“You’re always the last to know your own reputation.” I can’t be certain that I coined that phrase, but I am sure that it is an underlying principle of the universe, and even presidents are bound by its laws.
I first noticed the principle in Hollywood, where no matter how washed up a has-been some one is, no one will ever say it to his or her face. One whose future is past is still welcomed, just not that warmly. His calls are still taken, at least for a while. He still goes to parties, but he’s no longer on the A-list. As the has-been begins to notice the lukewarmness of his receptions, the increasing distance of his close pals, he seeks reassurance from those around him. They will tell him that he’s imagining things, that he’s as cool as he ever was, that he’s still on top of the world. Until those reassuring friends also stop returning calls.
Barack Obama is still sailing along on the certainty that he’s the coolest world leader on Earth. He won an historic election, the media was solidly behind him, adoring crowds greet him wherever he goes, and only a few cranky right-wing commentators and tea partiers dare to rain on his parade.
But as Charles Krauthammer and others have revealed, Obama knew of Iran’s perfidy in concealing their nuclear program when he spoke at the United Nations on 24 September. Despite the urging of European allies, he refused to bring up the uncomfortable subject, as it would detract from his speech. The focus of the speech–Obama’s dream for a nuclear free world. He still spun his no-nukes platitudes, knowing full well that one of the most dangerous regimes in the world was inches from deploying a nuclear weapon. France’s President Sarkozy, England’s Prime Minister Brown, Germany’s President Merkel all wanted to use the international forum to expose Iran’s decades of deceit, but Obama postponed until the G-20 summit. Obama’s refusal showed his weakness of character and selfishness of motive.
Last week’s presidential sales call on the International Olympic Committee, complete with first lady, cabinet officials, and the other Big O, was also exposed as a failure when it was announced Chicago was the first of the finalist cities to be out of the running for 2016. Obama received the news on his way home. Political pundits assumed that Obama had an agreement in hand before he departed, since a president would certainly not risk the prestige of the office to play door-to-door salesman unless he already had a sure thing. He did not, and the whole trip was basically a slow lap around the Atlantic in Air Force One. Even minor symbolic rewards seem to be beyond the once irresistible president–and the world noticed.
During his campaign, Obama identified the war in Afghanistan as the war we should have been fighting, the one that was vital to our nation’s interests. He promised increased troop levels, greater efforts, more resources in this vital fight. Then last month, General Stanley McChrystal, Obama’s choice to command our forces in Afghanistan, revealed that he had had exactly one conversation, lasting less than an hour, with the Commander-in-Chief since Obama took office. Obama’s profound disinterest in the war, in our troops, in the stakes involved could not have been more clearly demonstrated.
These and countless other examples of fecklessness and incompetence on Obama’s part have caused his approval ratings to steadily decline, along with support for his health care reform and global warming initiatives. Each day, it seems, brings another revelation about corruption in Obama’s community organizing alma mater, ACORN; another expose on a communist appointed to the fitting position of czar; or another announcement of a betrayal of an ally or the appeasement of a foe.
People across the country and around the world are taking Obama’s measure–those who cheered his election as well as those who did not. But more and more are coming to the inescapable conclusion that he is a self-important neophyte playing at being a world leader, and falling far short of mere competence.
No one who serves at the pleasure of the president will tell him this, for his ego is fragile and fiercely protected. But one day, perhaps soon, Obama will begin to notice the crowds thinning, the media coverage becoming less adulatory, the poll numbers sinking too low to dismiss. And he will look around, seeking assurance that he’s still the coolest guy in the room. But by then the room will be empty, and no one will be returning his calls.
