Once again we have been reminded of the difference–no, chasm–between being president and being among those running for the office.
The former must reassuringly lead, not histrionically pander with reckless rhetoric. The latter must score points, not manage a crisis.
President Barack Obama’s Sunday night, prime-time address to the nation–AND THE REST OF THE WORLD–had a multi-faceted agenda that no nuance-challenged, opposition-party candidate would traffic in.
* It’s about coming to grips with terrorism without adding to the terror with overkill bombast.
* It’s about explaining ongoing strategy–from military coordination with allies to ground-war rejection to ever-increasing proactivity on the intelligence front.
* It’s about specifically calling for cooperation between private companies and law enforcement to ensure potential attackers can’t use technology to evade detection.
* It’s about common-sense efforts that would lessen the ease of weapons purchases in our all-too–counterproductive gun culture.
* It’s about scrutinizing visa programs.
* And it’s about imploring Americans not to turn on Muslims at home, while urging Muslims to confront any incipient radicalism in their midst.
This was no time to sound like the loud-mouthed, right-wing drunk at the end of the bar. And this was no time to sound like a smarmy second-guesser-in-chief.