Obama’s ego

By Deauwand Myers

He’s handsome enough. Tall, lean, charismatic, highly-educated, articulate. The list is extensive and makes President Obama a seemingly ideal politician.

I like President Obama. I enthusiastically voted for him, and will again, even though my vote will be subsumed by conservatives, since I’m a native of the great (red) state of South Carolina.

But Obama has a problem. It’s not just the recalcitrant Republicans, nor the ridiculous Tea Partiers. It’s darker than that; large, powerful, and may lead to his political destruction.

Obama’s ego is his biggest liability. During the health care debacle, then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi gave Obama sage advice he did not take. In essence, she said: ``Do not tarry. You have the votes and the power. Quit trying to be bipartisan, chasing the dream of a grand bargain.”

Ah, but Obama wanted what he wanted. He thought he was Ronald Reagan. And in case after case, he fruitlessly pursued agreements with the other side. His ego told him so. He thought that because he was so charismatic, handsome, and intelligent, with his Harvard pedigree and beautiful family, his enemies would buckle under the mere shine and glow of “Obamania.”

He miscalculated.

And because he delayed in simply ramming through the Affordable Care Act, he expended tremendous political capital, lost the House, lost a Democratic Speaker, and ushered in a time of great vitriol embodied in the Tea Party.

Know your strengths and weaknesses, and never underestimate your enemies’ hate and resolve. These are rather simple political lessons Obama should have learned. He has great knowledge, but not as much wisdom as I’d like to see.

His ego, which caused him to believe he could be ``the great unifier,” also caused him to seek out others like him. Ivy League alumni riddled his economic team, like that of the overrated Larry Summers, whose poor interpersonal skills and lack of tact and respect of others plagued his troubled and short tenure as Harvard president. Even with knowledge of Summers’s problems, Obama lacked the wisdom to choose someone more competent. Because Summers came from Harvard, then of course he’s competent, right?

Obama’s romanticizing of Ivy Leaguers extends not only to his high-ranking officials and Cabinet officers, but with his judicial appointments. Hopefully, those choices will be more fruitful.

Presidents and prime ministers necessarily have big egos, otherwise they wouldn’t think they were up to the job. But all we need to do is look at the recent, long list of short-lived premieres in the Japanese government to see that big ideas and big egos are not enough to effectively pass and implement policy. Further, pedigree of class or schooling does not guarantee success by any means.

Obama has been more effective than liberals give him credit for. He passed, albeit with a bloody nose, a saner, though incomplete health care bill, the biggest piece of social legislation since LBJ. Women’s rights at the workplace, the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the new Start Treaty, two female Supreme Court Justices, and financial reform, amongst others.

Obama has been more effective than conservatives give him credit for: the killing of many terrorists, Osama bin Laden chief among them; thwarting of new terrorist plots; and aiding the ousting of Gadhafi.

Paradoxically, Obama’s ego may be one reason why he’s not getting enough credit for these accomplishments: ``Can’t you see my brilliance? Isn’t it obvious? Why do I have to say anything about it?”

Obama may win re-election. It will be harder, nastier, and more expensive than the last time around. He can’t let his ``I’m too cool for school,” professorial, can’t-get-my-hands-dirty affectations affect his chances. He needs to fight, and keep that massive ego of his in check.

The 2012 election’s going to be one hell of a fight. And even if Obama loses, he’ll rest in comfort, no doubt, that he looked very good doing it.

The writer holds a master's degree in English literature and literary theory and is currently an English professor outside of Seoul. He can be reached at deauwand@hotmail.com.