Loyalty or competency

With the recent reporting about Leon Panetta's book, perhaps we've been given some insight into the competency of POTUS.

Surely there are those quick to decry the lack of loyalty demonstrated from former cabinet members (Gates, Clinton, Panetta), by comments in their memoirs written for financial gain.  Some, but not all of this criticism is warranted.  The more sensational the comments, the greater the book sales.  But I believe we should look beyond this point to a far more troubling one.  Competency.

All three books describe POTUS as a timid, vacillating, indecisive individual, particularly when dealing with serious matters.  Further, all three books describe POTUS as ignoring advice from seasoned experts, in favor of behind closed doors urgings of a small group of political operatives (Jarrett's name must be at the top of any short list).  Delays in crucial decisions have been revealed.  Misstatements compounded by inaction have been noted.  Absence of clear cut strategy highlighted.  Unreasonable and unnecessary absolutes and "red lines" declared.  Promised actions not taken.

The more we learn from the observations by very high ranking former members of the administration, the more insight we have been given into the competency of POTUS.  Alarmingly, said competency is called into serious question.

History will judge the actions of POTUS to date.

Of greater concern is the potential for a dithering POTUS, one clearly described as incompetent (particularly when it comes to national defense, international security, diplomacy, and statesmanship), to fail the nation in these very dangerous times.  ISIS, ebola, Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons, Ukraine, Syria, terrorism in general, China, the middle east, North Korea, and many, many other threats to our nation's security are all around us.

Instead of a tough, competent, experienced leader, we have in POTUS an inexperienced law professor who, as reported in the three books, fancies himself as supremely knowledgeable, surrounds himself with a cadre of extraordinarily influential (inexpert) political operatives, fails to grasp the seriousness of matters, evades hard decisions, and ignores harsh realities.  This is a dangerous combination that can lead to one or more disasters for our nation.

So, while granting some credence to the criticism of those who wrote about the failings of POTUS in their memoirs, the much more important matter is not one of loyalty, but one of reported competency.