Obama's Greatest Skill

I have to hand it to him - if there is anything that President Obama knows how to do correctly, it is courting the youth vote. In the November 2008 elections, a record number of under-25s showed up to vote Democrat, and Obama clearly hopes to keep riding that wave through to November 2012.

Yesterday, the President co-hosted a town hall event with the founder of Facebook in Palo Alto, California. I mean, a friendly repartee with Mark Zuckerberg? Jackets off? First-name basis? He has carefully crafted such a cool, hip image, that the celebrity-worshiping, liberal-arts-educated, green-smitten youth herd cannot help being infatuated with him. Who needs critical thinking when President Hope-and-Change is on the job?

Later on in the town hall: "I do think Mr. Ryan is sincere... but I think that what he and the other Republicans in the House of Representatives also want to do is change our social compact in a pretty fundamental way. Yes, I think it's fair to say that their vision is radical. No, I don't think it's particularly courageous, 'cause the last point I'll make is this: nothing is easier than solving a problem on the backs of people who are poor, or people who are powerless, or people who don't have lobbyists or don't have clout. I don't think that's particularly courageous." Boy, when the President is surrounded by his adoring devotees, he can really share some stuff.