Michael Barone thinks there’s a lot of evidence Obama is a lot like Eisenhower. He has and will continue to hold himself aloof from his fellow Democrats to sustain his huge and fairly transpartisan popularity. Obama is obviously not THAT much like an old war hero who really had no clear history with either of the two parties and could easily have won the nomination of either party. Still, he does seem to be astute enough to see that the president can be more effective if he seems to be a lot more than a party leader.
On wonders how much of a "hidden hand" Obama will use.
Does a good electoral victory match the strategy of operation overlord? Or--in my stupidity--whatever it was called? In other words, can Obama use his political capital in a way that matches Ike's true heroic genius?
Obama's plan, it seems to me, is to avoid being directly associated with the effects of his policies. Others will play the lightning rod, he'll play the glowing light. The press will cooperate.
What's not clear is whether Reid, Pelosi and Schumer will play along ... and if so, for how long?
One other quality that Obama shares with Eisenhower (and Reagan)is the ability to project warmth while being utterly cold blooded in the pursuit of his goals. The combination of public warmth and personal reserve (not as common as you would think among politicians, Nixon, Clinton, Dole, and McCain all lacked the reserve part)indicates a deep emotional maturity that makes him a much more dangerous political opponent for conservatives.
I doubt he shares Ike's concern about the undue influence of the military industrial complex. I think the complex can now be called military industrial petro chemical pharma complex brought to you by the international banking cabal.
I agree with Brutus but that's unfair to Obama, ike was a rare breed. He will probably use the millitary more thoughtfully than president lame ass. However, to expect him to be able to control brutus apt description of the millitary is completely unfair!
pete is right about the public warmth and private cold bloodedness thing.