Obama "Bordering on Arrogance"

It's never a good thing for a candidate when Ron Fournier, one of the Associated Press' main political correspondents, writes that he's "bordering on arrogance." And so Barack Obama had better beware; as I noted here, at some point it was almost inevitable that the tide would turn (at least to some degree) when it came to the quasi-adoration that saturated his press coverage.

Part of the problem might be Barack's innaccessibility to the press -- something journalists never like, of course. But they'd better get used to it; aloofness is one of the hallmarks of Obama's leadership style (sometimes, that trait itself can suggest an element of arrogance -- at least when it's a matter of deeming few to be worthy of one's time and attention).

In fairness, a number of the remarks quoted by Fournier to buttress his "arrogance" charge do sound like self-deprecating, tongue-in-cheek asides. But not, of course, the ones from his wife. As the story notes, she has made the following point (and numerous times, too):

"Barack is one of the smartest people you will ever encounter who will deign to enter this messy thing called politics," his wife said a few weeks ago, adding that Americans will get only one chance to elect him.

Fournier's piece is a timely (and likely needed) warning.