The following comment by Joe Y is eloquent. It is an insight into the simplistic view that many intelligent people have of the world, an explanation of why hope and change is so attractive, and an evaluation of President Obama’s abilities.
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[edited, excerpt] The oddest thing about this election, was the continual leitmotif of Obama’s genius, from people that should have known better. People like Obama, of which I know and am related to far too many, are unable to seriously consider that there is any job (oil company CEO, football coach, running the local post office) that they cannot do as well or better than the person currently in the role, should they ever exert the effort to do so. It’s not a matter of faith, as faith requires a conscious effort; rather, it is a prejudice in the true sense of the word.
They believe that the government is better at running the country, because the solution to the problem, whatever the problem, is just so obvious. Deeper considerations are foreign to them, not because they are stupid (quite the opposite), but out of a prejudice that the they can see the solution to any problem. That is why they attack people who disagree with them as stupid, morons, and idiots.
Like most Ivy leaguers, Obama is a smart operator and a dedicated hustler obsessed with accomplishment. Like almost all Harvard men and women, he lacks an aptitude for self-doubt and humility, which people usually, and a bit unfairly, mistake for Harvard arrogance. He is superb at his chosen field; but that field is not being President, it is becoming President.
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