My SO insists that Obama made a big mistake by admitting he "messed up"

[no_hypocrisy]

last night on the news. Specifically, since * "got away" with everything and never admitted he was wrong, then Obama just made himself look bad in front of his critics. I countered that the critics would still criticize the tax problems of the two nominees, plus Obama would be forced to respond (if necessary) to others (e.g., Rush).

If Obama is to be great, IMO, he has to continue to be the first to be honest with all of the American public and keep things real and honest. No one expects him to be perfect (esp. non-dems) and I don't see him as "ruining" his presidential image by being less than perfect.

Your thoughts please?

[spanone]

1. to err is human......to admit it in washington d.c. is unheard of....i applaud him

[Cha]

2. Nah, that's Obama's MO..he

admits mistakes and moves on. Is your SO use to the bush way?

[no_hypocrisy]

5. My SO is a dem but he's been beaten down since Reagan. Afraid to believe in

Obama's promise.

[Cha]

7. See post # 6.

:)

[treestar]

3. No, the concept you should never admit your mistakes

is best left to the right wing.

[Cha]

6. Yeah, the non reality based..

Time for the OP to school his/her SO.

[EFerrari]

4. Not at all. He made himself look strong, like a man who has confidence

in his own judgment over the babbling of cable bobbleheads.

[monmouth]

8. He was applauded by Fox for doing this (Bret Hume)...Not that that's a

big deal, but generally I'm hearing he did the right thing.

[theoldman]

9. Bush's greatest problem was never admitting that he made a mistake.

Long ago I came up with this wisdom; "If you mess up, fess up". Only this way can you move on because there is no more argument.

[ConcernedCanuk]

10. NO - he didn't "mess up" by admitting he made an error - he admitted to being NORMAL

.
.
.

Begs the question

if your "SO" - messed up

is he/she gonna tell you???

something to ponder

[FiveGoodMen]

11. The RW Noise Machine will use it against him, but I think it's better to admit mistakes

If you can't admit you were wrong, then you have to continue down the road you're on. Even when it's the wrong road.

That surely describes some of what happened to Bush -- although a lot of his actions weren't really mistakes from the point of view of his supporters and money-suppliers.

[Swede]

12. He's a politician that can admit a mistake. Very refreshing.

A lot better than that little immature surly POS in office before him.

[Tempest]

13. Your SO is wrong

One of the things that caused Bush to leave office with a 22% approval rating was because he was unable to admit he was wrong according to polls.

[Jackpine Radical]

14. I disagree. Strategically, it was the right move.

I screwed up. I'm changing course. It takes the wind right out of their sails, makes them sound petty if they keep harping on it.

All that said, I'm not at all sure I'm going to be happy with the way health care planning is going in this coutry, and really didn't like Daschle's lobbying connections.

[Still Sensible]

15. Karl Rove preached that in politics you should never

admit you made a mistake. I am sure he could site many instances where doing so turned out badly. That's why the Bush administration never did. If President Obama strings together a few of these occurrences, you can bet the GOP commercials in 2012 will feature the clips of him saying "I Screwed Up."

I suggest the right take on it, though, is that there are circumstances where you can and should... and there are others where if you do admit a mistake,the opposition will have a field day.

Personally, I don't think the Dashle one is that big a deal... partly because it is clear to most people that it was primarily Dashle's fault.

[Fleshdancer]

16. I personally liked it

but I completely understand the argument made by your SO.

At the end of the day, the buck finally stops at the desk in the oval office again. Obama is acting like an adult right now and although the right wing nuts will pounce on it, they would have pounced regardless. After a day or two talking about it, there's really not much more for them to say.

[theoldman]

18. I wish Obama had added "The buck stops here".

Hard to argue with that.

[aquart]

17. Not to me. I'm fine with it.

He's got a lot to learn because nothing really gets you ready for this job and I expect mistakes and even big fat blunders. What I hope is that he immediately gets off the ass he's fallen flat on and does better. He's got a good feel for it.

The Republicans are trying to make him look wimpy and weak. Our Democrats aren't a big help there. But he keeps moving forward.

And while he moves forward, I need his AG guarding his read with constant prosecutions for what those bastards did to us for eight years. Is nation rape against the law?

[SheilaT]

19. Your SO is wrong, with all due respect.

Among the reasons the Bush administration is going to go down as the worst ever, is because he was such an arrogant a**hole who never admitted mistakes, no matter how obvious and blatant they were.

It is the mark of an adult to admit mistakes, correct them, and move on.

Some time back I remarked that Bush lies like a child. And he does, just like a young child who thinks that if he says something then magically it is true. Bush was that way, still is, and look at what his eight years have wrought. We'll be more than eight years digging out from under the mess he got us in.

[TroglodyteScholar]

20. Claiming infallibility worked out so well for GWB.... n/t

[4lbs]

21. Didn't President Obama already state, even during the campaign, that he will make some mistakes.

So, he's willing to admit to the American public when he makes one.

[4lbs]

22. dupe.

n/t

[undeterred]

23. Did your SO coin the phrase "love means never having to say you're sorry"?

Dumbest statement on love that ever was.

[nadinbrzezinski]

24. People have forgotten that Presidents used to admit mistakes

I found it refreshing...I mean HONESTY from a politician? I know,unheard off

How old is your SO? That MIGHT have something to do with it

[MasonJar]

25. I totally disagree with your SO. One of Bush's most egregious faults

was ironically the inability to see his own faults (need I say sociopath) much less admit them. The recognition by this pres of errors in judgement (think Shakespeare) will be monumentally refreshing to the citizenry IMHO.