Pirate's Cove

Maybe Obama needs to add ASOTHUS (Applause Sign Of The USA) to go with TOTUS

(The Blaze) President Barack Obama at times faced an unenthusiastic crowd as he addressed American military veterans at American Legion’s National convention on Tuesday. As the Daily Mail puts it, Obama received “awkward silences where White House speechwriters expected ovations.”

“You know that we should never send America’s sons and daughters into harm’s way unless it is absolutely necessary and we have a plan and we are resourcing it and prepared to see it through,” Obama said.

After a brief moment of silence, weak applause followed.

A seemingly weaker response followed when Obama said America’s “longest war” in Afghanistan would soon come to a “responsible end.”

However, one of the most awkward moments came when the president had to wait several seconds for any response from the audience.

“As we go forward, we will continue to partner with Afghans so their country can never again be used to launch attacks against the United States,” he said.

Several seconds of awkward silence followed before scattered clapping is heard.

The Right Pundit has compiled a video containing several moments where applause lines received very tepid clapping or just plain silence:

Urf. O is more used to starry eyed adulation from audiences. He doesn’t fare quite as well when he steps out.

As the Right Pundit notes, “It looked like he didn’t really want to be there and if you listen to the reaction of the convention goers to his speech, they might not have wanted to be there either.”

I’m betting Kay Hagan didn’t want to be there after that performance, either.

Read: Semi-retired President’s Painful Flat VA Speech »

Mr. Krauthammer had an interesting take on Obama and his administrations inability to get it together in terms of ISIS/ISIL

(Fox News) Last week, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said ISIS was an imminent threat, but Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey said Monday that the group was not a direct threat to the U.S.

Krauthammer, a syndicated columnist and a Fox News contributor, questioned that discrepancy.

“You wonder…whether this administration, that can’t even get its story straight in one day, can conduct an operation of that delicacy and complexity, military, diplomatic and political, ” he said. “The president simply can’t decide. . I think this really ought to make us think twice about whether we can entrust a man of this lack of decisiveness.”

Is it dithering, indecisiveness, or simply that Obama doesn’t really care about doing the job? Is it that doing The Hard Things just bore the heck out of him? Whenever something difficult comes up, Obama just doesn’t seem to want to engage beyond some talking points. Then it’s off to golf, campaign appearances, and other fluff. Here’s Michael Gerson

As the president has vacationed, senior officials have talked of efforts to “stall,” “contain,” “degrade,” “defeat” and “destroy” the Islamic State. These words actually mean very different things, indicating either a major internal administration debate or utter confusion. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel describes the Islamic State as an “imminent threat to every interest we have.” But a senior defense official was recently quoted as saying, “There is no policy” to deal with this imminent threat.

In his public statements, Obama has carefully avoided resolving or clarifying his administration’s ultimate policy goal. He has consistently downplayed the United States’ incremental (but escalating) military actions. He has promised to be “relentless” toward some unspecified end. He has argued that the Islamic State has “no place in the 21st century” — as though the appeal of radical Islamism should have faded like bell bottoms and disco.

All this reinforces the notion that Obama likes to BE president, he doesn’t like to DO president. I don’t think he is lazy or detached: I just think his priorities lie in other directions, and those directions do not include doing the necessary hard work, and, being The Boss, this rolls down to those who work for him.

Read: Charles Krauthammer: Semi-Retired President Dithers Too Much »