So pronounces Jack
Shafer at Slate of Barack Obama's ability to soothe a nation
heading towards even more troubled economic times. Slate has,
save a piece here and there, continually drooled over Obama since
his campaign began. Despite that, even I'm surprised at Shafer
when he extols the virtues of Obama's 'Voice' which "works like
aerosolized Paxil on my limbic system, reducing my blood pressure
and lifting my mood."
Shafer praises Obama's announcement of his stimulus plan,
brilliantly of course, not actually called a stimulus
plan (since that sounds too depressing).
Shafter continues: "When I watched him in the video below...he
made me feel oddly good about the challenges of coming economic
Armageddon."
Oh, how sweet. Perhaps Obama's administration will record him
singing lullabies and every night will be so kind as to pipe them
over a taxpayer-paid-for satellite system throughout America (or
the world if it should be so lucky) so we can fall asleep to a
man who makes us feel 'oddly good.'
The drooling doesn't stop there:
For one thing, he's better at remaining calmer and more
deliberate in his speech patter than John Wayne in a
firefight-and better at it than any politician since Ronald
Reagan...[snip] It's not what Obama says that narcotizes the
citizenry, but the way he says it. He can't possibly be certain
that his plan will work, but he sells it as a done, settled
deal, never showing a speck of doubt.
If I didn't know better, I would have thought Barack Obama had
been our President for seven years already and actually done
Americans a world of good.
Cynicism aside, that's my point. I'm so glad Obama makes the
world feel good. I'm glad his Voice is soothing. I'm glad
he avoids talking about pain and that his desire to "bring
Kumbaya moments to all endears him to the multitudes."
But he's not the President yet and he hasn't done one thing to
prove his bite is as incredible as his bark.
