Once More, With Feeling
By MAUREEN DOWD
President Spock’s behavior is illogical.
Once more, he has willfully and inexplicably resisted fulfilling a signal part of his job: being a prism in moments of fear and pride, reflecting what Americans feel so they know he gets it. “This president needs to tell BP, ’I’m your daddy,’ “ scolded James Carville, a New Orleans resident, as he called Barack Obama’s response to Louisiana’s new watery heartbreak “lackadaisical.”
At a press conference, Obama said Malia had asked him, as he shaved, “Did you plug the hole yet, Daddy?” (That hole should be plugged with a junk-shot of Glenn Beck, who crudely mocked the adorable Malia.) Oddly, the good father who wrote so poignantly about growing up without a daddy scorns the paternal aspect of the presidency.
In the campaign, Obama’s fight flagged to the point that his donors openly upbraided him. In the Oval, he waited too long to express outrage and offer leadership on A.I.G., the banks, the bonuses, the job loss and mortgage fears, the Christmas underwear bomber, the death panel scare tactics, the ugly name-calling of Tea Party protesters.
Too often it feels as though Barry (now where have we hear Barry before?...that is right! Mark used Barry when he was warning us about this joker) is watching from a balcony, reluctant to enter the fray until the clamor of the crowd forces him to come down. The pattern is perverse. The man whose presidency is rooted in his ability to inspire withholds that inspiration when it is most needed.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
I love Maureen Dowd but her criticism here is pointless. The man is being himself, not a phony. He can be a little detached, cold, aloof. His manner is professorial, which drives the right wing nuts. But - it is genuine - that is his bearing.
Would it be better if he could summon the passion and empathy of Bill Clinton? You bet. Then, we could return to criticizing the president for being too passionate. We could mock him as being the "Empathizer in Chief" and mimic his comment, "I feel your pain", as did the opposition all through the '90's. Whatever President Obama does, it will be criticized, even concerning matters supremely superficial.
Crazy Rich writes:
I may disagree with him from time to time..but I favor him 1000% over any Republican..because all the oil companies have had poor inspections…there are 3500 wells in the gulf…they should all pull together to fix this problem
Post a Comment