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By Roger Kimball

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Obama as JFK, or What’s Wrong With ths Picture?

June 9, 2008 - 5:33 am - by Roger Kimball
Alo Kievalar
2008-06-12 11:22:57

Oh, piddle paddle. You’d think that someone called Osama was running for office, not Obama.

I’ve never seen such a sanctimonious, hysterical bunch of ninnies recoil at the thought of a black US president as has appeared recently not just here but on pajamasmedia.com in general.

This foaming at the mouth, this pulling of the hair out by the roots, this gnashing of teeth, is harming your cause more than you can imagine.

Like it or not, in the modern world, appearance, posture, delivery etc. does count….a lot.

Our 3 most remembered Presidents all had the qualities of a movie star. Kennedy because he looked like one, Reagan because he was one and Obama because he speaks like one – they all have or had a “heroic” cast to their persona.

McCain, of course, IS a true hero in the simplistic sense of that word. I don’t minimize his service and sacrifice.

But the fact is, he doesn’t come across as a LEADER. He comes across as a nice, ageing man…….and that just doesn’t cut it anymore.

Washington DC long ago took on the mantra of a Hollywood, the Hollywood of the East coast……(and you know how vicious Hollywood can be….ruined lives, drugs, fantasy, the whole bit).

It long ago ceased being the torch-bearer of ancient Athens.

The truth is, I’m an apolitical person. In the end, I don’t care who wins the Presidency. I’ve never voted and I don’t think I ever will.

Why? Because I think the presidency is an overblown position. It may be the most powerful office in the world…..but it is a REACTIVE position. That is to say, for several generations at least, presidents have reacted to events….very seldom have they instigated events.

As far back as the Vietnam War, then the Iraqi “War” (there’s a reason I’m using scare quotes here but I won’t go into that here), Social Security, etc….you name it, the US president simply reacts.

In other words, events OVERTAKE the presidency. Events are now too large for even a US president to have anything but the most minimal affect on them. (9/11 was a chilling example of this state of affairs).

That being the case, it doesn’t matter who is President.

Did you hear Obama’s speech recently at the Jewish lobby event? My God, I thought I was listening to Golda Meier !! Jerusalem the capital of Israel and so on…?

They’re all saying the same thing…..they have no choice. It’s all a bunch of hot air.

Neither Obama nor McCain can possibly imagine what’s in store for them in the future whoever wins the Presidency…..not even close.