President Obama has to deal with two wars and an economic recession, but the biggest hurdle that makes his governing stumble time and time again is the fact that… the folks pay attention.

At the health care summit Obama said many times: people are not interested in congressional procedures like reconciliation. The President probably wishes it was true. Unfortunately for him and luckily for the country folks show very lively interest in learning how their government works in recent months. The historical Obama Presidency draws the folks to the screen or to the net and they keep learning about the federal bureaucracy. Folks who didn’t care about it before are now experts on the Senate procedures.

Part of the reason for such public interest to politics is the recession – the feeling of insecurity in the time of crashing markets, high unemployment and low consumer confidence make the people zoom in on their government. The Big Bureaucracy is under the magnifying glass of the crowd that expects a solution for their problems. Despite the charm of the President it is not his persona that keeps the folks attached to the news – they really don’t care about Obama – they care about their own life and the life of their family and kids.

Obama’s presidential campaign set the hopes unrealistically high. Folks quickly figured it out that Obama is just another politician and not a messiah. All it took was one bill full with nine thousand earmarks and the gigantic Stimulus package that couldn’t stop the unemployment reaching double digits. The Obama Greek columns turned to be a just a setting that fits the political elite while the rest of the country folks were left to make their paths through the boondocks. The rhetoric full of hope turned out to be empty promises. The King was naked and behind him the people saw the dysfunctional family of the Washington DC bureaucracy.
Two parties clam to know the answers to the country’s problems.

Team D’s solution: give me your tax-money and I will fix all problems – stop whining for your money – there are other people who need it more than you do.

Team R solution: keep your money, but you are on your own – don’t come to me whining about your problems – take responsibility for your life.

Suddenly people realize they don’t like either of those teams. Common sense tells them that if you leave everything on the person’s responsibility there will be those who are simply irresponsible who will need help. Folks also realize that if you reward the irresponsible you will incentivize and create more irresponsible behavior.

It is the Catch 22 of the two-party system of the American politics. Most people in America do not identify with the teams D and R – they just want something to get done. They want to know what the rules are so they can plan their lives. One of the most disturbing features of the Obama presidency is that nobody in the country can plan the next year or two. Government just doesn’t give enough info so the folks can plan.
Are the Bush tax-cuts going to expire? Do I get to pay penalty for not having health insurance? Where will I get my student loan from? Is the bank going to give me credit to start a small business? What is the price of my house? Will the electricity price double after cap-n-trade? If I move out from Florida do I get to keep my Medicare Advantage? What type of green car will be the car of the future? Do I have to deploy for Afghanistan again?

The Democrats and their leaders had no guts to give us the answers and the rules of engagement. All this dithering on every issue – from the choosing of the first dog to the choosing of Afghanistan strategy – kept the country in total chaos. The American people can figure it out. They always did. All they need is unified rules that can stay in place for more than few months so folks can plan their future around them.

President Obama, stop dithering and tell us what to expect from the future!