Obama fatigue

NEWSFLASH: E. U. PRESIDENT CALLS OBAMA'S ECONOMIC PLAN - THE WAY TO HELL.

Why won't he shut up? It is, believe it or not, a serious question. Before we are near 100 days President Chuckles is in real danger of inviting "Obama fatigue." He's on TV more than the cute boys who sing the "Free Credit Report Dot Com" Ads. Come to think of it, there must be some metaphysical connection between the weird, constant, insistence that we go to our laptops and get a "free" bit of information regarding our future ability to borrow and Obama's relentless televised insistence that we borrow our children into the abyss.

Still one has to wonder what the thinking was beyond the latest BHO media frenzy. Part of it is surely a deep belief that HE must head the parade lest the goofballs on cable get caught up following Tiny Tim G. or, worse, Pelosi. Obama punted the stimulus to Madame Speaker and when it was all said and done, Obama got his bill, but the GOP - astoundingly- won the P.R. war -laying the ground work for many "The Dems borrow and spend" campaigns to come.

The trouble with Obama is that he too often does not appear Presidential. Leno was the obvious nadir. The forum itself is perfect for Don Rickles, not the leader of the most powerful nation humans have ever constructed. But even the news out of the 60 minutes sit down was about his chuckle.

Bush's people forever harangued us about how decisive he was. This was code for "He doesn't think deeply and is incapable of comprehending nuance." Obama's team is determined to make us believe he is PRESIDENT. As if we don't - and they can hardly -believe it. Suddenly, he really does have all the bells and whistles that come with the office - and, by God, they are going to ring and blow. "Look, I'm on the job over here!" And here! and here! The whole thing is starting to feel like they are trying to look busy like a lazy bottom feeder in an office when the boss walks by.

It is all clearly meant to reassure us. To say: See Obama knows what he is doing. The problem is he is not particularly reassuring. His appearances seem...well...a bit goofy. Not through out. Not always. But I do keep coming back to wanting to cast Adam Sandler in the role to see if he's be any different.

American Presidents don't need to be everywhere all the time. I certainly hope I never see another one sitting in Ed McMahon's chair. Presidents needs to be on the job. Not constantly telling us they are. A single White House photo of BHO reading over a report at the Oval Office desk with a dapper looking aid hovering behind would be a smarter piece of P.R. During Clinton's self inflicted crisis in his second term he wisely doled out his appearances. In effect saying, I'll be over here working for the American people. It worked. Clinton's numbers rose and rose and rose to the psychotic distress of Newt's gang.

Don't get me wrong, he's not Don Rickles. He's a reasonably smart man. (Though hardly as smart as the Oblowhards insisted.) There may be a good reason he's decided to become omnipresent. He can't keep it up. The job lasts 4 years. No one in his White House seems to have realized that Obama fatigue is even a possibility. They think he's the guy everyone wants at their party. He's not. Eventually we will need a President - like we did on September 12, 2001. Not a soccer dad. Yes, the financial sector meltdown is a crisis. But it is not the type we need our hands held through. We need to know it is getting solved and we are not being taken to the cleaners. That's about it.

Which brings me to the why he might be everywhere. We are being taken to the cleaners. And they know it. Obama's weirdly grinning face might not be the best misdirection - but it's all they've got.



Post Presser update: No, I did not watch it. Barring an international crisis I can't imagine I'll watch any of the BHO "Me" parties. However - I did read a number of takes on the press conference. The buzzwords were "sober" "professorial" and "boring". I take this as a good sign. President Chuckles got the word that no one else was laughing. Frankly, I don't quite know why he had another prime time press conference last night. Based on the transcripts almost no news was made.

(I hate to make specific predictions but I will now: Cap and trade is dead. Obama knows it. He'll get some vague language on pollution and call it a win. Cap and trade would hand Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana and Pennsylvania to the GOP. Obama has never shown any stomach for bloody fights. He'll fold on this. If I'm wrong I'll say so...we shall see.)

As for the rest of his budget - his parcing language last night indicated what I thought when I first read about the budget: It was wildly expansive so that much of it could be negotiated away.

Back to this post: If I have to choose between the jocular Leno Prez, the chuckler in chief on 60 minutes, or the boring school teacher at last night's press conference - I'll take the dullard.