I guess that leaders either grow in the job, like President Truman, or shrink, like President Obama.  The former continues to grow in the estimation of historians and the latter is really sad to watch.

Walter Russell Mead reminded us over the weekend just how President Obama has shrunk less than 2 years after winning reelection:

"At home, the bungled rollout of the Obamacare website and the shocking revelations about an entrenched culture of incompetence and fraud in the VA have undercut faith in the President’s managerial competency.   

Abroad, a surging Russia, an aggressive China, a war torn Middle East and a resurgent terror network are putting his foreign policy credentials to the test. With the GOP hoping to seize control of the Senate in November’s midterm elections, and the inevitable decline in presidential power that occurs as second term presidents move toward lame-duck status, Obama risks being sidelined and marginalized for the remaining two years of his term."

Frankly, what worries me is how out of touch with reality President Obama looks.

On the Bergdahl controversy, he looks like a tone deaf leader disconnected from the soldiers he leads.   Why couldn't he understand that closing Gitmo is not something that the soldiers are calling for?   The soldier, and I have a son in the US Army, is more concerned with people going back in the battlefield and threatening our troops.

He is shrinking, the country suffers and the whole thing is sad to watch.  You know that we lack presidential leadership when people were cheering for California Chrome to win the Triple Crown and give us something to feel good about.

P. S. You can hear CANTO TALK here & follow me on Twitter @ scantojr.