Churchill Not Gandhi: Barack Obama and His Fan Base

"This is a cause I am willing to die for. But there is no cause I am willing to kill for."
                                 --Gandhi

"We will fight them on the beaches. We will fight them in the fields...But we will never surrender."
                                 --Winston Churchill

"Why should I vote for this? It might improve the economy and get Obama re elected. Why should I vote for anything which might get him re elected?"
                                 --Mitch McConnell

"Why is the economy not recovering? What got us into this mess? Government regulation. I am for regulation of the markets. You need regulations for a free market."
                                  --Mitt Romney


One thing about the long process of running for President in this country, it does eventually allow a picture to emerge.  The picture of a docile Obama, a sort of American Gandhi emerged in the debate, and it really was no surprise.

For all his enormous virtues, the capacity to confront his adversaries and do battle, the capacity to use his bully pulpit, is not one of them. He should have been putting Republicans to shame over this Medicare Coupon Care and so many other issues and he has simply failed to do battle. 

He needs to learn how to use imagery and analogy to his benefit. Medicare into Coupon Care is destroying the village to save it, the rotten fish made into the catch of the day, whatever you like, but something which will make the morning news clips.

The next few weeks will show if he can lead troops or simply exchange quips at the Law Review debate.