Writing for Politico, John Harris complains that one of Barack Obama’s problems is that he’s just too darn rational.

But his intellectuality has contributed to a growing critique that decisions are detached from rock-bottom principles.

Both Maureen Dowd in The New York Times and Joel Achenbach of The Washington Post have likened him to Star Trek’s Mr. Spock.

The Spock imagery has been especially strong during the extended review Obama has undertaken of Afghanistan policy. He’ll announce the results on Tuesday. The speech’s success will be judged not only on the logic of the presentation but on whether Obama communicates in a more visceral way what progress looks like and why it is worth achieving. No soldier wants to take a bullet in the name of nuance.

First of all, I’m not entirely sure why being intellectual and logical in one’s approach to leadership is a bad thing. We tried eight years of governing by the gut with a President who “believes the same thing Wednesday that he believed on Monday, no matter what happened Tuesday” and it was an unmitigated disaster.

Do I agree with everything Obama’s been doing? Lord no. But complaining that the President is too rational is like complaining that your dinner tastes too good or that your wife is too beautiful. It doesn’t make any sense.

(link via DougJ)

Image Credit: Impact Lab