"It profits me but little that a vigilant authority always protects the tranquillity of my pleasures and constantly averts all dangers from my path, without my care or concern, if this same authority is the absolute master of my liberty and my life."

--Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America

Thursday, October 4, 2012

A Morning Thought on Last Night

Bill Maher's snarky tweet:  "so he does need a Teleprompter."   Chris Matthews' epic meltdown on MSNBC:  "What was he doing up there?"   James Carville's devastating comment on CNN: "He looked like he didn't want to be there."

Why did white liberals in the media turn so fast and so harshly on Obama's debate performance, and in such personal terms?

I have two theories:

1. This is the reaction of people who feel like they have been sold a bill of goods.   It was an Emperor Has No Clothes moment,where it became evident to anyone with eyes that Obama was not "the smartest President ever," but instead is a man who is out of his depth.   It was the reaction of people who have to suddenly come to grips with the fact that they've been carrying water for four years for a guy who isn't up to the job.   They are angry, in short, because they have been made fools of.

Or:

2. There is a whiff here of pre-debate intelligence being confirmed.   I think Washington insiders have known for years that Obama is not as smart as people think and, more importantly, is not a hard worker.   The golf, the vacations, the ESPN watching, the jaunts to Letterman and The View, the rumors (from the Ulsterman Report) of Obama lounging around the West Wing watching sports with Reggie Love, the skipping of intelligence briefings, etc.   They all add up to a word that many people aren't happy saying about a black President... could it be that he's a little bit lazy?   But forget about race... if he were a white Republican, wouldn't we be hearing endless jokes and stories about his laziness and lack of curiosity (when was the last time you read a story about a book Obama has been reading?) and how he doesn't speak any foreign languages and how he doesn't listen in briefings and how he doesn't ask questions of briefers and how he hasn't called committee or cabinet meetings, etc.

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