Posted by
Zentrist on Friday, May 01, 2009 9:05:25 AM
Before Machiavelli, some random thoughts before work, starting with the color pink. I notice that Townhall.com and President Obama have something in common: both have recently noticed, as it were, the Pink Movement. Barack, subtly, but very deliberately, at a recent "townhall meeting." He with great awareness and alertness called on "the lady in pink." They--Townhall.com--well, look at today's home page. It's a lesson in the values held dear by the Code Pink Movement led by Medea, I believe that's her name but I apologize if it's not.
By the way, I share some or all of those principles. But I've long ago given to Good Will my lone pink dress shirt. Back in the eighties, it was a "bold statement" for a man to wear a pink shirt. At least, one "workshop" participant, I myself, was struck when DEVELOPING CAPABLE PEOPLE's Stephen Glenn came to lead us one morning in a bright and shiny pink dress shirt. I promptly went out and bought one for myself so that I, too, could make a statement about 1) my secure masculinity and 2) my sympathy for whatever pink stood for.
Now, about the press conference two nights ago. The best question came from a New York Times reporter, Zeliny I believe. He asked the president, What was the single most 1) surprising 2) troubling 3) enchanting 4) disappointing, I believe..."thing" the President had encountered since being in office? The way Barack handled this intriguing question showed why most people like him and want him to do well. There is no way I can reproduce here, with stale words, what actually took place. It was one of those "little-noticed" eternal moments, not world-historic, mind you, but nonetheless noticed.
The question about Obama's "enchantment" was not altogether out of left field. We may recall Barack's answer to a another good personal question some weeks ago: The POTUS said that one of the things he missed most about ordinary life was the ability to just "go out." For example, he missed being able to just "go out for a walk" in order, perhaps, "to see a sunset." That was just one of many examples he gave. Indeed, it was not that long ago that Obama, for all I know, actually drove his own car. One year ago, most people in the world had never even heard of Barack Obama.
So, "Mr. President, what has been the most enchanting thing you've experienced since being in office?" Not a "spontaneous" person, not like our vice president, Mr. Obama paused with a sense of irony and intensely thoughtful calculation. I was a little disappointed in his answer. Disappointed, but not surprised. The "most enchanting" thing, he said, was actually not enchanting. The mood for "sunsets" has long since passed. Rather, the most enchanted moments were really the most awesome moments of Gratitude.
And what, in particular, is our President especially grateful for? It is not something "pink." It is our courageous and competent military.