The Kobayashi Maru is a war game scenario for star fleet cadets in the world of "Star Trek." The game is designed so that there is not set of tactics that produce a winning outcome. The purpose of the game is to see how people react when everything fails.
In "Star Trek II, The Wrath of Khan," where the test is introduced, Captain Kirk is asked how he handled it. His answer was to change the programming so that there was a way to win. He did not believe in the no-win scenario.
Republicans have turned every political issue into an endless stream of Kobayashi Marus. Whatever the President does, he cannot win.
As a pragmatic person, he has tried to be a uniter to the dismay of many on the left. The real problem, though, is on the right. His efforts to reach out are not merely viewed as insufficient. They are successfully portrayed as non-existent.
President Obama has increased the number of people patrolling our southern border. His administration has stepped up the number of deportations to an all-time high. But, he is soft on immigration.
Predator drone attacks have risen, and troop levels in Afghanistan have surged. He gave the order to invade a sovereign nation, an ally at that, to kill Osama Bin Laden. And yet, President Obama sympathizes with Jihadists.
The Bush Tax cuts on upper income have been extended. Corporate profits are at record levels. The President recently reshuffled his staff because he is anti-business.
An economy that was bleeding jobs by several hundred thousand per month has added jobs for the past 18 months despite the "fact" that the stimulus failed.
So how does the President face his no-win scenario, his Kobayashi Maru? Hopefully, he does it with more speeches like this one:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/...