I know. That sounds like a lot of work. But at least we wouldn't be inundated with variations of remedial MoDoism, when presidential mannerisms are viewed through the prism of an introductory philosophy class at Bunker Hill Community College:
Oddly, the good father who wrote so poignantly about growing up without a daddy scorns the paternal aspect of the presidency.
In the face of condensed triviality like this, I guess one could point out that getting the vapors because the president isn't, ignores that voters are getting what they wanted: a guy who stays calm in a crisis and doesn't suspend his campaign to go off in search of the ultimate pudding pop. But engaging the media for focusing on Obama's tone ignores the root cause of their impatience:
Chief among the criticisms of Obama was his response to the spill. Pundits argued that he needed to show more emotion. Their analysis, however, should be viewed in light of the economic pressures on the journalism industry combined with a 24-hour news environment and a lack of new information about the spill itself.The press has become part of the oil spill coverage by projecting its bottom line onto Obama. The 24-hour news cycle compels the media to speak breathlessly, whether it's about a missing blonde teen or the unfolding pseudo scandal involving the de facto head of the Democratic Party attempting to influence Democratic primaries. Now it's oil.
This is the rare event that actually deserves provocative headlines, alarmist skepticism and Brian Williams knee deep in BP crude. But while the oil spill is a catastrophe it's also a very complicated problem in search of a solution. Left to do the obvious and explain to people the regulatory lapses or cost-saving measures used by BP to get us into this mess, the usual media suspects decided instead to fallback on their own cost-saving, corner-cutting measures: style without substance. And so Maureen Dowd and her cohorts are transfixed with Obama's unwillingness to exercise the powers of presidential awesomeness and become the protagonist their 24-hour narrative demands.
