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Obama On ’60 Minutes’: ‘Leadership Isn’t Just Legislation’

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President Obama On '60 Minutes'

NEW YORK (CBS) — After suffering a “shellacking” in the midterm elections, President Obama acknowledges what many have seen as his chief weakness – failing to sell the importance of several legislative milestones to the American people.

“I think that’s a fair argument. I think that, over the course of two years we were so busy and so focused on getting a bunch of stuff done that, we stopped paying attention to the fact that leadership isn’t just legislation. That it’s a matter of persuading people. And giving them confidence and bringing them together. And setting a tone,” Mr. Obama told 60 Minutes’ Steve Kroft in an exclusive interview set to air Sunday.

“Making an argument that people can understand,” Mr. Obama continued, “I think that we haven’t always been successful at that. And I take personal responsibility for that. And it’s something that I’ve got to examine carefully … as I go forward.”

Republicans enjoyed significant victories Tuesday, wresting control of the House of Representatives from the Democrats and picking up six seats in the Senate, as frustration over the economy drove voter sentiment.

A humbled Mr. Obama, who termed the defeat a “shellacking” during a postelection press conference Wednesday, must now grapple with an emboldened and empowered political enemy with its sights set on undoing much of what he accomplished in the last two years – including an effort to repeal his signature achievement, health care reform, reports CBS News White House correspondent Bill Plante.

Watch the entire exclusive interview with President Obama on 60 Minutes this Sunday at 7 p.m. ET on CBS 2.

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View Comments
  • Renee

    No, President Dude, it WAS the policies. Sheesh.

  • arg2015153

    He is kidding, right? He’s on everything from CNN to MTV to Comedy Central to NBC, fawned over by almost all, uses a teleprompter whenever he wants, and he says that it was a problem with communication? Sorry, “Dude,” we understand you all too well.

  • Andy King

    The President trys to sell us that his policies weren’t rejected but his communication skills were and Bill Plante strokes him like he was Jesus himself. READ IT!

    “A humbled Mr. Obama, who termed the defeat a “shellacking” during a postelection press conference Wednesday, must now grapple with an emboldened and empowered political enemy with its sights set on undoing much of what he accomplished in the last two years – including an effort to repeal his signature achievement, health care reform”

    HE EVEN CALLS REPUBLICANS ENEMIES! JUST LIKE THE PRESIDENT DID. THE BIAS NEVER STOPS.

    60 Minutes and CBS News are nothing but a infomercial for the Left

  • brad

    I know I voted against his party to reject his policies. I fully understand them, and fully reject them. That’s just me. How about the rest of you?

  • R Quinn

    I wonder what color is the sky in Obama’s world.

    If you want a puff piece for 60 minutes – Steve Kroft is your man.

  • Jam

    The election Tuesday signified a rejection of his policies which always increase government power. Americans are sick of unlimited government and want a return to the Constitution.

  • Joseph

    President Obama blames poor communication for his political setback?! He is the most media-exposed president in modern American history. He is the most self-obsessed politician we’ve seen in several decades. This guy has been everywhere from “American Dog” magazine to the NBA sidelines during ESPN broadcasts. Give me a break.

  • Pete

    A classic Progressive. If your policies are rejected by the people, then the people must be too stupid to understand. Go back and look what the early 20th century Progressives said the solution was to that. I will tell you. Because they believed they had evolved further than other humans (I kid you not), they argued it was justified to force their policies on a resistant public. That’s coming, folks.

  • AUEagle

    Why is it everytime the dems lose, they blame it on “not getting their message across”. Does it ever occur to them the American people get their message loud and clear?

  • VinnieDet

    Because his word can’t be trusted. We’re not fooled any longer. He’s tried to hide his past, his racism, his elitist attitude, etc. Hide it with the help of the media. We’re on to him and he’s a disgrace to the office. He should just resign and save us the next two years.

  • Jim T

    Maybe, just maybe, we do understand and just don’t like his unabashed spending and talking down to us. We don’t like ramming things down our throats, lying about what you are going to do, lying about what you have done, and then saying we are to stupid to understand what you intended. This idiot makes Bush look like a saint.

  • sylvia smart

    This man just does not get it. It is his policies, his communication skills and his arrogance that is his problem

  • TxnByBrth

    Another way of saying we just didn’t get it…one of life’s great ironies: “By virtue of a person’s stupidity, it is impossible for them to know they are stupid.” You can quote me…

  • Johnny

    “I have come to the realization that this president isn’t capable of running a bath, let alone the government.”
    Don Imus

  • samiam

    This idiot just doesn’t get it, he lies denies and now runs from the reality. His party is being destroyed and he thinks it’s becasue he’s not talking enough. thats all he has is talking, zero skills of running the country. Well 2012 will be here and the conservs will hold all three area’s and get rid off osama care and his other stupid dem USA destroying ways.

  • boiz

    Wrong. Your agenda is socialist and we don’t like it. Worst president in history.

  • Jon

    “Making an argument that people can understand,” Mr. Obama continued, “I think that we haven’t always been successful at that.”

    What a pompous…..it is ever so obvious the disdain this man has for the American public. Obviously the American public is too ignorant to understand his lofty goals and policies…he needs to dumb it down for us I guess.

    There is an enormous difference, Mr. President, between an unintelligible argument regarding a policy and a bad argument or policy.

  • ROGER

    DENIAL !

  • johnny

    This president is so delusional I have to question his sanity. All he has done, for the past 18 months, is communicate. He’s been on every broadcast except the local access gardening show…is there ANYONE who can explain to this dolt that the MAJORITY of the USA DOES understand his message and has REJECTED it?

    “This president is in so far over his head he needs scuba gear.”
    Don Imus

    • Kestrel

      He is not delusional by any means and that is what concerns me the most. Get ready for reeducation camps because this guy apparently knows what is best for us — and we are going to get it whether we like it or not.

  • Barb

    It was his policies that caused the shellacking!

  • Jack Frost

    No. Voters defintely got the message. Tweaking it, like an advertiser or marketer, won’t likely change the outcome. Question is: Are you, Mr. President, getting the message?

  • Ellis

    Its not just a river in Egypt

  • Anon

    What ab arrogant schmuck.

    • Mike

      According to Mr. Obama and his minions, the citizens who do not support his Marxist agenda are too simple minded to grasp what the his extreme left is doing to our republic. This election is proof that mainstream America does see beyond his teleprompter presentation of the change he wants to bring to America.

  • MTB

    Sorry…the man is an idiot. HIS POLICIES were rejected. He was on TV so much I had to turn channels to escape him….geeze!

  • Alan

    WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!!!! For someone of his alledged intelligence, he sure is thick as a brick…

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