggest single surprise of the Obama Administration to date. After a Presidential campaign where he was renowned for his inspiring speeches, where he sent chills up the legs of journalists, and where he managed inspire large groups of people to rally to his side, the biggest problem that Barack Obama has is that he’s really not that great a communicator:
The sluggish and unsteady response to the uproar over AIG bonuses highlights a larger problem of his White House: Obama’s surprisingly uneven campaign to educate people about the economic crisis and convince Washington and the broader public that he is in command of circumstances.
It was brilliant communications skills that carried Obama to the presidency, with a national campaign built on the strength of his personal story and the clarity of his promise to transform politics. On the rare occasions when he was thrown on the defensive, he quickly turned problems into opportunities and regained control of his public image.
What’s different now? The polished phrases and unflappable delivery haven’t gone away. His prime-time news conference and speech to Congress drew the usual praise.
But the discipline and strategic focus of the campaign have yet to move into the White House. The story of the day often catches the president flat-footed or on the defensive — and regularly undercut by fellow Democrats.
This is about more than the President’s ability to communicate his message — although it’s hard to deny that his seeming inability to speak in public without a teleprompter is part of the problem — and goes to the effectiveness of his staff in getting the Administration’s out and making sure that they don’t get owned by the news cycle. So far at least, they don’t seem to be doing a very good job.
