How was Obama bad at being chief executive?

President Barack Obama has worn many hats these last two years — including commander in chief, presiding over two wars; and legislator in chief, in his many battles with Congress.

As he regroups after the mid-terms for a likely altered political landscape, Obama should now embrace the role of executive in chief. He needs to don the hat of chief executive of a federal workforce of 2.1 million people, placing new emphasis on improving the effectiveness of federal programs.

Most presidents and their political appointees would certainly prefer to focus on policy, not operations. Generally, there is no payoff for worrying about management details, and no penalty for ignoring them.

But ask President George W. Bush about the effect of having an incompetent Federal Emergency Management Agency during Hurricane Katrina, or lax operations at the Securities and Exchange Commission, which contributed to the economic meltdown. Obama only has to reflect on the disastrous Gulf oil spill and the poor management of the Minerals Management Service.

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