Lessons In Leadership From The NY Times

The NY Times provides alternative visions of leadership. Today, we learn about about Joe Biden:

Mr. Obama has also relied on his deputy for his political skills and complementary strengths. Mr. Obama might have “overestimated his own ability to engineer his own charm offensive, especially on the Hill,” said a former White House aide who asked not to be named while characterizing the president’s mind-set.

“The vice president is proof that to some degree the path to the new school goes through the old school,” said Jared Bernstein, a former top economic adviser to Mr. Biden. He refers to Mr. Biden as “an ambassador back to an earlier form of politics where relationship-building plays a key role.”

Yesterday the Times wrote about Gen. Stan McChrystal (ret.), who is now teaching a seminar on leadership at Yale:

In General McChrystal’s recent seminar, open to both undergraduates and graduates, two hours was spent discussing how leadership was important to solving problems like apartheid. Like all his sessions, it was off the record — students are not supposed to talk about it outside class — because General McChrystal wanders into anecdotes about sensitive operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

His teaching style is loose: he wears khakis and open-necked shirts, insists that the students call him Stan, prods quiet students into talking and invites them all for runs with him and on overnight field trips to Gettysburg.

The theme in his case studies in leadership is that personal relationships matter — a view he set forth in another recent class about the 2010 Rolling Stone article, required reading, which quoted him and his staff as making dismissive comments about White House officials. Within days, President Obama fired him.

Obviously none of this is of any interest to Obama, who already knows everything about this.

Still, this is yet another reason to root for Romney - Biden should have a blistering "If only those geniuses had listened to me" book in him if Obama loses.

Comments

[Captain Hate]

Mr. Obama has also relied on his deputy for his political skills and complementary strengths.

Being ignorant blowhards is a strength? Who knew?

[NK]

'Bam and Biden wouldn't know leadership-- leadership by example or by inspiration-- if it grabbed them by the ass with both hands.

[NK]

PS: for any Lefties out there, don't bring up 'Bam's book. NOBODY actually read that thing-- even 'Bam.

[Jane]

I'm listening to David Limbaugh's book. Altho I have already heard about everything he says in (so far) it has me jumping out of my skin.

[Janet]

Story headline at Drudge - "John Travolta sued for $2M by masseur 'over sexual assault'..."

Now I do not care about John Travolta, but it could be used as a great reminder of Al Gore's chakra needs.

[Porchlight]

He refers to Mr. Biden as “an ambassador back to an earlier form of politics where relationship-building plays a key role.”

Imagine! What a concept. Relationship-building in politics, or any other type of leadership.

This looks like a narrative setup in case of defeat. Barack was too cerebral, too pure - he just didn't understand the fundamental corruption of Washington where palms need to be greased.

Wasn't that the Carter defeat narrative, too?

[Bruce]

The masseur, referred to as John Doe in court papers obtained by Reuters and filed last Friday, claims that Travolta rubbed his leg, touched his genitals and tried to initiate at least one sex act inside a private bungalow at the exclusive hotel on Jan. 16.

Well, maybe he is gay after all. What is it with these Scientologists?

[Bruce]

This looks like a narrative setup in case of defeat. Barack was too cerebral, too pure - he just didn't understand the fundamental corruption of Washington where palms need to be greased.

Imagine that, and coming from Chicago, no less.

[Rick Ballard]

Is the NYT suggesting some sort of rising tension between Beavis and Butthead? I've been thinking that Biden has been showing better control of his inner Otto than has the President over the past year. One can understand the Pinhead Troika's desperate search for anything which might draw attention away from the President's incompetence but firing the First Mate on the Democrat Titanic isn't going to change the outcome of the collision with reality.

[centralcal]

Speaking of celebrities...

Looking at Cher on Drudge and reading the caption, I have come to the conclusion that liberals start out as already somewhat brain damaged, but then they age and get so botoxed that they come close to brain death.

[DebinNC]

"Overestimated his own ability"...perfect epitaph.

[centralcal]

Also, it is so odd to follow Twitter these past couple of weeks because I keep seeing Caro mentioned. For example:

Jake Tapper ‏ @jaketapper
Caro on Diane Rehm right now

Yes, I know - it is NOT our Caro, but still it startles me every time I see her the name mentioned.

[AliceH]

--his inner Otto--

Okay. I give up. I've tried to suss out this one after seeing it a few times, but the only "Otto" I come up with the bus driver on the Simpsons. I think that happens to work, actually, but I'm just not as certain as I'd like to be - I hate to miss out on any RB/Narc poetic allusions.

[marlene]

Friday morning I took a flight from Maine to DCA to meet my daughter for our trip.We met at our gate,she grabbed a sandwich and as we sat and chatted,we noticed a flurry of activity and several men with earpieces,and my daughter said,Secret Service.A few minutes later,Laura Bush sat at a table eating a sandwich and reading a book.Very unobtrusive.There were murmurs of approval from other passengers seated nearby and if the security wasn't so intimidating,she probably would have been approached by people.I said to my daughter,she's so lovely and normal.Sorry about OT, but wanted to mention.

[Melinda Romanoff]

AliceH-

A Fish Called Wanda.

[Captain Hate]

Wasn't that the Carter defeat narrative, too?

I dunno, Porch. Carter was such a massive failure in every aspect of the job that he was almost universally loathed by the time of the Reagan landslide. All the engineers I knew used to roll their eyes when Dhimmi Earl would point out he was one.

[bgates]

Alice - Otto.

[peter]

From the linked article:

“Being a vice president is kind of like being a first lady,” Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said.

...............let's just pause and let that one roll around for a while.

[AliceH]

--A Fish Called Wanda--. Ah! I figuratively slap my forehead at my failure to recognize that reference. Thanks, Mel.

[Rick Ballard]

AliceH,

Here's a short clip on Otto.

[DebinNC]

1) Biden publicly endorsed gay marriage on Sunday. 2) Arne Duncan did the same yesterday on MSNBC. 3) There's a much-watched "marriage amendment" on today's NC primary ballot which is expected to win easily. Obama needs to win NC again, and endorsing gay marriage won't help, but sending out endorsers-by-proxy while he maintains his nebulous "I'm evolving on the issue" ruse is exactly the kind of gutsy call he'd make.

[Jane]

“Being a vice president is kind of like being a first lady,” Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said.

So the VP pays $2m a year to his staff too?

The gay marriage thing is a diversion I think. The economy sucks.

[Gus]

Biden didn't gaffe when he spoke about gay marriage. It's a trial balloon. Obama is absolutely FOR gay marriage.

[AliceH]

addendum - ... and thanks also bgates and Rick Ballard.

[Have Blue]

Wasn't Kevin Kline's character from "A Fish Called Wanda" named Otto?

[Dave (in MA)]

grabbed them by the ass with both hands.

I'm sure Slow Joe is 'absolutely comfortable' with that, too.

[DebinNC]

Another NYT nugget:
"Early on, for instance, it would drive Mr. Obama nuts to stand onstage waiting for Mr. Biden to introduce every dignitary in the room. So the president dispatched a top adviser, Valerie Jarrett, to relay his displeasure to Mr. Biden’s office, according to top aides to both men."

The One's so gutsy and has such a personal connection with people.

[Danube of Thought]

Interesting snapshot of the election from Sean Trende.

[Extraneus]

Good one, Deb.

[Jim Eagle]

Cross post from other thread.

Uncle Joe steps in it again (while his foot was planted firmly in his mouth)!

From a Stephen Hayes tweet:

"I know Biden says a lot of funny/strange things but this one - that "we were the problem" on Iran in 2009 - is truly unbelievable."

[Stephanie]

In what may be the ultimate and cruelest irony, not only is it unlikely that Elizabeth Warren’s great-great-great grandmother was Cherokee, it turns out that Warren’s great-great-great grandfather was a member of a militia unit which participated in the round-up of the Cherokees in the prelude to the Trail of Tears.

LUN and Hahahahahhaha

[Porchlight]

Hmmm, do you think Warren is regretting the Native American self-reporting yet?

Or does she know, deep down, that she wouldn't be at Harvard if she hadn't done it?

The perils of mendaciously living on the AA knife edge. And totally deserved in this case.

[Danube of Thought]

Public Service Announement:

The man who posts here as "Ben Franklin" is Dana Gilbert Ward of Pitzer College. For many years he posted here and elsewhere as "Sema*nticleo" (without the asterisk) and occasionally as Al Asad. One can sample his body of work using Google. The owner of this site has requested that no one respond at all to anything this man posts here. The request seems increasingly to be honored. Thank you.

And now we resume regularly scheduled programming.

[NK]

JiB@1244-- in an obscene way the US was the problem in 2007-2008: the Bush Admin called BS on the Mullahs and the UN and Putin, and all the Mullah enablers. Problem was that the Euro weenies refused to work with Bush, and China threatened/Bribed the Euros sucessfully to not disrupt the Iran oil flow to China to keep the then booming China demand fed. What did 'Bam say all about this in 2008? NO PRE CONDITION TALKS with the Mullahs-- KUMBAYA!!By the end of 2009 that all changed, Euro/US/Japan oil demand cratered, and China demand had leveled. So it was convenient for the Euros to go after the Mullahs. Plus the Mullahs made it easy by slaughtering their citizens in the streets. And Putin was scaring the Euros with his new Russian Empire talk. Hence--sanctions were doable. So Biden is saying 'Bam was mugged by reality, and the Euros sold their souls the OTHER WAY. Yeah.. that Biden's a genius -- he reminds everybody that 'Bam had everything backwards.

[DebinNC]

Wiki on why it was called The Trail of Tears:

Many Native Americans suffered from exposure, disease and starvation en route to their destinations. Many died, including 4,000 of the 15,000 relocated Cherokee.

Sounds like GreatGreatGreat Pa-paw was quite a catch. And wasn't Andrew Jackson a Dem?

[Dave (in MA)]

, DoT

[Extraneus]

California mayor faces accusations he behaved inappropriately toward female city employee

The council's decision Monday was motivated by a 50-page report prepared by the unnamed employee's attorney. The report details multiple and sometimes bizarre incidents of alleged misconduct by Mayor J. "Chaka" Santos, the mayor of Lathrop, California, towards the employee.

In the report, the employee claims Mayor Santos approached her and said things "he should only say to his wife," Fox 40 reports. She claims the mayor called her "baby," held a handshake for "too long" and said he wanted to meet her after work.

The employee also claims in one strange instance Mayor Santos pretended to lick rubber bands the employee had previously held.

Fifty pages of that?

(No word on the mayor's political affiliation.)

[Gus]

I keep seeing some freak who calls himself BEN FRANKLIN.
Does anyone know who this freak is and possibly where he is employed.
Finding him could win you a Pitzer Prize.

[Captain Hate]

"I know Biden says a lot of funny/strange things but this one - that "we were the problem" on Iran in 2009 - is truly unbelievable."

I just heard this clip on Tammy Bruce (who will sub for Laura Ingraham tomorrow). I think he's gone full retard.

[lyle]

If you haven't seen this, you GOTTA click:

http://sbynews.blogspot.com/2012/05/how-gutsiest-president-ever-single.html

[Jane]

Or does she know, deep down, that she wouldn't be at Harvard if she hadn't done it?

Oh my guess is she knows right up there on the surface.

I want to see her college applications, and everything else she ever filled out that asked for that information.

Is the census on line?

[Neo]

In what may be the ultimate and cruelest irony, not only is it unlikely that Elizabeth Warren’s great-great-great grandmother was Cherokee, it turns out that Warren’s great-great-great grandfather was a member of a militia unit which participated in the round-up of the Cherokees in the prelude to the Trail of Tears.

[Rob Crawford]

Finding him could win you a Pitzer Prize.

Yeah, but that "prize" is a 5-gallon bucket of urine.

[Xbradtc.wordpress.com]

Outsiders tend to see the Army as a very autocratic organization. The boss gives orders, the underlings execute them.

That's true to some extent. But the fact is, without quality leadership there is a LOT of scope for subordinates to defeat their commanders. Passive aggressive behavior and what not. Not taking initiative, following only the letter of orders, and not the spirit, reducing feedback to the boss in order to set them up for failure. All sorts of ways.

Given the high stake of Army leadership, it is simply one of the best learning laboratories in the world. Some folks are born with a natural talent for it, and others struggle mightily with learning. But the Army does train its own leaders, and puts enormous emphasis on it, with far better success than most organizations.

[Caro]

CC

Yes, I know - it is NOT our Caro, but still it startles me every time I see her the name mentioned.

Me,too.

On the train toward Boston now. I waved to TM as we passed. So many threads,so little time. But I am working on it.

[Janet]

Great story, marlene!!!

I said to my daughter,she's so lovely and normal.

So true.

[daddy]

Here's a cheery Good Morning!

Eat your heart out Kate and Pippa---Kentucky Derby Hats.

[Jim Rhoads a/k/a vjnjagvet]

following only the letter of orders, and not the spirit

A time honored technique of senior non-coms to bring overeager shavetails to heel. Obey the sucker to death. Usually accompanied by an earnest "I thought that's what you ordered me to do", when bad things ensued.

[matt]

you'd better be able to led when your battalion commander, the XO, and the Captain of your Company are incapacitated, as has happened numerous times in military history.

Capital ships have been skippered by low ranking officers repeatedly in our history as the entire bridge on a ship would take a direct hit.

The U.S. military is not the most efficient organization in the world, but it is probably the most robust.

The job it has done in training lower and mid level leadership is amazing, and our NCO's are the equivalent of officers in most other militaries in their capabilities.

As people rise, however, groupthink begins and the brain fades follow.

From living among the people more or less in 2003/04 and building real relationships in Afghanistan, we retreated to big box bases because of ROE's and casualties. Now it is an almost antiseptic relationship which killed any hope of hearts and minds being changed.

The lessons of the Anbar Awakening and surge were lost completely.

[Xbradtc.wordpress.com]

(No word on the mayor's political affiliation.)

Lots of CA muni elections are "non-partisan" so it can be difficult to actually determine which party a mayor belongs to.

[rse]

LUN is KC Johnson going after that Chronicle sacking.

That mention of Ross toward the end reminds me of a point I made to someone this Am on the similarities between UNC system and USG. Ross is also person who radicalized the Reynolds Foundation in what it supported. I heard him speak a couple of years ago and was shocked by all the bad ideas he was spouting at what I thought was just going to be a meet and greet.

matt-thanks for that comment above. I have one at LS at the moment.

[Jane]

Sheesh Caro, at least wave when you chug by.

[daddy]

David Axelrod: "Koch Brothers, Contract Killers".

[Porchlight]

marlene, thanks for sharing that Laura Bush story. She IS lovely and normal. :) And I'm glad she's able to enjoy something like normal travel these days.

[GMAX]

Did you see the RAS polling this AM libtards? What do you think a triple digit loss in the markets today is going to do to those numbers? Will the last sane democrat out the door, please get the lights? Thanks

[GMAX]

Jane

E-mail with contact info for Naples sent, please look for it.

[daddy]

I think I just heard a new Obama campaign talking point from some opiner on Megyn Kellye's Show.

Here's the Talking Point: "We have to re-elect President Obama so he can clean up the mess he made in his first term."

Think it'll fly?

[Captain Hate]

Thanks for that link rse; glad to see KC Johnson has found a new sacred cow to attack.

[Bruce]

Sounds like GreatGreatGreat Pa-paw was quite a catch. And wasn't Andrew Jackson a Dem?

As well as almost all of the KKK, Woodrow Wilson, FDR, LBJ, Bill Clinton, and now Barack Hussein Obama II. Should also throw in some other ner-do-wells, like Teddy Kennedy, John Edwards, John Kerry, AlGore, Jimmy Carter, Barney Frank, etc.

[GMAX]

hink it'll fly

Perhaps with idiot libtard 1/3 of the voters. Seems to me the Republicans are about as united as can be at this point, and almost no Indy poll in 18 months has shown Democrats in general or Zero in particular with getting a majority of them

More Republicans than Democrats
Higher historical voting percentage of Republicans
Higher enthusiasm numbers
More Democrat crossover than Republican defections
Indys going as much as 60/40 to Republicans

All equals blowout potential rising.

[Neo]

Warren’s great-great-great grandfather was a member of a militia unit which participated in the round-up of the Cherokees in the prelude to the Trail of Tears.

… but .. but the “Trail of Tears” was built by everybody with our tax dollars .. yada yada yada .. smoke'm peace pipe .. Amen

[NK]

GMAX-- I don't know about 'Blowout' but the Raz polling of 3-way 'Bam, Mitt, Ron Paul is revealing. It shows 'Bam's baseline support (39-40%), and support for ABO 57% and Mitt's Baseline at 44%. If they split the Paul support equally, 'bam is at 46-47% and Mitt at 50-52%. In November, 'Bam loses by 4-5% IMO, with 290+ EV for 'Mitt.

[Porchlight]

Obama Gallup averages:

Jan - 45%
Feb - 45%
Mar - 46%
April - 47%

He averaged 41% last fall, so he is definitely inching back up. He is also above where Carter and GHWB were at this point.

However, if I have this correct, no incumbent since Truman has been re-elected with Gallup averages under 50% during the spring preceding the election.

[jimmyk]

He is also above where Carter and GHWB were at this point.

The elephant in the room is still those R vs. D sample weights. That and LV vs. RV. Lots of RVs came from nowhere in '08 and are going to go back whence they came in November.

[Porchlight]

True, jimmyk, I don't know what Gallup is using for their R/D/I spread.

I see Obama as principally on defense. He is not championing his accomplishments, he's in full attack/scare mode about the other guy. His recent rallies, with less than ideal turnout in what ought to be favorable spots, and his reachouts to demographic groups he ought to have salted away, suggest that his people are very nervous.

I also have to say, as a non-Romney enthusiast early on, I like how Romney has performed thus far. He's disciplined and not making mistakes.

[cathyf]

A time honored technique of senior non-coms to bring overeager shavetails to heel. Obey the sucker to death. Usually accompanied by an earnest "I thought that's what you ordered me to do", when bad things ensued.

My brother uses the term "malicious compliance"

[RichatUF]

daddy-

The next theme will be "you won't like it when Obama gets angry".

[Xbradtc.wordpress.com]

I also have to say, as a non-Romney enthusiast early on, I like how Romney has performed thus far. He's disciplined and not making mistakes.

Yep. Little things like having his Op-Ed piece in the Ohio paper on Obama's kick off day.

And when he does attack, it's with a smile. Not the angry frothy Howard Dean model.

He's biding his time, for the most part, capitalizing on Obama mistakes.

I suspect as we get closer to November, the preference cascade away from Obama will only get stronger.

[Rick Ballard]

"I suspect as we get closer to November, the preference cascade away from Obama will only get stronger."

Xbradtc,

It would require a political skill level which the President does not possess to reverse current trend. He has never had to run as an incumbent. His major political "victory" consisted in winning the primary for his Illinois State Senate seat - the seat was a dead lock from that point on. His sole run for the US Senate was a gimme due to the quality of the opposition and his '08 run was based on keeping the electorate in the dark regarding his innate and complete incompetence.

What would happen to the revenue models of the polling firms, political analysts, political parties and the MFM if the truth were to be broadcast? We're talkin' a ton of phoney baloney jobs suddenly gone missing.

[adammarley]

I just heard this clip on Tammy Bruce (who will sub for Laura Ingraham tomorrow). I think he's gone full retard.