Go Ahead, Call Me Crazy - But...

[babylonsister]

Sounds 'very' familiar to me!

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/21109


Go Ahead, Call Me Crazy - But...
Barack Obama
by Stephen Pizzo


This morning flipped on CNN, as I do every morning over my coffee and paper. A live broadcast was already in progress of a live town hall meeting of Obama in France.

Over the last eight years I've become so accustomed to cringing in embarrassment whenever our President spoke abroad that I was prepared turn the volume down and read my morning paper, letting the Prez just drone on in the background.

As it turned out, I never even glanced at my paper. From the get go I was riveted.

Fine, go ahead, call me a wuss, a sucker, a dupe. Who knows, maybe time will prove you right.

But for now I am convinced of this; Barack H. Obama is not your father's Oldsmobile. And he most certainly is no George W. Bush, for which we can all breathe a gigantic sigh of relief.

Yet, as I watched and listened to him speak to this largely French audience, I was struck by, not just what he said - most of which I readily admit, I agree with -- but how he treats his audiences, with respect for their collective and individual powers of comprehension. He prepares them for what he is about to tell them. Like a good professor, he lays the foundation for the lesson before delivering it. Because, there's history behind every problem and crisis the world faces today.

snip//

Look, I'm no kid at this. I'll be 64 this August. I've seen Presidents come and Presidents go since Truman. And, to one extent or the other, each one has disappointed me. (Like Bill Clinton did when he decided his sex drive was more important than his presidency.) So, who knows, Obama may prove to have similar mortal failings.

But as of for this morning I put that worry aside. I let my cynicism shields down and just wallowed in it. For the first time in decades, I simply let it roll over me. I soaked in it. I gobbled it up with the same guilty pleasure I consume a second, and third slice banana cream pie (with graham cracker crust and buried in whipped cream, of course!)

I was thrilled, I was proud, I was hopeful. And, I had a lot of company. So was that French audience, an audience filled with young faces, listening at full attention, hanging on every word of an American President, glowing with hope, rather than fear or rage, for change.

Will Obama prove to be America's first philosopher/president since the likes of Thomas Jefferson? Only time will tell. But he was just that at that town hall meeting in Strasbourg France today. And if you missed it, watch some of it below (at link).

[leftofthedial]

1. The Obamas have been very impressive on their European trip.

Such a major turnaround from the embarrassing bush years. Agree or disagree with his policies, he has done the image of the United States a world of good (pun intended).

...sorry to go all inane on your thread, babylonsister

[babylonsister]

2. No prob. I'm staying off any and all 'inane' threads from now on, as

there are a few people out there who only know how to post negative crap. Look around.

[Liberalalltheway]

3. I just watched his NATO press conference on CSPAN......

One minute he's answering question about Pakistan and the next he's answering questions about the Balkans. The guy seems to have a grasp on everything, Its rare I look forward to hearing a politician speak, but its something about this guy. I also notice all of these Hot foreign female reporters that want to ask him questions. They are really giddy.

[Deja Q]

4. I have my worries about President Obama, but improving the image of the US isn't one of them.

Time will speak for it all, however, but in foreign relations he gets an A++ out of me. (And, again, great choice with Ms Clinton as SoS.)

[Captain Hilts]

6. It's such a great relief. nt

[liberalmuse]

5. I'm not really surprised about the success of their trip...

other than it is going better than even I imagined, but knowing it would be like this and actually having it happen are really two different things. I was very struck by the fact that President Obama clearly and concisely answers questions. I honestly don't remember any President, even Clinton addressing a direct question with a direct answer instead of deviating or sidestepping the question. It's oddly refreshing to watch.

[OwnedByFerrets]

7. Our President is a great Orator and fills people with hope.....

but the question is "can he govern for the middle class?" We shall see.

[redqueen]

8. Heh, yes... very familiar.

It sure is nice.

[Cha]

9. It doesn't hurt that Prez Obama

taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago. I never had any doubt he would be this kind of President..that's why I wanted it so badly.