You know the old gag: Two hikers in the forest encounter a bear, one takes off running, and the other one says, "You know you can't outrun a bear." And the running hiker says, "I don't have to outrun the bear. I just have to outrun you."
Instead of leadership, in a time when leadership could moblize a country really and validly angry at a dysfunctional Congress that is costing them money, Obama is just trying to outrun the Republicans.
What a waste of a crisis. What a waste of an opportunity.
Yes, Obama is better than every potential GOP candidate in the 2012 Presidential field. Yes, it would--in theory at least--be better to have a Dem as president than a Republican.
Obama can run in 2012 very capably against every announced GOP candidate and every GOP candidate wanna be.
The Republican party is already split in half between the Republican brand loyalists and the extremists, and the primaries most likely will extrude into the general election the candidate who can best pander to the Republican base but appear reasonable enough in short stretches in public not to alienate sane Americans.
Obama has the capability to be a lot more than just "better than the least crazy Republican" --but that is all he is aiming for right now.
There is real passion in the country against the disastrous inside the Beltway wrangling.
Obama has the bully pulpit, and the opportunity to lead. My preference would be to see leadership that reinforced traditional New Deal principles and understandings, but any leadership would be nice.
What a terrible shame that he refuses to take advantage of this opportunity.