Triumph of the Geeks and Tough Guys (Tina Brown compares Obama to Paris Hilton)

The Daily Beast ^ | 3/24/09

[earlJam]

Triumph of the Geeks and Tough Guys

by Tina Brown

Obama is the only person walking around with a big smile on his face. That onset of wild laughter on 60 Minutes about how humorous it is that no one in America, I mean no one, wants a bailout for the auto companies was one of the more surreal presidential performances lately.

Why has Obama suddenly turned into the Paris Hilton of teachable moments? We realize he’s just trying to shore up his poll ratings so he can distance himself from Pelosi’s pitchfork mob, but a 60 Minutes sitdown right after the Leno armchair session on the preceding Thursday seemed—for him—strangely tone-deaf to the risk of overexposure. (Thank god he skipped the Gridiron Dinner.)

Maybe being a slight, quizzical infant prodigy is actually right for now—after all, chrome-domed Hank Paulson looked like a CEO is supposed to look, but he got it all wrong.

In this current crisis, I’m not in the mood for an exclusive peek at Sasha and Malia’s new swingset on the grounds of the White House. And it’s time the president dropped his gosh-this-is-fun-and-weird riff about the perks of being the most powerful man in the world.

He talked about being wary of the presidential bubble, but it feels like he’s already trapped in there. Couldn’t he have mustered a bit more passion on 60 Minutes than that mild repudiation of the near-endorsement he gave last week to the House’s preposterous vote for a punitive tax response on AIG bonuses, after he himself had said it was OK?

[Zuben Elgenubi]

Tina Brown? It must be snowing in Hades.

[norwaypinesavage]

It’s not FAIR that the media elected an affirmative action president, and now they expect him to be competent, too!

[GOP Poet]

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[a fool in paradise]

Just call him Mr. Potatoe Head.

[ClearCase_guy]

Saaaaaaaaaay ... didn't McCain run an ad in August comparing Obama to Paris Hilton, and implying that some folks are popular for being a celebrity, but not actually doing anything?

I think he caught a bit of flak for that from folks in the press ...

[pallis]

That’s the problem with contemporary gods and pop stars. They all get lumped together and pushed aside for the next thrill.

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

Can he keep his underpants on, if he remembers to wear any?

Come to think of it, don’t answer that.

[earlJam]

didn't McCain run an ad in August comparing Obama to Paris Hilton

Good catch. I forgot about that.

[Free Vulcan]

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[FreedBird]

Obama is fit to be an entertainer not a President.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

"Obama is the only person walking around with a big smile on his face. That onset of wild laughter on 60 Minutes about how humorous it is that no one in America, I mean no one, wants a bailout for the auto companies was one of the more surreal presidential performances lately. Why has Obama suddenly turned into the Paris Hilton of teachable moments?"

Tina Brown is bailing on the messiah?

Obama may have the Gold Medal for laughing like he's stoned this week but he doesn't stand a chance in the swimsuit competition. Time to roll the clips of the Paris Hilton fame commercial from the campaign. If we're going to laugh why stay stuck looking at his baked grin?

[FastCoyote]

[Tina Brown? It must be snowing in Hades.]

That’s what I’m thinking, have I lost my mind and am now hallucinating?

Obama’s laugh was surreal. The laugh that comes from conmen able to turn emotions on and off without skipping a beat.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

"And it’s time the president dropped his gosh-this-is-fun-and-weird riff about the perks of being the most powerful man in the world."

Surprising, considering the source.
She must have heard from her broker.