»» Columnists

David Gregory Says President Needs to ‘Stand Back and Achieve’

video

by Tommy Christopher | 9:25 pm, February 26th, 2010

» 16 comments

On MSNBC’s Morning Joe today, I heard one of the strangest critiques yet of President Obama. In discussing yesterday’s healthcare summit, Meet the Press host David Gregory said that the President’s ability to debate his opponents is both a strength and a weakness. Why is it a weakness? Because while Americans like their leaders to be fighters, they also want them to “stand back and achieve.” What? I asked Robert Gibbs if he could respond to the criticism.

First, here’s the clip from Morning Joe:

I wasn’t really sure what to make of Gregory’s criticism, beyond wondering how one stands back and achieves. Is this a game of darts? I found the clip when Salon’s Glenn Greenwald tweeted about it:

David Gregory said this morning that Obama’s mastery of facts can be a weakness- we’re back to 2000 “want-to-have-a-beer” political analysis

While that’s not exactly what Gregory said, I was at a loss to understand what he was saying. My guess is this is another example of the media’s fetish for balance for balance’s sake.

Here’s what Gibbs had to say:

Transcript:

TC: Two quick questions on health care, Robert. First, this morning I heard an interesting criticism of the President. I’m wondering if you can respond to it. David Gregory was saying that he felt that the President’s ability to engage the opposition was both a strength and a weakness, it being a weakness because the American people prefer — they like a fighter, but they prefer a President who will stand back and achieve. A response to that?

MR. GIBBS: I didn’t see the — I don’t know the context of the comments. I think what the American people got a chance to see, and what they’ve seen over the course of his presidency, is somebody who is willing to sit down, like yesterday, and listen to people’s ideas, to engage lawmakers, and to engage the American people directly in discussions about the problems that we face.

TC: I think maybe he’s saying he’s too much into the weeds — is there anything to that?

MR. GIBBS: Well, in fairness, there have been criticisms even within the past 20 minutes about the President not having been in the weeds enough. So I think the President felt good about the discussion yesterday and feels good about the prospect of moving forward.

barack obama, David Gregory, Health Care, President Obama, Robert Gibbs

J Baustian

David Gregory: don’t bother. President Obama does not care what you think. Your opinion matters no more to him than mine, with means not at all.
Fidoohki

You are not alone in that Tommy. I’m confused as to what he meant also. The best I can come up
with so far is that Gregory thinks that the Pres. should ‘rise above’ some of these fights he’s
engaged in. Even the appearance of inpartiality can go far. . I admit though I think this explanation
might be wrong…
Moderate

The point is, when you pick fights with individuals, you do not look very “Presidential”. Obama likes attacking his enemies one individual at a time.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Bill-Adkins/1585417987 Bill Adkins

But of late Obama appears to finally be gaining his ‘sea legs’ and balancing the ‘standing back,’ which he’s done a lot of, ‘ with taking up the fight, which he demonstrated at the Republicans’ conclave and the Health Summit. Taking it to the Republicans is a winning strategy and I, for one, am very glad he’s finally done it. Now, on with that b-ball game between Obama and Brown.
Fidoohki

Bill Atkins says,

The problem is that he isn’t doing what he promised. Working bipartisanly with everyone. Oh he may
be winning with his hardcore progressive base but he isn’t with the people.
Moderate

“Now, on with that b-ball game between Obama and Brown.”

The problem is Brown might not adhere to the rule that the President always wins.
dhg

I don’t care if Obama stands back but I’d love it if he achieved something like lower unemployment and a recovered economy.Gregory meant I think that Obama needs to stop lecturing and start doing…something.

We’ve lost a full year to health care reform and ended up with what will be watered down high cost nothingness.We spent unbelievable amounts of money and racked up decades of debt with nothing to show for it.

Some achievement.
Barney

OK…so David Gregory said something that YOU cannot figure out how to translate. Why is this a front page story?

Maybe Mediaite should just have you stick to your childish smear pieces
http://www.facebook.com/people/Bill-Adkins/1585417987 Bill Adkins

” Fidoohki says:
February 27, 2010 at 9:37 am
Bill Atkins says,

The problem is that he isn’t doing what he promised. Working bipartisanly with everyone. Oh he may
be winning with his hardcore progressive base but he isn’t with the people.”

No, he’s finally showing that he realizes bipartisanship is a myth because those who claim want to be bipartisan are liars. He’s finally realized the Republicans are only paying lip service to the term, bipartisanship, while sticking a knife in his back at every turn. And he’s finally telling them to go fuck themselves. He should have done it last summer.
Grammie

I take it to be just another way of expressing a criticism that has been heard often recently:

Obama IS the consummate Community Organizer and campaigner but now is the time for him to become a leader that governs.
Grammie

Bill Adkins says:
February 27, 2010 at 1:26 pm

Tks, Bill!

As ever, you are right on time racheting up the discussion to the level of personal slurs.

You know it is possible to express the underlying thought that partisanship vs bipartisanship can be different, even to the very same people, depending upon the particular circumstances without resorting to the same tired old name calling.

Try it, you might actually make more friends and even influence a person or two with that approach.
http://www.sailrabbits.com Magister

My interpretation is that it’s similar to some of the things floating around the blogosphere. He needs to do something; He needs a win; He needs to get this done; It’s time for him to kick ass and take names.

@Fidoohki: I realize that not everyone heard the same things during the ’08 election cycle, but a whole lot of Candidate Obama’s rhetoric was bipartisanship to accomplish the things on which we agree and as Bill says, perhaps it’s time for him to learn that it may have been nothing more than a unicorn’s dream.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Bill-Adkins/1585417987 Bill Adkins

It’s not defamatory if it’s the truth, grammie – and you can sue me on that one and I’ll win.
sueNaustin

I watched Meet the Press for years — even after David Gregory was chosen as the new anchor, though I thought it a mistake. But I stopped watching a few months ago, when it seemed that every other single time John McCain was on, and I thought that so weird … Plus, Gregory never could stick to a subject or would change tactics just when things were interesting, or he would not follow up on misleading statements, unless that was where he seemed to want to go. However, David Gregory just does not have what it takes, with no true stand out interview moments during his MTP tenure, and his statement here is just another puzzler to me as to how some people get so far ahead in life for no explicable reason.
barry

You nailed it with the balance for balance sake comment. Gregory is part of a much wider problem in the mainstream media.
Fidoohki

Magister says:

The problem is he never honestly tried in my opinion. Bipartisanship is working together to find something
everyone can agree on. It is not ‘vote for our plan or we’ll try to destroy you’. That isn’t bipartisanship no matter how Progressives try to redefine it as such.