Obama without his script (by Johah Goldberg)

Los Angeles Times ^ | Aug. 12, 2008 | Jonah Goldberg

[FocusNexus]

Judging by his reaction to the Georgia-Russia crisis, Obama's make-believe presidency isn't ready for prime time.

The Obama campaign has for months pursued the odd strategy of having the junior senator from Illinois act as if he were already kinda-sorta president of the United States.

The invasion of Georgia elicited a wan written communique instead of the sort of exciting rhetoric we've come to expect from his make-believe presidency.

This moment calls for more than playacting, yet Obama looks lost without a presidential script.

Perhaps this is not a time for a novice spouting grand rhetoric about a new page in history, but for someone who's actually read the pages of some old, but still relevant, books. Perhaps this is not the time for playacting.

[singfreedom]

They may, FINALLY, be getting a little scared of their “golden boy”.

[dearolddad]

The real question is what percentage of the voters fall into the “intelligent people” category.

I pray it's at least 50%+1 but, I am not optimistic.

[RedEyeJack]

from another site...

“We don’t need a celebrity in the White House. We need a leader and HE isn’t it. “

[NativeSon]

ugh, that's painful. I was so embarrassed to watch that I had to get up and walk away.

I am amazed that the Left is not concerned about this.

Then again...

[Savage Beast]

the LA Times is going to get a bad rap with the Libs

Does this mean that the spectre of an Obama Presidency scares even the yahoos of the Propaganda Machine?

[Steely Tom]

I am amazed that the Left is not concerned about this.

Then again...

Maybe the powers-that-be on the Left know that a President Obama will not be the one calling the shots.

That's the "fence post turtle" idea that some here have been promoting.

[RetSignman]

[depressed in 06]

Obama will be chewed up by the Russians. Unlike the Germans they don't have an Obama fan club.

I wouldn't be so sure, the Russkies can recognize a Stalinist when they see one.

[AU72]

The detail of Obama's plan to end the fighting was to have a cease-and-desist order issued to Russia by the UN Security Council.

Left unsaid was how he was going to convince Russia to condemm itself.

[Huck]

wan- a: suggestive of poor health : sickly, pallid b: lacking vitality : feeble

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

PooBama! Now I understand what that creepy hand signal is all about....

[libravoter]

I'm really looking forward to the debates.

What will America think when they see what their guy sounds like without his cue cards?

[GunRunner]

Yeah, I'm not surprised that the media is ignoring this. But how ignorant do you have to be to want the UNSC to come in and issue a resolution, when it can just be vetoed by Russia since they're a permenant member.

What a dunce.

[RetSignman]

He'll probably be wearing this in his ear. Look for it.

[y6162]

“Wow...the LA Times is going to get a bad rap with the Libs if they let OpEd’s like this run too many times.”

Obambi to Putin, Uh uh ..can’t we all uh just get uh along?”.

[palomonte]

Georgia = Waterloo for monkeyboy

[BulletBobCo]

I'm really looking forward to the debates.

What will America think when they see what their guy sounds like without his cue cards?

[hinckley buzzard]

I guess that what the Democrats are nominating isn’t really a leader but a front person who will be the public face of a leftist committee that’ll be the real leadership. Shudder.

Exactly right and well put. The reason he is "on vacation" is because he began to screw up too much and his handlers called him in for refitting. He is being programmed on the "correct" positions on the issues, and going through drills so he won't keep stumbling and getting off-script.

He will also see his grandmother for an hour or so to placate the media.

[Darkwolf377]

I’m no fan of McCain, but he acted more presidential than the President - who I am a fan of.

Agree all the way, and when I heard Hillary's announcement of the Dem leader's death, I too flashed on Bill's remorse that 9-11 didn't happen on his watch.

I think even the Dems are finally admitting that with the Clintons, It's ALWAYS About THEM. A truly creepy way for a wannabe leader to act.

[streetpreacher]

Indeed, President Bush's jaunt to the Olympics as a "sports fan" should also have been cut short the moment tanks started rolling over a country he'd proclaimed a "beacon of liberty" during his visit there in 2005. By Monday, both Bush and Obama were playing catch-up to Sen. John McCain, who seemed to have grasped the gravity from the get-go and whose support for Georgia is long-standing. He took the lead from the outset, demanding on Friday morning an emergency meeting of NATO and Western aid to the fledgling democracy.

I think McCain gets it in droves on foreign policy, moreso than our last three presidents. His saving grace.