Only those who find it impossible overcome these capricious, arbitrary labels, these vapid attachments to appearances, choose to interpret actions as "weak" or "strong" and attach importance to such things.
All of Obama's actions are viewed through the prism of our subjective selves. We choose how we interpret his actions and we base those choices on a myriad of personal and emotional experiences that have created who we are. We do have preconceived notions and biases that color our interpretations of other peoples actions and the motives for those actions.
Instead of looking at his actions as "weak" or "strong", how about "right" or "wrong"? Or "what is best for the country as a whole"? Wouldn't those be the more important metrics with which to measure his behavior and deeds?
We can look at an individual action, or a collection of actions and events over time and choose to lump them all together or pick them apart, or ignore some and cherry pick others, and then make a judgement on a person based on our selective interpretation of that slice of reality as filtered through our consciousness.
I choose to look at the man as whole. His whole life. His decisions and his actions are not made in a vacuum. They are a continuation of who he was before these 2+ years he's been President.
Personally, I choose to look at each decision, each action as part of a whole and yet unique to it's circumstance. After all, circumstances matter as well.
How we label him says more about who we are than who Obama is. And let me be clear, I am no better than you, because I probably would give in to my emotions under the current circumstances. I probably would lash out and fight back on the same level as those who attack me because, frankly, I am an asshole. But I recognize true strength when I see it. I recognize the strength of NOT giving in to our baser emotions and I applaud it and I aspire to it because I know it would make me a better person. A better human being.
Now, you may say "It doesn't matter what I think! In politics appearances matter!". And you know what? You'd be right.
Obama ran for election promising that he wanted to change the tone of politics and of Washington, and I believe him and I believe he felt this was important and I believe he meant to keep that promise, and his actions show that is exactly what he is trying to do. He is not stooping to the immature and unevolved level of the Republicans. He is not interested in going "tit for tat" with petty, vapid squabbles. Yes, he does want to be above the fray and I applaud him for that. I applaud him for being strong enough to not allow himself to be dragged down into the mud with the pigs who are doing their damndest to drag him there. He is strong enough to resist his supposed allies who are begging him to get down into the mud, and who are threatening to desert him if he does not, and in fact, some of them are deserting him because he refuses to stoop to the level of a cretin.
You know how that makes him appear? It makes him appear like he's serious about helping the country instead of getting involved in meaningless, petty crap. That's the appearance. At least to me it is.
Now, you may say "Look at the polls!! It's not working!!" and I would ask you to compare Obama to every other guy in town. If you do, you'd see he's still the most popular guy in the room and his personal favorables are still way better than anyone elses. This is no accident. Everyone's polls suck, but his suck much less than everyone elses. Why? Because he's the adult and everyone knows it. They still trust him. They may not be happy with where the country is at, so they're pissed at everyone, but they know he wants to do the right thing and he shows that over and over and over again every time he turns the other cheek and takes the high road.
Now perhaps it's a quixotic quest this "changing the tone". I dunno. Maybe it's a gamble, or perhaps maybe it's just the type of man Obama is. He's willing to behave the way he feels is correct, even if it costs him in the polls. Sure, it would be easy to give in and bloody the Repubs nose, and it would make a lot of US feel a lot better. But I really believe Obama thinks it would be bad for the country. He believes the country needs a GOOD example of how politicians SHOULD behave for the sake of the country. And in the face of all that's been thrown at him, from every side, he doesn't give in to his baser instincts. He doesn't get down in the mud. He takes those shots. He sees his poll numbers tank and still sticks to his ideals of behavior. And that my friends is not weakness. That is strength. He could give in and take the easy way out and possibly get a bump in the polls, but he believes it will come at a price and he's not willing the pay that price for the short term gain of a bump in his poll numbers. That's strength. Not weakness. It's obvious he really is NOT governing according to what would be best for his poll numbers. I respect that.
So, he takes it and takes it and takes it. The vile slurs from every side. The unprecedented obstruction. The threats of violence to him and his family. The racism. The questioning of his character, his motives, his integrity. He takes it and takes it and takes it and still behaves the gentlemen. He will not stoop to that level and frankly, that makes him a better and a stronger man that I ever could be, because I don't think I could take that and not lash out and try to bloody my attackers. But he does, because he believes if he did, it would only vindicate the attacks, it would only give credence to that type of politics and that type of behavior and that is exactly what he doesn't want to do.
This is not a weak man, not in any way shape or form. What you see as weak, I see as strength. What you see as caving, I see as acting the adult. What you see as craven, I see as evolved. It takes a strength deeper than I know to be able to put up with he does and not give in to what must be enormous pressures and instincts to lash out.
After all, Obama is merely a man, he has the same emotions the same impulses as all of us. There must be parts of him screaming to lash out at those who choose to hurt him, to disrespect him and his family. I choose to see his actions as those of a man with the hardest job in the world under the worst circumstances possible. And yet he proceeds with caution and respect and compassion. His decisions effect the lives of billions and he carries that weight. So when he's faced with a choice, he must actually weigh lives and I believe time and again he will choose to act compassionately and choose the action that helps the lives of as many as possible, despite the political fall out of that decision. You may call it caving. I call it compassion and courage.
To deny his emotional impulses and still do what he feels is best for the country is not weakness, it is strength.