This One Will be Tough for the Fangirls

[tradergirl]

March 20, 2009 | 8:59 AM
Barack Obama Is a Terrible Bore
by Michael Wolff
Sheesh, the guy is Jimmy Carter.

That homespun bowling crap on Jay Leno, followed by the turgid, teachy fiscal policy lecture, together with the hurt defensiveness (and bad script for it) that everybody in Washington "is Simon Cowell… Everybody''s got an opinion," is pure I’m-in-over-my-head stuff. Even the idea of having to go on Jay Leno to rescue yourself from the AIG mess is lame. Be a man, man.

The guy just doesn’t know what to say. He can’t connect. Emotions are here, he’s over there. He can’t get the words to match the situation.

This began, I’d argue, from the first moment. He punted on the inaugural. Everybody ran around like crazy trying to praise it because if Barack Obama couldn’t give a speech then what?

But now, at week 11, we’re face-to-face with the reality, the man can’t talk worth a damn.

You can see the fundamental mistake he’s making. Having been so successfully elected, he’s acting like people actually want to hear what he thinks. He’s the great earnest bore at the dinner party. Instead of singing for his supper, he’s just talking—and going on at length. The real job of making people part of the story you’re telling, of having them hang on your every word, of getting the tone and detail right, the hard job of holding a conversation, he ain’t doing.

He’s cold; he’s prickly; he’s uncomfortable; he’s not funny; and he’s getting awfully tedious.

He thinks it’s all about him. That we want him for himself—that he doesn’t have to seduce, charm, surprise, show some skin.

(AP Image)

So Jimmy.

It’s instructive and humorous to remember that Carter ran a brilliant campaign that succeeded largely because his voice was new. Simple, direct, basic, human. And then, of course, he turned into a sad-sack twit.

What happens when you move into the White House?

Well, shit, of course. The true secret of the power of language is in quickness. Barack Obama can’t keep up. He evidently needs too much preparation. And then there’s the organization. He’s undoubtedly got too many people debating what he should say. That’s the other secret of language: You’ve got to just go for it. Can’t think too much about it. It’s like hitting the ball. And then there’s knowing who you want to be—which is different than knowing who you are. You’re on the stage. You’re acting. You’ve got to make yourself believable, cleverly make yourself up as you go along.

This guy is leaden and this show is in trouble.

More of Newser founder Michael Wolff''s articles and commentary can be found at VanityFair.com, where he writes a regular column. He can be emailed at [email protected]

 

[Abril]

Sour grapes.

 

[AGBF]

The title of this thread is designed to be provocative.


AGBF

 

[iheartscience]

Date: 3/22/2009 12:00:26 PM
Author: Abril
Sour grapes.

Yeah it really REEKS of them over here lately!

Wait, I meant to say OH MY GOD HOW DARE HE SAY THAT ABOUT GOD I MEAN OBAMA! OBAMA IS MY BICYCLE! ADKFJKSLDAJFLAJFDS! There you go! Feel better, tradergirl?

P.S. Don''t you have some shorting to short on this shorty shorted shortingest day?

 

[Abril]

Date: 3/22/2009 2:17:07 PM
Author: thing2of2

Date: 3/22/2009 12:00:26 PM

Author: Abril

Sour grapes.

Yeah it really REEKS of them over here lately!


Wait, I meant to say OH MY GOD HOW DARE HE SAY THAT ABOUT GOD I MEAN OBAMA! OBAMA IS MY BICYCLE! ADKFJKSLDAJFLAJFDS! There you go! Feel better, tradergirl?


P.S. Don''t you have some shorting to short on this shorty shorted shortingest day?

Ha! Good one, Thing. Trader, any short seller looks like a genius in a bear market. Don''t confuse luck for skill.

 

[HollyS]

Date: 3/22/2009 12:06:09 PM
Author: AGBF





The title of this thread is designed to be provocative.


AGBF

Yes, the title was meant to get a rise. And it succeeded in exactly that.

While there was a bit of guile there, the point of the matter is, when confronted by the obvious growing dissatisfaction with Obama, even by the liberal press, even by those who were solidly behind him going into the WH, the reaction is always the same. "Sour grapes." Would that it were that simple. He isn''t the man so many thought they were electing. He never was. That''s unfortunate for all of us.

 

[movie zombie]

Date: 3/22/2009 5:31:56 PM
Author: HollyS

Yes, the title was meant to get a rise. And it succeeded in exactly that.

While there was a bit of guile there, the point of the matter is, when confronted by the obvious growing dissatisfaction with Obama, even by the liberal press, even by those who were solidly behind him going into the WH, the reaction is always the same. ''Sour grapes.'' Would that it were that simple. He isn''t the man so many thought they were electing. He never was. That''s unfortunate for all of us.

its unfortunate for all of us that presidential candidates are not what we thought we were electing: anyone remember the last 8 years of the compasionate conservative candidate? no matter the party, candidates are not what they said they are once in office. why expect it to be different in this circumstance? rather unrealistic to expect obama to be any different than bush, clinton, bush I, nixon, et al. in this regard.

as regards ''fangirls'', its beyond my comprehension that anyone would have voted for the prior president not only once but twice.....and still say they''d vote for him again. blows my mind.

if the point of these posts is to get someone to say obama isn''t perfect, let me do the honors and say, you''re right, he isn''t perfect. but then, who is? you? me? bush? reagan? nixon? clinton? carter? i may not be 100% happy with him but i wasn''t when i voted for him either. but i can say i''m 100% happy that he''s there and that none of the other candidates were elected.

its only the beginning and if its bothering you this much, you''re going to end up being like i was for the last 8 years and i can actually say it wasn''t worth it. get a life, live it, and move on. while politics is important, its not everything. the world will go on and be what its going to be whether these types of threads are started or not. if we lived through the last 8 years, we can live through anything.

mz

 

[Dancing Fire]

i never thought one would need to be the smartest person in the world to become a U.S. president,but he/she does need to pick good cabinet members and good advisers.

 

[HollyS]

Date: 3/22/2009 8:05:52 PM
Author: Dancing Fire
i never thought one would need to be the smartest person in the world to become a U.S. president,but he/she does need to pick good cabinet members and good advisers.

DF, lack of experience in doing anything substantive in his career did not prepare Obama to pull his administration together. It was obvious, from early in 2008 on, that he would be the Dem candidate. There was plenty of time for his staff to dig through the backgrounds of potential appointees. And for him to make solid decisions. Charisma is no substitute for real leadership. And I''m not just talking about leading the country -- I''m talking about managing those around him.

Sure, Bush was no prize, as MZ pointed out. But Obama was supposed to be. Remember, everybody? It was going to be the dawn of a new day. A fresh wind was blowing. Transparency. Hope. What we have is hype.

 

[E B]

Date: 3/22/2009 11:21:07 PM
Author: HollyS

Sure, Bush was no prize, as MZ pointed out. But Obama was supposed to be. Remember, everybody? It was going to be the dawn of a new day. A fresh wind was blowing. Transparency. Hope. What we have is hype.

If you'll notice, the conservatives are the ones calling for perfection. And I realize cries of "in yo' FACE!" stem from post-election bitterness, but let's get real, here- any Obama supporter with half a brain never expected perfection, and you know it. We weren't the ones who dubbed him "The Messiah," were we?

I know it's easier (and better for the ego) to point out each and every mistake than to give the man some actual time, but remember, we're all in this together.

 

[AGBF]

Date: 3/22/2009 6:32:31 AM
Author:tradergirl

The guy just doesn’t know what to say. He can’t connect. Emotions are here, he’s over there. He can’t get the words to match the situation.

This began, I’d argue, from the first moment. He punted on the inaugural. Everybody ran around like crazy trying to praise it because if Barack Obama couldn’t give a speech then what?

But now, at week 11, we’re face-to-face with the reality, the man can’t talk worth a damn.

You can see the fundamental mistake he’s making. Having been so successfully elected, he’s acting like people actually want to hear what he thinks. He’s the great earnest bore at the dinner party. Instead of singing for his supper, he’s just talking—and going on at length. The real job of making people part of the story you’re telling, of having them hang on your every word, of getting the tone and detail right, the hard job of holding a conversation, he ain’t doing.

He’s cold; he’s prickly; he’s uncomfortable; he’s not funny; and he’s getting awfully tedious.

He thinks it’s all about him. That we want him for himself—that he doesn’t have to seduce, charm, surprise, show some skin.

(snip of discussion of Carter)

What happens when you move into the White House?

Well, shit, of course. The true secret of the power of language is in quickness. Barack Obama can’t keep up. He evidently needs too much preparation. And then there’s the organization. He’s undoubtedly got too many people debating what he should say. That’s the other secret of language: You’ve got to just go for it. Can’t think too much about it. It’s like hitting the ball. And then there’s knowing who you want to be—which is different than knowing who you are. You’re on the stage. You’re acting. You’ve got to make yourself believable, cleverly make yourself up as you go along.

This guy is leaden and this show is in trouble.

If someone without any other experience of reality were to read the above take on the presidency of the United States he would believe that all it required were the skills of a good ringmaster or Master of Ceremonies and nothing more. Perhaps that it true in the television/post FDR era. It has always been my belief that that is all that Ronald Reagan brought to the job and he was quite popular.

AGBF

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 3/23/2009 5:57:27 AM
Author: AGBF

If someone without any other experience of reality were to read the above take on the presidency of the United States he would believe that all it required were the skills of a good ringmaster or Master of Ceremonies and nothing more. Perhaps that it true in the television/post FDR era. It has always been my belief that that is all that Ronald Reagan brought to the job and he was quite popular.


AGBF

Being a good president is about leadership.
That is what Reagan brought to the table.
He made some good and some bad decisions like any president but there was no question he was a leader.
He had more leadership ability in one finger than any president since and most before.
A president who loses the ability to lead or never had it is the worst thing for the country.
G.W. had it then lost it in his second term and it was bad.
Obama has not shown he has any yet, just the opposite and it is scary.
He can not even effectively manage his cabinet.

 

[beebrisk]

Date: 3/23/2009 9:31:35 AM
Author: strmrdr

Date: 3/23/2009 5:57:27 AM

Author: AGBF


If someone without any other experience of reality were to read the above take on the presidency of the United States he would believe that all it required were the skills of a good ringmaster or Master of Ceremonies and nothing more. Perhaps that it true in the television/post FDR era. It has always been my belief that that is all that Ronald Reagan brought to the job and he was quite popular.



AGBF

Being a good president is about leadership.

That is what Reagan brought to the table.

He made some good and some bad decisions like any president but there was no question he was a leader.

He had more leadership ability in one finger than any president since and most before.

A president who loses the ability to lead or never had it is the worst thing for the country.

G.W. had it then lost it in his second term and it was bad.

Obama has not shown he has any yet, just the opposite and it is scary.

He can not even effectively manage his cabinet.

Ronald Reagan also knew who our enemies were and wasn''t afraid to speak their name. Olive branches? Nah. He''d sooner have handed the Iranians their heads. As it should be.

I need to find the link to an early speech Reagan gave about liberty..long before he became president. It''s a masterpiece. He was the real deal and I''m afraid we''ll never see the likes of him again in our lifetime....

This guy we have now is straw man...Can''t hold a candle to Reagan''s worst day.

 

[beebrisk]

Date: 3/23/2009 1:54:59 AM
Author: EBree

Date: 3/22/2009 11:21:07 PM

Author: HollyS


Sure, Bush was no prize, as MZ pointed out. But Obama was supposed to be. Remember, everybody? It was going to be the dawn of a new day. A fresh wind was blowing. Transparency. Hope. What we have is hype.

If you''ll notice, the conservatives are the ones calling for perfection. And I realize cries of ''in yo'' FACE!'' stem from post-election bitterness, but let''s get real, here- any Obama supporter with half a brain never expected perfection, and you know it. We weren''t the ones who dubbed him ''The Messiah,'' were we?


I know it''s easier (and better for the ego) to point out each and every mistake than to give the man some actual time, but remember, we''re all in this together.

Not perfection. Just competence.

And after what''s been going on for the last 2 months, why must WE "give him time"? How much time did the libs and Dems give Bush after his election? Not even 30 seconds because, as you know, he "STOLE" it.!!

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 3/23/2009 9:59:26 AM
Author: beebrisk



Ronald Reagan also knew who our enemies were and wasn't afraid to speak their name. Olive branches? Nah. He'd sooner have handed the Iranians their heads. As it should be.

I need to find the link to an early speech Reagan gave about liberty..long before he became president. It's a masterpiece. He was the real deal and I'm afraid we'll never see the likes of him again in our lifetime....

This guy we have now is straw man...Can't hold a candle to Reagan's worst day.

then here's Obama passing out "get out of jail free cards" to terrorist.

 

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