Why is No One Blaming him?

Last week, President Obama took responsibility for the environmental disaster in the Gulf. "In case you are wondering who's responsible, I take responsibility" he said. President Obama took the heat for the security lapses that led to the failed attempt to blow up an airliner last Christmas. "When the system fails, it is my responsibility to take the blame" he said solemnly. During the struggle over health care, when the plan looked like it was going to fail, President Obama took responsibility for the political circus that it engendered, saying he "misjudged" in his handling of the plan. When the economy failed to respond to the administration's frenzied attempts to spend it back into health, the president took responsibility for that too. It as been a common theme throughout Obama's presidency for him to "step up" and take the blame when things go wrong or don't go as planned.

Given all the missteps, failures, and errors Obama has taken responsibility for, why is no one blaming him? It is a credit to his political skills that Obama is able to come out of each admission looking stronger and more noble than before. He is uncannily able to take the blame without really taking the blame. Even more remarkable is how Obama is able to turn each failure by the government into an opportunity to expand the government. No failure is wasted by Obama. Every failure is an opportunity. The government always gets another chance.

"I'm confident that people are going to look back and say that the administration was on top of what is an unprecedented crisis" said Obama of the disaster in the Gulf. If there is one thing the administration is good at, it is appearing to be on top of a problem rather than behind it.