New American: Obama's Hamlet complex

In a recent interview with CBS's Early Show anchor, Harry Smith, former Massachusetts Governor and Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney compared President Obama’s hesitation to announce and stick to a consistent policy in Afghanistan to Hamlet’s immortal vacillations as contained in Shakespeare’s poignant “To be or not to be” soliloquy:

And by the way, this Hamlet performance that we’re seeing out of the White House is very, very disconcerting. The President has known about this issue [the need to partner with one or another of the various Afghan factions] for a long time. He received the report from General McChrystal what, four months ago? And has not been able to make a decision. This is very, very unfortunate for the people there and for our troops.

Well, not quite as eloquent as Shakespeare, but we get the point. Romney has settled on the “let’s call the other guy indecisive” gambit. He took this from page 1 of the Political Opposition playbook. The unspoken yet understood import of this accusation is to say that if Romney had his hand on the wheel we’d roll right into Kabul and lay down the law. Maybe. There is little doubt that Obama is indecisive and his apparent inability to pull the trigger on a determined strategy must be unnerving to many whose lives are affected by what happens in Afghanistan. However, this irritating irresoluteness is only the beginning of the similarities identifiable between Barack Obama and Hamlet.
The President’s conviction of his own greatness is reminiscent of that experienced by Hamlet. Despite his unchecked rage and violent outbursts, Hamlet did nothing of any real significance, unless you count making innumerable speeches, tricking those of lesser intellect, pretending to be crazy, and letting others take the blame for his ineptitude and the missteps that follow. What has President Obama done to inspire the nation's confidence? Despite his promises of “change” and well-crafted enunciations of animating themes (Hope), Barack Obama has done nothing to improve this nation. In fact, hiding behind the actions (albeit arguably treasonous and certainly unconstitutional actions) of his surrogates, he simultaneously distances himself from any ill consequences of the same and masterfully perpetuates his mythical allure as a visionary.