Repost: Is Obama Tough Enough?

The Bush presidency was often characterized by liberals and Democrats as arrogant, abrasive, and uncaring.

In Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele’s neck of the woods, they call it “gangsta.”

Voters roundly rejected this style of leadership last fall. They decided America needed someone more conciliatory, compassionate, and thoughtful. So imagine my surprise when comedian Bill Maher suggested on his June 12 show that President Obama needs to be more like  . . .  get this  . . .  George W. Bush .

Maher criticized Obama for spending too much time in front of TV cameras and not enough time working to fix the nation’s problems.

“ Barack Obama needs to start putting it on the line in fights against the banks, the energy companies and the health care industry,” said Maher in a stinging commentary. “I never thought I’d say this, but actually what he needs in his personality is a little George Bush. He needs to stop worrying about being loved and bring out that smug, insufferable swagger...”

If Maher’s words weren’t surprising enough, the audience applauding their approval was definitely a reason to press pause.

Obama is still wildly popular. But even lost-in-the-wilderness Republicans — who recently stepped up their attacks against the president — recognize an opening when they see one.

Maher added that Bush might have had a lot of bad ideas, but he pushed them through, never mind Congress, the Constitution or the Geneva Conventions. “The point is [Bush] didn’t care if it made him unpopular...”

And neither should Obama.

Besides, a little bit of “gangsta” never hurt anybody.