Being cursed with a natural aptitude for communication, Barack Obama just can’t seem to catch a break. To make matters worse, he is also physically attractive, a good listener, young, charismatic as well as masterful in mentally navigating complex issues. These are all great qualities to have it seems – unless of course you are running for the Presidency of the United States, in which case they will only be a hindrance and you’ll be mocked relentlessly and charged with, if I dare say it – being smart!
Many radio heads and weekend political pundits regularly rail on Obama for having what some see as good communication skills. And folks who write or speak of Obama’s mental fortitude are attacked even worse, everything short of having their houses firebombed! Just recently, a classmate of mine, a well-spoken and intelligent person herself, commented on an article written about Obama, “I just can’t stand that tone; it implies he’s so much smarter than everyone, like he’s better or above them. So what if he’s smart or a good listener. Everyone who likes Obama talks like that about him – It just, makes me CRAZY!” Some have also said he’s TOO clever, that there’s something about him eerily untrustworthy. Once on the radio, I heard a guy actually ask what the talk show host knew about Bible verses that prophesied the coming of the Antichrist. In a suspicious tone he asked, “Isn’t the Antichrist supposed to be very convincing and attractive?” Is this what American politics has become?
More reasonable charges against Obama from earthlings, merely carry the nauseated tone of my female classmate, sickened by the very thought that perhaps a leader might be smarter than the average voter (the nerve of these elites to even run!). Are we that insecure that we are reluctant to award anyone who seems to outshine our own facilities? With everything the next President will face, why wouldn’t we want him or her to be a great communicator, an intent listener, articulate and intelligent? Do you want Joe six-pack or Joe the plumber negotiating peace or arms deals with other nations; should the criteria for choosing the future steward of our failing economy include a genuine folksiness or the look of a promising beer-buddy? I don’t know about anyone else, but most of the beers I’ve had in my life were with people that if they ever became President, would inspire me to become CANADIAN! Perhaps tilting a few back with someone intelligent, who has a wide range of knowledge wouldn’t be so bad. That is, if he’s not the Antichrist – or even worse – articulate!
Many radio heads and weekend political pundits regularly rail on Obama for having what some see as good communication skills. And folks who write or speak of Obama’s mental fortitude are attacked even worse, everything short of having their houses firebombed! Just recently, a classmate of mine, a well-spoken and intelligent person herself, commented on an article written about Obama, “I just can’t stand that tone; it implies he’s so much smarter than everyone, like he’s better or above them. So what if he’s smart or a good listener. Everyone who likes Obama talks like that about him – It just, makes me CRAZY!” Some have also said he’s TOO clever, that there’s something about him eerily untrustworthy. Once on the radio, I heard a guy actually ask what the talk show host knew about Bible verses that prophesied the coming of the Antichrist. In a suspicious tone he asked, “Isn’t the Antichrist supposed to be very convincing and attractive?” Is this what American politics has become?
More reasonable charges against Obama from earthlings, merely carry the nauseated tone of my female classmate, sickened by the very thought that perhaps a leader might be smarter than the average voter (the nerve of these elites to even run!). Are we that insecure that we are reluctant to award anyone who seems to outshine our own facilities? With everything the next President will face, why wouldn’t we want him or her to be a great communicator, an intent listener, articulate and intelligent? Do you want Joe six-pack or Joe the plumber negotiating peace or arms deals with other nations; should the criteria for choosing the future steward of our failing economy include a genuine folksiness or the look of a promising beer-buddy? I don’t know about anyone else, but most of the beers I’ve had in my life were with people that if they ever became President, would inspire me to become CANADIAN! Perhaps tilting a few back with someone intelligent, who has a wide range of knowledge wouldn’t be so bad. That is, if he’s not the Antichrist – or even worse – articulate!
1 comment:
You emphasize the female-ness of your classmate to a degree that I find discomfiting. And I'm not sure what to make of your all-caps CANADIAN, plus exclamation point. You must really mean it.
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