A short piece from the Associated Press is meant to be a human interest story, to show the fun, enjoyable friendship and camaraderie between President Obama and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton. The piece focuses around a speech Clinton gave at a State Department forum, where she was relaying a conversation the two had, presumably while drinking a beer and talking about leftist love. She mentioned how they “marvel” at despots and world leaders who want to be in power for life.
She says she and the president joke: “Oh, my gosh. Can you imagine?”
Clinton says Obama told her, “I’m going to win re-election, and then I’m done,” a remark that drew laughter from the audience.
The piece ends with the big dose of reality – “U.S. presidents are constitutionally barred from a third term.” It seems a rather odd conversation to have. Another moment where President Obama, or the First Lady, is quoted in stating their hatred, disgust or exhaustion at the job. The story is meant to make them human, likable, common….but it doesn’t do that. It makes them look like people who live in the world of contradiction. They can’t wait to get out, but underneath they wonder what they would do if they could stay in power, they could keep control, they could rule.
I found the piece to be off-putting, if not disturbing. What do you think?
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