Does Obama Have a Problem with Lack of Emotion?
On Wednesday's "Washington Unplugged," Stephen Hess, a senior fellow with the Brookings Institution told CBS News' John Dickerson that President Obama's emotions have played a role in the reaction from the public over the oil spill crisis in the Gulf.
"We knew what we got in the president. He's a cool, intellectual and it would have been better in this situation if he were a 'feel your pain', angry man. But they're will be situations in the future, especially in foreign affairs, where a cool, intellectual is exactly what we need in the White House," he said.
Dickerson pressed Hess on the importance of a president to connect on an emotional level with the American people.
"Each president is different," he said. "They have different personalities, they have different strong points and weaknesses. For the press to say 'Hey Mr. President, why don't you change your personality? Why don't you change your character? Why don't you be something else?' I think is an interesting point, but really has very little to do with how a president conducts his work."
President Carter visited Three Mile Island after the partial core meltdown in 1979, but he was a nuclear engineer. Does Mr. Obama's presence just get in the way?
"That's an important point," Hess said. "We expect presidents to do that, but does is really make any difference in terms of the substance. The answer is probably not."
Watch Thursday's "Washington Unplugged" above, which also features Politico Deputy Political Editor Alex Burns on the unfolding drama involving Colorado Democratic Senate Candidate Andrew Romanoff's revalation that a White House official talked to him about possible administration posts he could be considered for if he were to drop out of his race.
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BP CEO: We Were Unprepared for Gulf Disaster
Backlash Against BP Grows Nationwide
Special Report: Disaster in the Gulf
"Washington Unplugged," CBSNews.com's exclusive daily politics Webshow, appears live on CBSNews.com each weekday at 12:30 p.m. ET. Click here to check out previous episodes.
