Sunday, November 30, 2008
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Poking Holes in 'No Drama'
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Posted by:
Matt Lewis at
1:30 PM
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It never ceases to amaze me how political writers tend believe that something that works today will also work tomorrow.
Today's NYT makes that common mistake, by playing up Barack Obama's "cool factor." The piece, of course, is merely the latest example of worshiping the calmness and coolness of No Drama Obama....
First, it should be noted that, while being overly emotional is never a wise move, being too cool can also be a negative.
In the 1988 presidential debate, Bernard Shaw asked Michael Dukakis: "Governor, if Kitty Dukakis were raped and murdered, would you favor an irrevocable death penalty for the killer?"
Dukakis' passionless, calm, and logical answer was: "No, I don't, and I think you know that I've opposed the death penalty during all of my life."
This, of course, was spoofed on SNL -- and Dukakis went on to lose. So, in Dukakis' case, being "no drama" was a negative...
Of course, you should never count on writers to inject any sort of historical context into a given column. Frankly, many of them don't know history -- even history that is a mere 20 years old (in fairness, at the very end of the column, the writer does note that Winston Churchill was an emotional sort, and also implies that being too calm can backfire).
Still, the big message is that Obama is one cool customer. In truth, though, today's virtue is tomorrow's vice; what works for Obama today might not work for Obama tomorrow. Jimmy Carter's cardigan-wearing image was a refreshing contrast to the days of Johnson and Nixon -- but it wore thin. Obama's shtick, too, may wear thin. One can imagine the media's amnesia kicking-in a few years from now -- say after a crisis or calamity where Obama is overly "cool". Of course, the columnists will then write that Obama lacks the compassion needed to be president in modern times...
One note: I don't believe media bias is at play here. I recall several stories that came out about how Bush's style was a refreshing, winning formula. This, of course, was several years ago...
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In November 2007, Barack said about Hillary, “that’s not the politics I think we need right now.”
“Not the politics… we need”... but he could make her Secretary of State in ‘08.
Someone help me, its just too funny. (parsing the No-drama-Obama in action)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzQxFtM9cfk&feature=related
Cool and collected…
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Depends where one looks for drama, in the no-drama-Obama.
Is it in his words? Or in his deeds? The same guy who called Hillary Annie Oakley is making her Secretary of State. (Incidentally, there was a little drama or melodrama in his calling her out for her criticism toward him – aka, remember bitter people clinging to guns and religion, or or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.)
And now the dramatic appointment of her to SoState. No drama there. How many other dramatic appointments, or star-studded Clinton re-treads, like Emanuel, will be thrust forward in the no-drama transition of “change you can believe in”?
And now you get another dramatic lexicon from Obama that change is what he says it is:
"Understand where the vision for change comes from, first and foremost," Obama said. "It comes from me. That's my job, is to provide a vision in terms of where we are going, and to make sure, then, that my team is implementing."
Yea, hopefully as anti-dramatic as it gets. Paraphrased to reality:
“I am change... hear me roar !”
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right now the illuminati-created "cool factor" is exactly what has drawn people to him. It will be interesting to see how quickly it goes away, but I don't think that it will be in the next few weeks. Cool is still in. |
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Perhaps phony Conservatives, like yourself, have uttered, "America is in the fight of our lives...America is at a cross roads and the stakes are high, maybe even our lives."
Or, "The Democrats don't seem to even acknowledge that we are at war with a brutal throat slashing, burn people alive enemy that wants to destroy us. They'd pull our troops away from fighting in foreign countries with the inevitable result of the fight moving to our own homeland."
But, truth be told, the only way you are willing to pay for this engagement with the enemy is to hold onto your precious tax cut and raising the debt ceiling on the national credit card.
The War in Iraq, a social-engineering project, costs $12 billion a month. The cost per American is $40 a month for the past 5 1/2 years. If your family had actually been paying this bill from the get-go, your attitude would have been to 'cut and run' four years ago.
It's time to stop the 'drama queening' and if you think we should be in Iraq, and 'Operation Enduring Freedom' has national security value, then PAY for it, NOW!
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I'm really not worried about Obama's calmness. With Hillary as his secretary of state, he'll need a dose of mellow. And with all his strong, opinionated illuminati cabinet members, someone is going to have to wave the white flag and say, "Now, now, people, enough of that ... " |
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who hasn't aged at 3X the rate of a normal man when he gets that position. What has Obama done so far except the POTUS equivalent of picking drapes -- selecting his cabinet. This adolescent "yeah, I'm black" coolness will wear off pretty quickly when the onerous responsibilities of this role weigh down on him. |
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trophy hands down.
"I've seen a some brain-dead blathering in this forum, but this definitely ranks in the top 10."
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Re your repetitions; You either lost your cool or your computer has a tic |
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