Facilitator.

Editor,

Mr. Obama seems to perceive himself as a "facilitator" and really has no concept of what leadership actually is. He seems to have boundless faith in the "empowerment" process of community organizing: give representatives of every side of an issue "a seat at the table" and let them hash out their "differences."

This is fine if you are organizing low-income residents who are being poisoned by an oil refinery and you are able to shine enough light on the polluter to embarrass him into coming "to the table," but the responsibility of a chief executive is to make decisions. Even George Bush in his daffy proto-fascist ignorance got that he was "the decider."

I doubt that anyone will convince Mr. Obama that his charge is to lead. After all, his ideology is "facilitation," and we all know that ideology is impermeable to reality.

re: "The Up-or-Down Vote on Obama’s Presidency" (3/7/2010)