President Obama and a Game of One Term Tennis

My husband is a die hard Democratic atheist and I am a dyed in the wool Republican Lutheran, so our house is an interesting, occasionally noisy place.  However, if we can achieve détente anyone can.  One of our rules of engagement is not interrupting the other person’s choice of news.  If Tom is watching MSNBC, I shut my mouth and leave it alone.  If I am watching Fox News he grumbles, but leaves it alone.  The Weather Channel, blessedly, is neutral territory.  Since the debt ceiling talks, and its spin-off dramas—the bond rating slap, and Wall Street’s drop—I believe that MSNBC has been a little more fun to watch.  I have a crick in my neck watching the back and forth of the same pundits and politicos that made this President now alternately attacking and excusing his uniformly poor performance. 

            It is quite a tennis match.  You have apologist Bill Richardson (still hoping to be Obama’s VP selection) lobbing over a comment like, “He needs to clear his head…” only to have that soft shot zinged back by Paul Krugman, columnist for the New York Times, who says Obama, “surrendered.”  In this game of doubles, Robert Reich, Labor Secretary under Clinton, hits a passing shot, saying that this White House is focusing on the wrong issues, knowing they are the wrong issues.  It could have been a winner, but was returned by an unknown player, called simply by his nickname, “Misery Index.”  It looked like the only loser was going to be the President, until the line judge, Sheila Jackson Lee, ran onto the court and threw down—could it be—yes—the race card.  Could someone please tell Ms. Lee that this is tennis, not soccer?  You don’t give cards in tennis.  The worst we could do is charge Richardson a foot fault while serving soft balls.  

            The far left appears to be suffering buyer’s remorse.  But, let’s face it, President Obama was a made man.  He was created as a candidate by the most liberal members of his party and, just like all such creations; he is glossy, but thin.  On July 27, 2004, at Fleet Center in Boston, Barack Obama presented the keynote address for John Kerry’s Presidential Convention.  At that time, Obama was an Illinois state senator, and was soon to be elected to the United States Senate.  He praised Kerry and his running mate John Edwards (who knew where that one was going to end up!) and he gave, quite frankly, a great speech.  Chris Matthews fell in love that very moment.   Here was the far left’s poster child.  He was bi-racial which is great for assuaging liberal white guilt (as if any of us get to take credit or blame for a random egg/sperm combination).  He was private school educated from college prep through Harvard, which allows liberals to say their candidate is, “nuanced” instead of confused.  And he didn’t have much of a record of any kind.  They could make him into any marketable quantity.  And they did.  He was molded like plastic, bubble wrapped and sold like an infomercial.  The man gives a good speech and his handlers knew what message he was supposed to send.  Nobody worried about whether or not he could really handle the job!  Nobody thought Obama would actually have to do anything other than dress the window!   They got the perennial beauty contestant, looking good and wanting world peace, without the slightest comprehension that there are rules, limitations and complex truths to deal with. 

            You can’t play tennis with the net down and still keep the faith.