quote: At today’s press conference, President Obama spent a fair amount of time pushing back on what some of us are calling the “Green Lantern Theory of Presidential Power.” This theory — which seems to hold broad sway over many in the press — holds that presidents should be able to bend Congress to their will, and any failure to do so proves their weakness and perhaps even their irrelevance. What accounts for the persistence of this theory? The answer, I think, lies in the tendency of reporters and analysts who are trying to remain a neutral, nonpartisan posture to feel comfortable making process judgments, but not ideological ones.
Posted by Aros (Member # 4873) on :
Some people feel that a president should be a strong leader, ergo he should be able to lead a nation. Congress should follow strong / good / effective leadership.
The breakdown of this notion is attributable to the president, congress, the media, and society in general. But it tends to only occur historically during crisis.