Profiles In Crisis Management

Good points:

One of the thing that American's look for in a prospective President, and that actually can be revealed by the stress of running for President, is how that would be Commander in Chief, responds to a crisis.

This typically doesn't reveal itself in primary battles. Those are inter-squad scrimmages where everyone is on the same page, and the audience is specifically narrow and pre-disposed to give you the benefit of the doubt.

These instances arise after "first contact" with the other side. Opposing parties are capable of throwing any number of unforeseen or unexpected challenges in your way.

The selection of Palin presents Obama with the first truly legitimate instance in which the American people can see how he would respond to an unexpected event.

Can anyone say that Obama has displayed any sense of knowing how to respond adversity?

All he has essentially done since the Palin announcement is flounder. His responses have been all over the map. He criticizes her, then walks it back. He has surrogates attack her, then flips on that. He chief reactions have been those of denial (She's a Mayor of Wasilly) and self-pity (Why are the mean Republicans ridiculing my resume???)

Denial and Self Pity. Those are the traits that indicate he could handle the sudden vaporization of an American city?

When Bin Laden attacked was the American response one of denial and self-pity, or one of confidence, determination and resolve?

I would argue that the latter traits are the ones that McCain-Palin have been effectively conveying.

Palin, by essentially rising above her doubters and critics on the biggest possible stage. McCain by charting his own course, and doggedly sticking to it, despite an onslaught of personal attacks on his character, judgment, etc. One of the reasons the "Eagleton" meme was so weak is that, unlike McGovern, McCain never seemed to waver in his doubts about the quality of the person he selected. Even the little things like welcoming Levi into the campaign's extended family, display this.

I don't think anyone could seriously argue that the last week has been a "crisis management" success for Obama.

It's really his first test of leadership with the Country watching. And he has shown that neither he, nor Biden, the man Obama selected to be a steady hand can even rise to this occasion.