Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Agate Ridge, Abacela claim Best of Show in 2014 World of Wine 10 things to know for Tuesday Emergency services Council members in Gold Hill dodge voter recall Bill Pullman campaigns for Oregon GMO labeling law Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency services Neighbors say man shot by police was veteran suffering from PTSD Naked, combative Grants Pass man arrested at Hemp Expo White City man armed with flare gun arrested Hydrocodone will be harder to get under new rules Politics and Elections Council members in Gold Hill dodge voter recall Bill Pullman campaigns for Oregon GMO labeling law Two races set for Ashland council positions Five to compete for three City Council seats Medford weighs pre-emptive pot tax Education Safe haven: Art program provides a place for youth to express themselves Sacred Heart School gets new principal Medford School District considers gifted land for new school Loan default rate threatens Umpqua student aid Logos art teacher recognized Environment Ashland marchers won't give up on climate change message OR-7 could be recollared next month Deadly deer virus may be spreading Talent earns Bee City USA designation Those without senior water rights left high and dry State news Nation - World Obituaries Colton Taylor Webster Joe Raymond Burchfiel Death Notices David Michael Coberly Ruth R. Fodal Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Sports Latest Stories Ellsbury hits milestone, Pineda shines in Yankees victory Murray grits through cramps to win at US Open LOCAL EVENTS Percy Harvin brings new element to Seattle offense Master's ekes out overtime win over SOU Varsity 541 College Sports Master's ekes out overtime win over SOU Murphy claims victory in Stroke Play Championships Ducks will play nine true freshmen Raiders top No. 22 Vanguard, then lose Ducks break camp Pro Sports Ellsbury hits milestone, Pineda shines in Yankees victory Murray grits through cramps to win at US Open Percy Harvin brings new element to Seattle offense Murphy claims victory in Stroke Play Championships Multiple winners at Southern Oregon Speedway Community Sports Murphy claims victory in Stroke Play Championships South Korea downs Chicago for World Series title Results / Standings Second season a success for Rogues Runners defend titles in Mt. Ashland Hill Climb Business Latest Stories Blog: If you've got the time, BLS has a tome for you Amy's Kitchen begins expansion in White City Ashland's Paddington Station takes top national prize Soul Shine Yoga and Massage to open in downtown Medford Blog: Daydreaming: Three Easy Steps Real Estate News Median residential housing prices rise 10.7 percent, but may begin to level out People In Business People in business Transportation Agriculture Amy's Kitchen begins expansion in White City Opinion Latest Letters to the Editor, Aug. 26 Charita Goshay: Ferguson is microcosm of larger frustration Michael Gerson: Golf and terrorism: Is Obama too detached to lead? Granlund cartoon: Happy Labor Day Letters to the Editor, Aug. 25 Editorials Our View: It's not the gear; it's how the gear is used Other Views: NCAA must maintain academic integrity Our View: Marijuana sales — a taxing problem Our View: Water law has outlived its purpose Our View: Karuks have a head start on casino plans Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, Aug. 26 Letters to the Editor, Aug. 25 Letters to the Editor, Aug. 22 Letters to the Editor, Aug. 21 Letters to the Editor, Aug. 20 Guest Opinions The summer of my discontent: An open letter to Bill Rauch The power of local philanthropy Who I am and why I want to serve on the City Council Lifestyle Latest stories Community blog: Not So Many (un)Happy Returns! Community blog: Silky stew or quick saute is summer's symphony 'Broads' are wilderness advocates, stewards Confessions of a not-very-masterful gardener New Arrivals Food Community blog: Silky stew or quick saute is summer's symphony Community blog: Onion pickles can wait for home-canning lull Cooking outside the box Cold Cucumber Cream Soup With Tomato Salsa Summer Squash Pasta With Green Goddess Dressing Home and Garden An August checklist for your garden Green Scene: Diagnosing common tomato troubles Lawn talk Tips for keeping backyard birds cool this summer Bath time for the birds: You can help them stay cool and clean Health Healthy Aging: Iron girls galore Community blog:Here�s How To Leave Despair For Resilience Health officials detect West Nile Virus in another Jackson County sample Community blog:Doing laundry... Healthy Aging: An udderly unlikely vacation find Hiking Faith Religion briefs Community Blog: Is Peace Possible in the Middle East - Part three of four Religion briefs Community Blog: Is Peace Possible in the Middle East part 2 Religion briefs Milestones and Achievements New Arrivals Shayla Brooke Grether and Jesse Levi Tanner Grange Co-Op garden helps feed the hungry Medford woman graduates with honors Century Club Columnist for a Day Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Alan Berman Trio at the Imperial The Beach Boys at Britt Matisyahu and Dub Trio play Britt Live Music in Local Clubs Brian Regan hands out the laughs at Britt Theater Randall Theatre extends 'Godspell' 'Pump Boys & Dinettes' opens at Camelot Theatre Film festival kicks off annual 'Daedalus Project' Review: The joy of 'Godspell' is infectious Randall Theatre opens 'Godspell' Music Alan Berman Trio at the Imperial The Beach Boys at Britt Matisyahu and Dub Trio play Britt Live Music in Local Clubs Jeff Addicott: A Rogue Valley Experience Community Events Shady Cove Tie Days Swap Meet 'Prints From the Plateau' at the Rogue Gallery Nature Walks in Lithia Park ScienceWorks Hands-on Museum World of Wine celebrates local varietals Dining NW Raw Kelly's Crepes Basil & Berries India Palace Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW Central Point man arrested after road rage leads to threats, gunfire ... 10 things to know for Tuesday ... Neighbors say man shot by police was veteran suffering from PTSD ... Central Point man arrested after road rage leads to threats, gunfire ... 10 things to know for Tuesday ... Neighbors say man shot by police was veteran suffering from PTSD ... ANOTHER VIEW Michael Gerson: Golf and terrorism: Is Obama too detached to lead? MailTribune.com Writer Posted Aug. 26, 2014 @ 12:01 am Posted Aug. 26, 2014 @ 12:01 am » Social News Having once served a president, I don't begrudge any president a vacation. There is, in fact, no escape from this relentless job. A change of scenery does not involve a change in responsibilities, or even a release from the essence of the president's routine. The intelligence briefings stalk him. Presidential respites are measured in hours, not days or weeks — say, a few hours on a golf course. And the public would be selfish and shortsighted to demand those downtime hours, which are necessary for humans to function. The problem for President Obama has come in managing the symbolic aspect of his office. Playing a round at the Farm Neck Golf Club was appropriate. Giving a speech after the murder of James Foley was necessary. It is the immediate juxtaposition of beheading and golfing that should have raised questions. Those questions would have been so obvious to any reasonably competent deputy press secretary that the incident raises further issues: Is there really no one on the White House staff with the standing to confront Obama when he is about to make a self-evident mistake? Is he surrounded by sycophancy? Or has re-election liberated Obama from all considerations of symbolism or appropriateness? One gets the impression of a particular message being sent. The president is so aggressively indifferent to appearances that he doesn't really seem indifferent at all. He appears to be telling the media, his political critics and the world: You can criticize me, vilify me, challenge me; but you are powerless, at least, to change my tee time. It shows resilience. Yet there is a fine line between not giving an inch and not giving a damn. Our view of presidential character is often conditioned by the direction of events. When a president is succeeding, he might be regarded as principled. When he is failing, the same leader may be viewed as stubborn. A president who is considered flexible in success might be called slippery in failure. A leader's virtues can become his weaknesses — or maybe they are inseparable. Our admiration becomes our indictment. President Obama rose to prominence, in part, because of a certain aloofness and emotional distance. The contrast to his opponent in the 2008 election, John McCain, was particularly vivid during the financial collapse. McCain seemed excitable and unsteady; Obama was cool and self-contained. In political success, Obama's manner was reassuring. As his failures have multiplied, he seems disconnected and tone-deaf. It must be frustrating for the president to know he is actually the same leader, and tempting to display a defiant unconcern. But this is not just a matter of image management. Obama now faces the defining crisis of his presidency — the rise of a terrorist state at the heart of the Middle East with global ambitions of violence — which suddenly demands a different set of attributes: resolution, clarity, inspiration. The traits and views that aided his political rise — an emotional and geopolitical disengagement — are not sufficient to the moment. Even some of his traditional supporters have begun to fear that the president's golfing has become not merely a respite but a symbol of detachment. As the president has vacationed, senior officials have talked of efforts to "stall," "contain," "degrade," "defeat" and "destroy" the Islamic State. These words actually mean very different things, indicating either a major internal administration debate or utter confusion. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel describes the Islamic State as an "imminent threat to every interest we have." But a senior defense official was recently quoted as saying, "There is no policy" to deal with this imminent threat. In his public statements, Obama has carefully avoided resolving or clarifying his administration's ultimate policy goal. He has consistently downplayed America's incremental (but escalating) military actions. He has promised to be "relentless" toward some unspecified end. He has argued that the Islamic State has "no place in the 21st century" — as though the appeal of radical Islamism should have faded like bell bottoms and disco. For years, Obama has reacted to events in the Middle East, and lately been at their mercy. Now he must provide some assurance that he is shaping events with a strategy that culminates in the end of the Islamic State. As a matter of policy, this will require recognition that Iraq and Syria are one theater in a long-term struggle that does not fade when we ignore it. As a matter of leadership, it will require a certain trumpet, for a change. Michael Gerson's email address is [email protected]. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Aug. 26, 2014 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2014 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501