The Great Communicator Obama ain’t…

And no, to Obamiacs, including those continuing to challenge me, it ain’t just this left-liberal saying that. Joan Walsh of Salon is the latest, and one of the most high-profile, mainstream liberal commentators to ask the rhetorical question of:

WTF is up with Obama?

She notes he’s done a poor job selling his stimulus bill. Earlier today, on Talking Points Memo, Theda Skocpol excoriated him for needlessly empowering the Congressional GOP.

Let’s look at Walsh, though:

Obama is the most remarkable Democratic communicator of my lifetime, I think, and even he's not rising to the task, yet. He needs to lay out his priorities, clearly; he needs to simplify his pitch, yet he also needs to add some depth to his and our understanding of how we got here.

I agree with everything after the first clause.

I’m not sure he’s better than the Slickster.

That said, Walsh, linking to this Robert Reich colunn, says Obama as Democratic Great Communicator needs to make the point that income equality has been slipping back away since the 1970s.

Here is her bottom-line advice:

He needs bigger and simpler themes.

I would not disagree, but why hasn't Great Communicator II already recognized that?

And, as for relying on the Democrats?

Let’s start with 1977.

Twelve of the last 32 years have had a Democratic president. The slide may have been less under Carter and Clinton, but it kept happening. Ditto for the 20 of the last 32 years the Democrats controlled the House.

That said, would I like Democrats addressing this issue more than Republicans?

Well, yes, but, that’s a bit like saying I’d rather die from a heart attack at 60 than a car accident at 45.

I’d really rather live to be 80 and enjoy my retirement.

Walsh notes how much more government work we need to do to truly transform America into the 21st century.