Obama is The Humourless West Wing President: An Award-Winning Work Of Fiction
I NEVER watched the West Wing. Maureen Dowd says Obama is the WEst Wing President:
At first it was exciting that Obama was the sort of brainy, cultivated Democrat who would be at home in a “West Wing” episode.
But now he acts like he really thinks he’s on “West Wing,” gliding through an imaginary, amber-lit set where his righteous self-regard is bound to be rewarded by the end of the hour.
They liked Obama because he made them like themselves more. Then the Americans began to see what he actually did and stood for…
Kathleen Parker looks at Obama on Jon Stewart last week. Obama has no humour:
Stewart had just asked Obama how he could square his campaign mantra of “change” with hiring economic advisers such as Larry Summers, who looks the same as those who had served in previous administrations.
In response, Obama said that Summers had done a “heck of a job.” Whereupon, Stewart said, “You don’t want to use that phrase, dude.”
Everyone got the joke. George W. Bush used the same words to commend Michael “Brownie” Brown after his disastrous performance as head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency following Hurricane Katrina. Translation: You’re fired.
Everyone got the joke, except for Obama. He got it eventually, after seeing the “oops” expression on Stewart’s face, but he couldn’t take the joke. There’s a world of difference. Instead of laughing at himself, he turned to the audience – a beat too late – and said, “Pun intended”.
No, it wasn’t. Anyone watching could see that. He slipped. Obama is a nice guy and he was trying to say something nice about Summers, and “heck of a job” tumbled out. No big deal. We get it. Stuff happens. But Obama couldn’t roll with the gut punch.
In that, among other moments, Obama revealed his fatal flaw. He has no sense of humour. He might be able to laugh at a joke. He can even tell one.
But what Obama revealed was that he has no sense of humour about himself. This is huge.
Posted: 1st, November 2010 | In: Politicians Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
