Obama reflects on his biggest mistake as president

President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama sat down Thursday for an exclusive interview with "CBS This Morning" host Charlie Rose.

/ CBS News

(CBS News) President Obama's biggest mistake during his first term, he told CBS News in an exclusive interview, has been putting policy over storytelling.

Mr. Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama sat down Thursday with "CBS This Morning" anchor Charlie Rose in the White House Blue Room, where they discussed the failures and successes of his administration as he heads into another election, among other things.

"When I think about what we've done well and what we haven't done well," the president said, "the mistake of my first term - couple of years - was thinking that this job was just about getting the policy right. And that's important. But the nature of this office is also to tell a story to the American people that gives them a sense of unity and purpose and optimism, especially during tough times."

Mr. Obama acknowledged the dissonance between others' perception of his strength as an expert orator, and his own.

"It's funny - when I ran, everybody said, well he can give a good speech but can he actually manage the job?" he said. "And in my first two years, I think the notion was, 'Well, he's been juggling and managing a lot of stuff, but where's the story that tells us where he's going?' And I think that was a legitimate criticism."

Pressed by Rose about what he felt he needed to explain better to the American people, the president corrected that he wanted to do more "explaining, but also inspiring."

"Because hope is still there," Mrs. Obama added.

For more of the interview with President and Mrs. Obama, watch "CBS Sunday Morning" this Sunday, July 15, and "CBS This Morning" on Monday, July 16.

[matt6052]

What I like about Obama's comment is that it shows his arrogance on wide display.

While he was working heroically to save the planet, America clung bitterly to its guns and religion, and would not appreciate him unless told a "story" to help them unify. Americans are such ignorant, stupid sheeples that they must have even the greatness of Barack's accomplishment explained to them like little children or they will not understand.

Sounds like something he learned at a Nantucket social function, doesn't it?

[Buzzy8]

Hey you'r right Obama is arrogant. But guess what Global Warming ended 16 YEARS ago. heroically saving the planet my butt.

[fiddlestickawshucks]

Obama's biggest mistake was not "not storytelling" during his Presidency.

It was all the fairytales he told during his campaign.!

[fiddlestickawshucks]

Actually, Obama made his biggest mistake beore he even became President.

The mistake was believing all the bullcrap Soros fed him during the campaign; making him believe he was almost up there with the Second Coming.

Lies, promises, more lies, more promises and Obama didn't have a clue how he was going to implement these changes.

His next mistakes were: spending his first days in office flying around the world to countries who are our enemies and apologizing for the ideals and beliefs of American citizens.....followed by spending most of his time trying to change the Constitution and creating a healthcare bill that is thousanda of pages long; and including in it a large percentage of items that have nothing to do with healthcare whatsoever....followed by taking taxpayers money to pay stimulus money to the very institutions that knowingly stole the money we entrusted them with in the first place.!

We all know Nancy Pelosi is the dimmest bulb on the tree, but even she said we had to pass the halthcare bill so we can find out what's in it.

And, from there on the President proceeed to rev up the speed which has brought us to the many crises we face today.

Between the Democrooks and the Republicrooks in the Congress and Senate; the US is going to hell in a handbasket.

Not one of them seems to remember that they were voted into office to serve the best interests of the United States and their constituents.!

CONSTITUENTS.?? What are constituents.?

And, Obama thinks he is in office to create the Divided States of Socialism, draw up his own Constitution according to Soros, take away as many of our rights a possible and eventually gain complete control over every msn, woman and child in the US.

What's wrong with this picture.??

This is not to mention that the Republicrooks are trying to turn the US into the Divided States of the 1%!!!

"We the people" had damned well better start standing up for ourselves, because there doesn't seem to be any politician in Washington who is going to do it for us.!!!

[4GBill]

Storytelling is a better way to communicate and democracy needs a better way to communicate and understand issues and arguments during elections. What is storytelling? It's much more than a sound bite, a TV commercial or a 30 second rant from an ideological pundit. Good stories can be authored as books by the people who experienced them in real life. Good stories carry truthful messages which can be conveyed with fictional characters. The entire legal system in the USA is based on case studies which are stories. Many business schools at universities teach with case studies which are stories. People see, understand and remember things with meanings in life as stories. Most people are not economists and don't really understand why either a government stimulus or lowering taxes would create jobs. But people can learn from stories that explain why things happen. The Bible tells stories, so some people believe it's an effective way to communicate. As an example, I read a recently published book, American Royalty by Janet G. Miller,that gave me insight into how wealth by some of the 1% is being used to damage the economy and the American Dream. The book shows that it's great to be wealthy, but society should measure wealth by how it's used.

[lg144]

Republicans have done more damage to America than any terrorist ever could.

The Republican game plan is to destroy the economy blame the Democrats and President Obama. This is their strategy to obtain the White House and the Senate in the 2012 elections. If you think the Republicans are death on average Americans, working-class and middle-class people now. Just think of how much more damage they would do to this country if they had the house,the Senate and the presidency to consolidate power to do whatever they want. They would then have free reign to turn America into the Third World country that they want for their corporate overlords.

They've already shown their hand by not approving extended unemployment benefits for people and anything else that would help the average American. Then they took America to the brink of default with the debt ceiling crisis. A crisis in which they created. Republicans on the supreme court ruling corporations are people and therefore can give unlimited funding to politicians. Republicans fighting for tax cuts for corporations, big oil and the wealthy while advocating cutting social security, medicare and medicaid. For those reasons and more I can't imagine any thinking working-class poor or middle-class person voting to support Republicans after all the damage they've done to this country. Americans must reject republicans at town hall meetings and the polls for their anti American unpatriotic strategy and tactics. The only difference between terrorist and the republicans is they used planes & explosives and republicans used their congressional positions.

The phony debt ceiling debate and agreement is another part of the republican game plan to take back the senate and white house. They create artificial crisis to stall (run out the clock on President Obama's term) to cripple him and the economy to prevent JOBS from being discussed or created. They are counting on voters blaming the president for the bad economy even though they the republicans are sabotaging every step of the way. Even a blind man can see republicans couldn't care less for average Americans. Just imagine what they would do if they controlled the house, senate and presidency. Americans cannot let that happen. Because it is crystal clear by the behavior of republicans they do not want America to progress and will hold it hostage to prevent it.

Republicans are screwing up government to prove their mantra " government doesn't work". This is designed to frustrate and turn off non supporters from voting thus paving the way for their depraved zealots to vote republican. Americans need to punish republicans at town halls and the polls. They cannot be allowed to get away with sabotaging our great nation. Americans need to recognize that republicans have no intention or incentive to do anything to bring America out of its economic woes. After all, they think they can also get elected by blaming President Obama and Democrats.

America would be in much better economic shape if teabagging bigoted republican subversive extremist had not sabotaged and undermined everything the president does to help average Americans. The president to a fault is too polite to state this directly. He needs to get away from saying congress is the problem and tell Americans the full facts. Which is republicans have more allegiance to Grover Norquist and the tea party than constitution and country. And they are the reason America in in this economic mess. Republican senator minority leader B itch McConnell stated his top priority was to make President Obama a one term president. Remember he didn't say his top priority was jobs or restoring America, his and fellow republicans agenda is destroying the president and America.

[lg144]

Republicans are also sabotaging and screwing up government to prove their mantra " government doesn't work". Their ridiculous stance on the debt ceiling is a prime example. This is designed to frustrate and turn off non supporters from voting thus paving the way for their depraved zealots to vote republican. Americans and Democrats need to recognize that republicans have no intention or incentive to work with them and President Obama to do anything to help bring America out of its economic woes. After all, they have admitted their top priority is to make sure President Obama fails. They think they can get elected by blaming President Obama and Democrats for the depression they created and are doing everything they can to see that it continues. Americans need to punish republicans at town halls and the polls. They cannot be allowed to get away with sabotaging our great nation. Time will tell if voters will fall for this again.

The country will be better off the sooner President Obama, Democrats and all Americans acknowledge republicans for what they are which are treasonous holders of political office hellbent on making President Obama and America fail by any means necessary. Americans will remember the treasonous republicans in November 2012

[HarryOrielly]

Obama's BIGGEST mistake was hiding hist past history at the cost of millions and FORGING his birth certificate and the printing it on T-SHIRTS & COFFEE-CUPS to sell at DEMOCRATIC fundraisers- Obama even surrendered his law license to avoid investigation- Obama leads America into a new and unprecedented era of CORRUPTION-

[LEAVA12]

Perhaps the President should explain many constraints placed on him. Although he has a record of bipartisan cooperation during his four years as president, there is no doubt he was limited by the lack of national unity, Robert Gates as his Secretary of Defense, a Republican Congress which was not open to negotiation, and much political obstruction due to ideology differences.

First, the president needs a detailed critique and analysis from real and notorious economists, social scientists, ... to prove that his economic plan has been working. Those notorious experts will be the authorities to justify the slow speed of economic recovery due to many constraints. They have to justify with compelling evidence at least five factors which impede Obama's economic agenda as well as show that there is a strong possibility that the rate of unemployment could be as low as 7% if the Obama administration had not been faced with those five factors:

1) The fact that it took almost three years to stop the free fall of the severe economic recession in 2008.
2) The economic and political ideology of Congress.
3) The economic turmoil in Europe - the largest economic domain in the world.
4) Economic competition with the second economic power, China.
5) The limitations of presidential economic budget power due to Article I, section 9, clause 7 of The Constitution of the United States and Article I, section 5, clause 2: Congress is the authority to determine the rules governing its procedures.
[To be continued later.....]

[LEAVA12]

The highlights of this interview are "When I think about what we've done well and what we haven't done well," the president said, "the mistake of my first term - couple of years - was thinking that this job was just about getting the policy right. And that's important. But the nature of this office is also to tell a story to the American people that gives them a sense of unity and purpose and optimism, especially during tough times." The president wants to be better at not just "explaining, but also inspiring," as the first lady explained this is "because hope is still there."

It is difficult to speculate what President Obama wanted to say in a clear narrative fashion. As an independent voter, I will just write what I think; it may not be what the President intends to say.

[Alpha_Cat]

"And if you asked me what is the one thing that has frustrated me most over the last four years, it's not the hard work."

Of course it isn't. You wouldn't hard work if it bit you in the ankle.

[occupy_cbs]

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. -- Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley, called on presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney to release his tax returns in order to show voters that he has "nothing to hide." "I just believe in total transparency," said Bentley.


"If you have things to hide, then maybe you're doing things wrong. I think you ought to be willing to release everything to the American people." -- Alabama's Republican governor, Robert Bentley

[goat5691]

Thank you Gov. Bentley, thanks for adding a bit of common sense to this issue.