Comments on: VPR, “Gotcha” Journalism and Grading Obama One Year In

By: Matthew Dickinson

Matthew Dickinson — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:43:55 +0000

Jane – Had I offered the non-answer answer I outlined above, you would have verbally chastised me for waffling like a politician and your audience no doubt would have accused me of lacking a spine, much like the fabled Mr. Lubner from Saturday Night Live fame. Faced with this overwhelming media pressure, I folded like a cheap suit. Next time I’ll remember my academic roots and try to resist compromising my intellectual integrity, I promise.

By: Jane Lindholm

Jane Lindholm — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 02:48:49 +0000

Matt, it’s true–I sprung that grading question on you at the last minute and didn’t even really give you enough time to answer. So I’ll cop to that. I do like your alternative answer–that we really can’t judge a president while he’s still in office. And I’d be happy to be (gently) admonished for the question on air. At any rate, better you to have to answer the question than me. Thank you for being such a good sport.

By: Matthew Dickinson

Matthew Dickinson — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 03:39:15 +0000

Gary,

I think part of it is because presidential candidates feel compelled to promise more than they can deliver. It also reflects the unitary nature of the office – it’s easier to personalize presidential power than congressional power, even if Congress as an institution is more powerful. And yes, the trappings of office – Air Force One, the White House, etc. – help create a perception of power. And in some respects (and under some circumstances) that perception is not a complete illusion. Certainly during the Cold War, with the president able to launch a nuclear strike, the reality of presidential power at least in theory came close to the perception of an all powerful president. A final factor, I think, is that the presidency, more than any other office, embodies national sovereignty; in times of crisis, we look to the president first to insure the nation’s survival. All these factors collectively create the perception of a very powerful office. The reality, as all presidents discover, is that these expectations don’t match the capacity of any president, except under the rarest and most short-lived circumstances, to deliver.

But you can help change this by teaching your students the reality of presidential power!

By: Gary R.

Gary R. — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 01:09:18 +0000

Professor Dickinson,

In your radio appearance, you talked a lot about how our expectations for presidents vastly “outstrip their capacity to deliver.” In your opinion, why is there this misconception in America that a President is some sort of super hero who can accomplish anything he wants. Is it because of the pomp and circumstance of the office? The formality and status? The fact presidents themselves try to always portray a commanding persona?

See: The uproar calling Obama’s “bow” to the mayor of my hometown (Tampa) last week a “sign of weakness.”

P.S. Chris, Professor Dickinson always gave me a B+ as well and I had him 4 times. No wonder he gave the same grade to Obama.

By: Matthew Dickinson

Matthew Dickinson — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:25:24 +0000

Fred – You raise an important point: that Obama’s effectiveness as president depends in large part on how well the rest of the political system is functioning. One frequently cited aspect of this is whether Congress is legislatively “gridlocked” and thus unable to address pressing problems. And, if so, is it any more gridlocked than in previous years?

This is a complicated question, but we do have some data on legislative productivity. I’ll try to address this in a later post, but thanks for bringing it up.