Is Obama Leading, or Ducking Blame?

My latest column for CNN.com examines President Obama's leadership style and how it has helped him avoid blame for the biggest environmental disaster in recent American history.

My latest column for CNN.com examines President Obama's leadership style and how it has helped him avoid blame for the biggest environmental disaster in recent American history.

Although President Obama has not entirely escaped blame for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, he has certainly gotten off lightly.

Why? Well, who is there to criticize him? It was not Obama who chanted "drill, baby, drill." Yes, he issued an order in March allowing more offshore drilling. But that order was squeezed from him by Republican pressure. Can the Republicans now blast him for a decision they demanded?

Obama used the same method in Afghanistan. He pondered his Afghan surge for months. The delay maddened the president's opponents, who urged action, action, action. If anything goes wrong in Afghanistan -- here again, the president was visibly forced. ...

George W. Bush led from the front. He enunciated big and often unpopular goals. He forced the pace of action. He put his face on issues from Iraq to Social Security, reform to immigration. If anything went wrong, he found himself alone with all the blame.

Obama leads from the rear. He acts only after the call for action has become a clamor.

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