Deconstructing O'bama: Part I

That's not a typo, btw: the apostrophe after the "O" in "O'bama" was intentional. Because it highlights this freaky thing about Obama: he's like a walking United Nations, seriously. "Obama" is, in fact, the name of his Kenyan father. But add an apostrophe, and suddenly it could be Irish! It sounds Muslim. But in Japan, it means "little beach."

And just look at that man's face: he could be African/Insert-any-race-creed-color-here. And he has the ears of a Bush(!) And have you ever compared Obama's face to Tiger Woods'? Look at that... they could pass for brothers... or at least cousins, right? And they're both into that crisp-whites-and-khaki-pants thing, clearly.




But Tiger is African/Asian American. Obama is African/Caucasian American. And which "side" gets to "claim him," anyway--either of them. Because, I know that Asian Americans of my parents' generation love their golf, and therefore their Tiger, and can talk for hours about how Tiger's Asian half is really responsible for his athletic brilliance... which would probably make his African half laugh out loud. That's the freaky thing about Barack, though, and the reason why (I suspect) people so want him to embody their very hopes and dreams. Everyone wants a piece of him--it's always that way with "Stars." Everyone can see a piece of themselves in him. He's an ideal white-screen for the "projections" (to use psycho-speak) of others. That's why he's "money." And I say, project away y'all... But I'm telling you, that man knows who he is, and what he's about. And something tells me that sort of thing has been happening to him his whole life... and he knows by now what to do with it. That's my take, anyway.

And you know who else he resembles, imho? Bobby Fischer. And whoever Bobby had in his pit-crew. Because that campaign was, like, Chess Master, and always several steps ahead of its opponent... That would certainly explain why the Obama campaign never lost its cool: because if "Bobby" knows he's already anticipated every permutation of your next ten possible moves... well, he wouldn't exactly be sweating it now, would he. That's why I'm expecting, and looking forward to hearing the Obama six-point-plan. On everything. That's the kind of Warren-Buffet-esque fuddy-duddy he really is... so don't let that movie-star smile fool you.

That's all for now. I'll put Barack back "on the couch" in the future... when the mood to deconstruct strikes me. Frankly, in my humble opinion every President should be put on the couch... before we hire him/her.


P.S. I was also just thinking that we have such a love/hate, push/pull relationship with the French. We really do. And sometimes, the French love to sit around at the cafe acting all been-there-done-that and full of existential ennui... and critique the actions of the U.S.... But no country loves it more when the United States gets all Declaration-of-Independence-y about itself--we did get those lofty, all-men-are-created-equal ideals from their philosophers and intellectuals, after all. They're usually the first to jump to our aid when we're like that. And they're usually the ones to copy us first when we manage to pull off something they wish they had pulled off.

Which is why I just know there's some David-Axelrod-wannabe politico in France right now, starting the search for France's answer to Barack Obama...

Field of Dreams

Scratch a journalist, and underneath you'll find a frustrated writer or novelist. 9 times out of 10. And obviously, bloggers are nothing but frustrated writers. But let me say this: writers know the elements of a great, great narrative when they see them. And it's a narrative that extends well beyond the personal narrative of the man, or of an election, or even of a movement, specifically the Civil Rights movement. At its heart, it's the narrative of The American Dream. It's the reason why all those journalists (and this blogger) went mad for Obama the minute he won Iowa.

Iowa. The original Field of Dreams. And then it was a football field in Denver. And last night, a grassy field in Chicago. Fields of dreams... every one of them. And for the last year-and-a-half, I've been hearing this weird but quiet inner voice saying, If he builds it, they will come...

Oh crap, I'm getting all verklempt again... so maybe I can't write about this just yet. I will. Just not this second. This story is so big... much too big to filter this quickly through my writerly-ish mind.

If he builds it, they will come. And they did. They really, really did. And now, the story really begins...

Global Love Letters to President Obama

Or: How To Win Friends and Influence Nations.

It's happening already... the I heart Obama wave. And it's happening all over the world...

And it made me think of something I'd read weeks ago in David Brooks' fantastic piece on Obama's temperament as it relates to the Presidency:

"Some candidates are motivated by something they lack. For L.B.J., it was respect. For Bill Clinton, it was adoration. These politicians are motivated to fill that void. Their challenge once in office is self-regulation. How will they control the demons, insecurities and longings that fired their ambitions?

But other candidates are propelled by what some psychologists call self-efficacy, the placid assumption that they can handle whatever the future throws at them. Candidates in this mold...are driven upward by a desire to realize some capacity in their nature. They rise with an unshakable serenity that is inexplicable to their critics and infuriating to their foes.

They say we are products of our environments, but Obama, the sojourner, seems to go through various situations without being overly touched by them. Over the past two years, he has been the subject of nearly unparalleled public worship, but far from getting drunk on it, he has become less grandiloquent as the campaign has gone along.

When Bill Clinton campaigned, he tried to seduce his audiences. But at Obama rallies, the candidate is the wooed not the wooer. He doesn’t seem to need the audience’s love. But they need his. The audiences hunger for his affection, while he is calm, appreciative and didactic."

Well. Here's how the world is trying to woo President Obama. Already!

L'Amour from Le France: Let's start with the French (who have been mad at us ever since that time when some chose to call fried strips of potatoes "Freedom Fries" rather than "French Fries"--how stoopid was that?!):

"Obama-mania" à la française has swept all corners of the populace. "Obama is a model we can grasp" is the way Zachary James Miller, an Obama fan in Paris, explains the astonishing affection shown by the French, presenting Obama not just as a representative for minorities, but as a messenger of "hope for everyone." [1]

"All across the political spectrum, from right to left, the French are marvelling at American's new dawn. It's no surprise that President Nicolas Sarkozy -- derided by the opposition as "Sarko, the American" -- anticipated Obama's success, even as diplomatic advisers allegedly still counted on his opponent winning the Democratic primary: "I never believed Hillary Clinton would win," said Sarkozy before boldly declaring, "Obama is my buddy." [2]

From Rue89: "This time the world says thank you to America."

From Le Monde: "What intelligence, what mastery, what sang-froid..."

From Jack Lang, a long-serving culture minister under the late President Mitterrand: "The America that we love is back. This election will have the effect of an electric shock and will bring about a spiritual revolution."

From our British Relatives Across the Pond:

"Today is for celebration, for happiness and for reflected human glory. Savour those words: President Barack Obama, America's hope and, in no small way, ours too." [3]

From Al-Jazeera:

“Now we have an American administration that wants to save itself and learn from the mistakes of its predecessors in order to save its country and people.”

From the Daily Nation in Kenya:

“Shortly after CNN declared Obama the winner just before 7am (Kenya time) on Wednesday, President Kibaki announced that Kenyans will on Thursday take a day off to mark the historic election of Obama to the most powerful office on earth.”

From El Universal in Venezuela:

“On this day of hope, president Hugo Chávez, on behalf of the Venezuelan people, congratulates the people of the United States and president-elect Barack Obama for the important victory he has attained… In Simon Bolivar’s homeland, we are convinced that time has come to establish new relations between our countries, and with our region, based on the principles of sovereignty, equality, and true cooperation.”

From Obama, Japan:

A sleepy fishing village named Obama (which means "little beach" in Japanese) celebrates Obama's victory:

See what I mean now about having as our President the world's most "money" Front-Man? And how lucky we are to have him?