What Do Barack Obama and Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams Have in Common?

Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams (pictured at right), has brought a shit storm upon himself with the decision to block the appointment of Dr Jeffrey John, the dean of St Albans and a gay cleric, as bishop of Southwark. Throughout the ongoing civil war within the Church of England over gays and gay clergy, Williams - like Barack Obama - has shown himself to be devoid of leadership and instead a follower who keeps hoping that somehow the rest of the Church will solve the issues that he fails to take leadership over. Also, like when Obama assumed the presidency, there were great hopes when Williams assumed the position as Archbishop of Canterbury - hopes that have been dashed just as Obama has failed to fulfil his campaign promises. Both men demonstrate that a refusal to lead when in a leadership position can have disastrous consequences and, indeed, often creates a larger mess than would have been the case if strong leadership had been exercise. Well reasoned and well delivered speeches do not make up for lack of action and an unwillingness to do the right thing. The Guardian has coverage on the latest furor Williams has brought about by not being a strong leader. Here are highlights:
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Rowan Williams, the archbishop of Canterbury, is embroiled in a new crisis within the Church of England over the decision to block the appointment of a gay cleric as bishop of Southwark.
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Liberals and mainstream Anglicans are furious that the archbishop has once more failed to exert any leadership over mutinous forces threatening to split the church over the sensitive issue of homosexuality.
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Dr Jeffrey John, the dean of St Albans, was in the running for the senior position at Southwark until his name was leaked, enabling conservative clerics to stop the appointment. An embattled Williams has now launched an inquiry at Lambeth Palace to find out who divulged the name .
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The revival of the row over the place of gays in the clergy comes as Williams confronts the Church of England's next great divisive row at the start of this weekend's general synod in York: over whether female clergy can become bishops – a dispute that threatens to split the church in another direction and which he is desperately trying to head off with delaying tactics.
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John's supporters called for David Cameron to demonstrate his gay-friendly credentials by overruling the Crown Nominations Commission and insisting that John's name be considered further. They accused the archbishop of betraying his old friend a second time.
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One senior cleric said: "The time of reckoning has come for Rowan.
. . . Many are dismayed by his constant capitulation to the fringe noisemakers. "He could recover some credibility if he went mitre in hand to the PM and asked him to intervene and use his constitutional prerogative to consider the second name, whoever that is, and then to reject both if he so chooses."
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Chris Bryant, the Labour MP and former Anglican cleric, who is also gay, said: "I have long supported the election of bishops. If the clergy and people of a diocese want a gay bishop they should be able to vote for one, in which case Jeffrey John would have been archbishop of Canterbury by now. There are not many men who combine his spiritual depth and insight. The way things are conducted now does not do the church any favours." Downing Street sources suggested, however, that the prime minister was unlikely to intervene.