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Unreasonable Expectations of the Presidency
Presidents of the USA are powerful. They are the most powerful people on the planet. They are not ALL-POWERFUL. They can't do it all. They can't work miracles.
Its unreasonable to expect the President to stop the flow of oil in the Gulf. Its silly that Americans have come to the place where the Presidency is loaded down with expectations that are beyond the pail. Its not Obama's fault the oil rig exploded, that oil has been spewing for weeks. Its crazy to believe that he is the one man who can make it stop leaking.
The US government is not in the oil drilling business. They are not experts. The oil people are. Problem is, this has never happened before, so they are learning as the go. They will stop the leak eventually, not the federal government. And nature will fix the environmental impact. Life will return to normal.
In 2006 I went salmon fishing in Alaska. We stayed in a fishing village in Prince William Sound. I can't remember what year the Exxon Valdez spilled so much oil there, but I do remember the predictions of the many many many years this area would be devestated. They were exaggerating. The place was gorgeous, the fishing was great and I'd go back every year if I could afford it.
It wasn't Bush's fault New Orleans flooded. Yet he was saddled with more than enough blame. He was guilty of not being a miracle worker. Natural disasters happen. Human disasters happen. Presidents can offer assistance and support and should be informed of what is happening. But ultimately we only need our Presidents to do what they were designed to do: protect us from foreign enemies and to lead the way toward freedom and liberty domestically.
The problem is we have become a culture that expects the government to take care of everything from the cradle to the grave. Too many politicians are eager to expand the government's role in our lives. Too many promises of an America free from tragedy, hardship and pain are given, so when tragedy strikes, Americans want the President to wave his magic wand and it will all get better.
So the President then overreacts. He suspends all offshore drilling temporarily. The prospects of the government expanding its powers and its role in everyday life is raised. The whole issue becomes a political football. In the end a very unfortunate event is made worse: Americans embrace the spector that Presidents are miracle workers and big government enthusiasts push for more government.
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When a newspaper posed the question, "What's Wrong with the World?" G. K. Chesterton reputedly wrote a brief letter in response: "Dear Sirs: I am. Sincerely Yours, G. K. Chesterton." That is the attitude of someone who has grasped the message of Jesus.
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