President Obama's decision to simultaneously accept General McChrystal's resignation and appoint General Petraeus as the new leader of America's war in Afghanistan comes at a time where the perception of his authority has been waning.
The oil spill, with BP as the culprit, has held Obama's administration captive for the last two months, captive not due to any lack of leadership on the President's part, but captive because government simply isn't in a position to solve the problem. The President could preach of his anger toward BP and distain for the larger, elitist corporate culture that has sprouted in the last few years, regardless, the oil continues to spew and only BP is poised to stop the crisis: BP has all the technology. Despite this fact, the American media has placed varying degrees of blame on the president, ranging from understandable to blatantly unfair. The end result being the increased doubt on the president's ability to act boldly and solve problems.
Today, the President's quick assessment of the threatening comments made by General McChrystal and his decision to relieve the General of his duties in Afghanistan restores some of the perception that he is a strong leader who is able to make difficult decisions in crisis situations. The subsequent decision to appoint the popular architect of the Iraq war's successful "Surge" General David Petraeus, shows keen insight on the importance of seizing critical moments and using them to one's advantage. Obama's now has a new, proven leader to help him carry out his policies in Afghanistan.
Americans want a president who can at least change things. The ability to change things for the better, and sometimes for the worse (few perceived President Bush as weak despite his failures) shows relevance and radiates power and authority. If President Obama can recognize critical moments and use them to push his agenda, such as the BP spill which can be used to push Climate Legislation through Congress, he will evolve into a president who can truly deliver change.
