Seems like Obama does test the water a lot before making a decision. Not what I'd call the best leadership ability.

Of course Bush's own internal compass seemed to be.....well let me just say it wasn't so much the compass as it was the navigator, but both seemed to error sometimes.

With Bush he did tend to do what he thought needed to be done, whether it was in America's best interest or just his own. But camparing Obama to Bush jr......George W was far from being what i'd consider the greatest leader in the history of Presidents. Comparing those two, you're just comparing one idiot to another, so maybe it is a fair comparison

A great leader will be wise enough to gather as much valid information as possible before making a big decision. Not testing the water, not making it off the cuff. We need more Presidents like Teddy Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan

All I know is that it looks like we have Brett Favre running the country. I can only imagine how quickly my organization would fall apart if I led it this way -- "I'm thinking of doing this..." (bad reaction). "Did I say that? I meant I'm going to do this other thing." (Bad reaction). "Oh, no...I always meant I was thinking of doing it the first way."

I've had bosses like this, and they wound up getting fired after running the organization into the toilet.. There's gathering information, and then there's "analysis paralysis.". Obama's made a career out of telling people what they want to hear and riding a wave of sentiment to win elections. He's never had to actually run anything and accept the accountability that goes with leadership. It's painfully obvious that he doesn't know how to do it, and is trying to hide -- hoping that somebody will fix it and positioning himself to take credit for it when it's over. He doesn't want the grunt work that goes with the job -- just the prestige.

I have to disagree with you Western hunter . A leader is someone that does the right thing regardless of if it is popular with the public . Bush did this and other then national guard who never had any attention of ever really serving I have yet found anyone in the military that didnt recognize Bush as his commander and chief. I didnt really agree with all his cabinet appointments as far as treasury but he was a leader. Besides unemployment was at a low until the dems took over the house in 06. Also the time the oil prices went up . He was far stronger then Clinton who left the guys in black hawk down in Somalia and never finished the job . Jamie Smith was dragged through the streets over there . His sister used to work for me. The other guys in his unit would have spit on clinton. You said in a previous post that I should pick a side , you can see where I am coming from and it is the opposite side of this president we have now . The reason I was against him talking in the school to my kid is I simply dont trust him. And I wont ever leave my kids with someone I dont trust . We now have someone leading this country with no back bone who is surounding himself with people that are tied to communist and anti american groups. Sorry but Reagen was bashed by many and it was years before we realized what a great president he was.

So you disagree that part of being a good leader (as one who needs to make good decisions) needs to have valid information before he/she should make any important decisions? I've been under the leadership of many who made rash decisons off the cuff without the important info they needed and saw just how detrimental that type of behavior really is. I've seen it on the job in my employment, in church organizations, in private schools, in team sports.

There are many qualities that a good leader should have, one of which as you said is the ability to do the right thing regardless of peoples opinions. But I have also always seen and valued the importance of having knowledge, experience, clear thinking and planning all put into a decision. You have to know something about what you are doing. And knowing how to use all the resources that are available to you. As far as I'm concerned charisma takes a back seat. But you do have to have genuine concern and regard for those under you.

As far as Obama goes, Expat is right when he stated about Obama: This tells me one of two things is going on -- either he's playing both sides of the fence trying to come out on top no matter what happens, or he's trying to sow so much confusion that nobody knows whether to protest or not.

I think if I were to be fair, I'd say the biggest mistake Obama made is to surround himself with inept individuals that work as his hand puppet's and have no idea how to do their job. What he should have done was to surround himself with highly qualified people then made decissions based on their asessment's. No leader can bo that knowledgeable in all areas, Bush sure wasn't. Obama seem's to have every intention of leading us down the road to ruin though, Bush didn't want that for sure.

A real leader will listen to his expert's he's surrounded himself with, even on subject's he's knowledgeable with, and then make an informed decission based on what is best for the country. A real leader will not disparage the country he's supposed to be leading, Obama does!

But let's give credit where credit is do. What Obama has done is bring along the best looking 1st lady I ever saw! Have no idea where she stands on anything, to busy lookin at her!

That's my whole point. Have the right information before you make a big decision. A leader can't be all knowing in every aspect or subject, but can use his resources wisely. You make a good point Don about surrounding one self with highly qualified staff and advisors.

Take this new Obamacare policy for example. Everyone wants it, everyone wants it now. No one really has any clue what's in it or how it reads. Yet people can't wait to get it passed. We're going to be sorry down the road. Bad decsion on Obama's part. Everyone has swallowed this idea that we need to fix health care, when health care is fine. It's the health insurance industry that needs to be revamped. Congress should have been working on this years ago.

I think the flaw with modern day leadership is this mentallity that you have to have feel-good solutions to every problem. Win-win has become the new 21st century buzz word. I just don't subscribe to that philosophy. It's all crap. It's true that a good leader should do what's right, and not just what's popular. Then again, we do live in a democracy, maybe that has something to do with it.

A leader goes out front and inspires people to follow him. If it turns out bad, he takes the heat and inspires people to follow him in a new direction.

An opportunist hides in the mob, spends his energy trying to figure out where the mob is going, and then jumps out front at the end and says, "Look where I got you!". Of course, if it turns out bad, he stays at the back of the pack, points to the guy in front, and cries, "Look what he did to us!"

What we're seeing isn't leadership.

This type of leadership seems more common than not among Democrats. Clinton did much the same thing with polls. He was seemingly unable to make a decision without conducting a poll first. Obama's version seems a much more efficient and quick way to make gutless decisions based solely on popularity.