I imagine being President is a fairly tough job. The only road to massive public appeal seems to be that history will remember you more kindly than the actual people of your time. The 24 hour media news cycle combined with the internet means information and or misinformation travels faster than one’s ability to respond. Long before these technological advances, Winston Churchill was quoted as saying, “A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.” How much more true that is today. So with that being said, every President should take an easy win when they can get one. That is except Obama who seems to struggle to hit the slow pitch right across the plate. So here I will offer 3 low hanging fruit that Obama Keeps missing.
ISIS
Everybody hates these guys. And I mean everybody. They have drawn the scorn of the world and in this divided political culture, if you could get Democrats and Republicans to agree on anything, its that ISIS needs to be destroyed. On my blog Unprecedented Mediocrity, I wrote a piece about Obama’s failed speech on ISIS. However, it goes beyond the speech. I understand that Obama is anti-war and doesn’t want to get involved in the ground on Iraq. As a Marine Veteran of Iraq I actually support that. However, everybody still wants ISIS more dead than alive. All Obama has to do is verbally play up the coming destruction that ISIS will face.
We don’t need to hear the step by step instructions. Hopefully competent Generals are playing that up. We just want a War rally. Everyone remembers George W. Bush’s post 9-11 speech on top of the rubble in New York with the firemen. He stated, “I can hear you, the rest of the world can hear you, and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon.” Then the crowd roars. Instead, Obama comes out with some line about the Islamic State not being Islamic. Epic fail as the kids say these days. Easy pickings Mr. President, talk up the destruction of ISIS.
Sgt. Tahmooressi
If you are unfamiliar with this case, this is the Marine Veteran who was jailed after a wrong turn led him to Mexico where he had with him his legally registered firearms. He has been jailed since early this year and the nation has been clamoring for his release. Due to the past decade of war, this country is in a season where it is very supportive of its veterans. Moreover, the public sympathizes with the common mistake made here.
So this is another easy win for the President. America is well aware that we host millions of illegal immigrants from Mexico. America is also well aware that sometimes, a few of these immigrants might commit a crime. Consequently, it sometimes results deportation, when that actually happens that is.
So how about you exert a little American big stick diplomacy and go get our jailed Marine. No one in America will be upset about it. No one will cry how you disregarded the Mexican legal system. Rather everyone will rejoice that our brother will have been returned home. Easy win. After all, if an American gun crossing the Mexican border is such a big crime, shouldn’t Eric Holder be sitting in a Mexican Jail?
Border Security
I’m not talking immigration. I am not talking unaccompanied minors. I am simply talking, border security. The premise that we know who crosses and that there are sufficient forces to deal with it. Easy win. Immigration reform is a touchy subject in American politics and I get that politics can be complicated. However, everyone supports the idea of a secure border.
In the age of ISIS, America is growing increasingly concerned with terrorist access to the mainland. Consequently, you could skip the entire immigration conversation and make it completely about security from terrorist. Walls, border agents, or even some really cool drones that hover over the border. America loves drones these days. Imagine President Obama, if you were the guy that people credit with giving us a secure border. Easy win. Easy win.
So these are my quick 3 easy wins for the President that he seems to keep missing. What about the rest of you? What easy wins could the President accomplish today that would cross bi-partisans lines?
To read more from this author, visit his blog at www.unprecedentedmediocrity.com