Fair-minded criticism of Obama -- of course it's from overseas

World traveler and Michigan Republican activist Dennis Lennox has just returned from Egypt where he found government corruption that is shameless, and a landscape “where just about every Egyptian has told me that America has failed their country.”

Lennox also passed along an editorial from the Financial Times of London that offers a fair-minded, level-headed look (an increasingly foreign approach in America) at President Obama as he embarks on his sixth year in the Oval Office.

In other words, there’s just enough substance to infuriate the right and the left among Democrats and Republicans.

The editorial writers at the Times assert that 2013 was the worst year of the Obama presidency and that much of the damage was self-inflicted. But they also see opportunities in 2014 to shake up his administration and right the ship.

Under the headline,  “Time for Obama to get a grip,” here’s a portion of their commentary:

"Mr. Obama’s chief weaknesses have long been apparent. These include a tendency to substitute speeches for policy, ill-concealed disdain for routine Washington socializing, over-reliance on election consultants and a reluctance to go beyond his small inner circle for advice. Each of these has been visible in the crises that have dogged 2013.

“Mr. Obama’s sudden decision last August to seek Congress’s approval to strike Syria was taken without consulting John Kerry, the secretary of state, Chuck Hagel, the Pentagon chief, or Joe Biden, his vice-president. Between them they had almost a century’s worth of experience on Capitol Hill. Mr. Obama took his decision following a meeting of mostly inexperienced staffers. Even then, none agreed with the panicked about-turn. As luck would have it, Vladimir Putin rescued him with a plan of his own.

"...Mr. Obama still has a few things going his way. First, it looks like 2014 could be the year when the economy picks up speed. Higher growth lubricates things that seemed impossible when the economy was in a lower gear. If it hits escape velocity, M.r Obama’s luck could change. Second, the president recently hired John Podesta, a former Clinton official, to add heft to an inexperienced White House. Mr Obama must be sure to listen to whatever home truths his new counsellor delivers.

“Third, moderate Republicans this month outflanked the Tea Party to pass a mini-budget deal that could herald a pause in Washington’s fiscal battles. Finally, on Iran, the president might have the beginnings of a historic deal. These are all opportunities for the taking. But it will require a functioning White House to seize them. Mr. Obama has precious little time to lose. The moment to overhaul his administration should no longer be delayed.”

You can read the entire editorial here, but you will have to deal with the Times' paywall.