Obama’s Glamour Problem

Reason.com ^ | June 2010 | Ted Balaker

[ransomnote]

reason: You’ve called glamour a beautiful illusion. A lot of people would say that describes President Obama.

Postrel: Yes, President Obama is a very glamorous figure. Glamour is a particular form of illusion. It’s an illusion that tells a truth about the audience’s desires, and it requires mystery and distance. During the campaign people projected onto Barack Obama whatever they wanted in a president or even in a country. Lying is usually a bad thing, but they would project onto him that he was lying about his positions because he secretly agreed with them: “Anyone that smart has got to be a free trader at heart. He’s just saying this to pander to those idiots. He can’t really mean it.”

You’ve seen, as he’s taken office and tried to govern, this back and forth where he is consciously or unconsciously trying to maintain his glamour—which requires a kind of distance from the political process so that people can continue to see him as representing them, regardless of their contradictory views—while actually trying to be president, which means you have to decide what to do about Guantanamo. You have to decide what health care bill you’re going to back. You have to decide all these things, and you’re going to make somebody disillusioned. This morning I saw that the former editor of Harper’s is about to write a book, The Mendacity of Hope, attacking Obama from the left. That’s the power and the downside of glamour.

[fight_truth_decay]

Quote:"...the site discussed female body image, the universal hatred for Oscar speeches, the power of nonverbal rhetoric, and whether cuteness and glamour can co-exist. By changing the way we think about glamour, Postrel is helping us better understand, among other things, the allure and frustration of the current American president.

When you think you have read it all...female body image, cuteness....about Obama? Okkkkkkkk.....

[basil]

Once again I am posting this because I believe it firmly shows what our main problem is:

“This quote was translated into English from an article appearing in the
Czech Republic as published in the Prager Zeitung of 28 April 2010 .

“The danger to America is not Barack Obama but a citizenry capable of
entrusting a man like him with the Presidency. It will be far easier
to limit and undo the follies of an Obama presidency than to restore
the necessary common sense and good judgment to a depraved electorate
willing to have such a man for their president.”

“The problem is much deeper and far more serious than Mr. Obama, who
is a mere symptom of what ails America. Blaming the prince of the
fools should not blind anyone to the vast confederacy of fools that
made him their prince.

The Republic can survive a Barack Obama, who is, after all, merely a fool.

It is less likely to survive a multitude of fools such as those who
made him their president.””

[Hammerhead]

America can survive Barack Obama.
It is less likely to survive the fools who elected him.

BUMPER STICKER !!!!!!!!

thanks!!!

[vpintheak]

That they say Obama has “glamour” is the problem. That’s it, right there.