Roger’s Rules

Email This to a Friend

July 24th, 2008 1:01 pm

How do you spell “cringe-making”? (Hint: it begins “Obama in Berlin”)

The next time you go to Berlin, why don’t you see if Obamania will work for you. Tell the “tens of thousands of elated Europeans” who have mysteriously shown up to hear you that you are addressing them “not as a candidate for president, but as a citizen, a proud citizen of the United States and a fellow citizen of the world.” Being “elated,” your audience will not pause to point out that no one, not even Barack Obama, is a “citizen of the world,” because a citizen by definition is someone who owes loyalty to and enjoys the protection of a specific state. Nor will the elated Europeans depart from their elation long enough to wonder why they had congregated in their vast multitude to hear someone who’s announced claim on them is only that he is a “proud citizen of the United States.” Generally, of course, the combination of pride and the United States is something that makes Europeans grumpy, not elated.

As it happens, I tend to prefer my Europeans grumpy rather than elated. This is particularly true when the Europeans in question are German. An elated German, especially many elated Germans in one room together, makes me nervous. They hear someone promise, as Obama just promised in his Berlin speech, to “remake the world” and hearken after “our destiny” and their elation becomes a kind of fever. No wonder Obama has called for a “civilian national security force that’s just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded” as the United States military: following your destiny and remaking the world are projects likely to require a lot of help.

When I first encountered Obama’s rhetoric, my chief feeling was one of mild nausea. Over time, feelings of alarm have outstripped the nausea: Obama’s clichés, I realized, were not simply, not only, empty platitudes. They were also menacing adumbrations of a megalomaniac narcissist who really did believe he was a man of destiny and wouldn’t have the slightest hesitation about embarking on the effort to “remake the world.”

All that is worrisome enough. Combined with the utter lack of critical perspective—rather, combined with the stunning adulation–accorded to Obama by the so-called mainstream press and you have a recipe for disaster.

Has the mainstream press really been uncritical, indeed adulatory? Here I resort to the “a picture is worth a thousand words” motif, and offer this widely reproduced image of the Man of Destiny surrounded by some of his acolytes–I mean upstanding members of the Fourth Estate:

Pajamas Media appreciates your comments that abide by the following guidelines:

1. Avoid profanities or foul language unless it is contained in a necessary quote or is relevant to the comment.

2. Stay on topic.

3. Disagree, but avoid ad hominem attacks.

4. Threats are treated seriously and reported to law enforcement.

5. Spam and advertising are not permitted in the comments area.

The clause regarding "hate speech" has been deleted because readers criticized it as being too loosely defined. We agreed.

These guidelines are very general and cannot cover every possible situation. Please don't assume that Pajamas Media management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment. We reserve the right to filter or delete comments or to deny posting privileges entirely at our discretion. If you feel your comment was filtered inappropriately, please email us at story@pajamasmedia.com.

18 Comments

1. jeyi:

Could it be that sniveling wanker Matt Ygelias, there just at the Obamatron’s right (our left), hardly recognizable without his cammis and checkered kaffiya???

Jul 24, 2008 - 1:15 pm 2. runbei:

Golly – can we (please) get Colin Powell a US birth certificate?

Jul 24, 2008 - 2:15 pm 3. Bill Bradley:

Tens of thousands “who have mysteriously shown up.”

(Actually, a TAD more than that. And not so “mysteriously.”)

This is a flummoxing week for the far right, to be sure.

Nice try, BTW, in an attempt to equate it all with, ah, well, something else …

When ypu want to talk real world politics …

Jul 24, 2008 - 4:25 pm 4. Norman:

Remarks about Obama being a “rock star politician” makes me think of David Bowie’s controversial statement in 1975 that: “Hitler was the first rock star. He staged a whole country.”

50,000 Germans at a political rally can’t be wrong!

Jul 24, 2008 - 4:38 pm 5. citizenjane:

Fawning idiots, every last one.

Jul 24, 2008 - 5:54 pm 6. Mike from OH:

I understand BHMO’s speech in Berlin was preceeded by a free rock concert. Is that true? Was JFK’s or RWR’s speech part of a free concert?

Jul 24, 2008 - 7:30 pm 7. dragonfly:

ou have beautifully expressed my concerns regarding Obama and incredulity at the worshipful attitude of the press.

It is increasingly evident that the man is pathologically narscistic. self-obsessed, nourished only by unquestioning adulation. He admits no error. He is offended by even small criticism. He claims credit where he has contributed nothing. How can he gain any loyalty from senior senators when he claims involvement n legislation and leadership of committees of which he was not even a member?

That said, I believe his vainglorious vapidity is McCain’s biggest asset. Brag Obama is most likely to put his foot in his mouth both when he is very confident and when he is insecure and under pressure from better minds. McCain will not win by persuading swing voters on the issues. Hammering on BO’s gross under-qualification and many prevarications and stupidities offers his best opportunity.

It was heartening to see both the Washington Post and Katy Courie express misgivings about BO’s contradictions. One would hope that there were a few minds in the MSM that would apply some reason to the record and performance of a near-nominee who is so glaringly a megalomaniac. If this unease could grow – I consider it not improbable – Obama could prove to be one of Mr. Soros’s worst investments.

Jul 24, 2008 - 11:22 pm 8. dualdiagnosis:

I am mildly hopeful that with the vapidity of his speech(es) (wth is “improbable hope”?), the megalomania that is becoming clearer, and the obvious love affair the press has with him will reflect negatively in the polls in the upcoming days.

Jul 25, 2008 - 12:39 am 9. Judith:

Charlie Gibson on Israeli TV defending Obama’a seven day photo-op. You’d think he’s part of the Obama campaign staff.

http://news.nana10.co.il/Section/?SectionID=2174

Just more media brainwashing to the naive or distracted masses, removing any individual critical faculty in the face of constant Obama over-exposure…beyond subliminal exposure but unabashed outright endorsement & idol worship. Think a least half of the Americans will resent such blatant manipulation.

Jul 25, 2008 - 2:09 am 10. Tina Trent:

First he makes some comment about Germany being a former enemy, then he tells them to tear down the wall.

Merkel must be missing the days of mere back-rubbing.

Jul 25, 2008 - 5:46 am 11. ricpic:

This whole election hangs on how many Americans want to be children, for verily, the Obama phenomenon is a childrens’ crusade.

Jul 25, 2008 - 11:34 am 12. EDH:

I am reading James Burnhams “The Machiavellians”, whose warning is that
it is precisely utopian naivete that
really unleashes the forces of evil in the world. Burnham’s book written in 1943
with the world in flames, precisely describes what thoughtless dreamers like Obama lead to. If you want to have your feelings of uneasiness about this man defined…READ BURNHAM.

Jul 25, 2008 - 5:55 pm 13. OffWorldDaniel:

The July 2008 special pamphlet of TNC puts a finger on what really matters in our quest of developing ourselves: honest and undiscriminating exchange of views, values and visions. Thanks to all contributors for their well reflected and inspiring words. But we never must doubt that on the long term, society on the whole will come to the right conclusions, even if the media or the “free speech” seems inhibited or hijacked by populist or egoist forces. As we all know, these forces come in all sorts and shapes, instilling guilt, fear or greed while being perfectly in line with common (international) code and legislation. It’s our very own choice to think and act according to our own beliefs or on those imposed on us. This is vital for all democracies around the world.
To an important society of the world in this time: whoever happens to win the presidential contest will have to address the above issues sensibly and convincingly. Being an offspring of the “old western/classical world” our future depends on your action and commitment. It’s not “US” against “the rest of the world”, it’s about conscience and development. For the world as a whole, a multi colored, non U.S. rooted, open minded and flexible (if not elusive) B.O. seems more promising than an hereditary, wounded, conservative all-American-Hero. The race is on and it’s your choice. But don’t blame Europeans for lack of interest, hope and vision.

Jul 26, 2008 - 10:40 am 14. Lee:

It’s a little disconcerting to observe such fawning adulation in the faces of the press corp.

Jul 27, 2008 - 7:39 am 15. Lawrence Auster:

How do you spell “cringe-making”? How about spelling it like this? “Neoconservatives who fiercely attack Obama for statements or positions that the neocons quietly accept or actively support when the same statements and positions come from Republicans”?

Several commentators have pointed out that both Reagan and Bush have called themselves “citizen of the world.” Indeed, even George Washington also once called himself a citizen of the world. Attacking Obama for the mere use of the phrase “citizen of the world” is childish.

More to the point, Bush and McCain are outspoken advocates of the one-world vision: pro open-borders, pro the Hispanicization of the U.S., pro-European Union, pro-admitting Muslim Turkey into the borderless EU, pro the expansion of the EU to include the Muslim world, pro the equivalent of the EU for the Americas. And then they have the audacity to attack Obama for his globalism, claiming that they and their guy, McCain, believe in America first!

The neocons are cringe-making, partisan fools, trying to fool the rest of us.

Jul 28, 2008 - 8:49 am 16. Common Sense and Wonder » Obama! Quote of the Day:

[...] Roger Kimball: When I first encountered Obama’s rhetoric, my chief feeling was one of mild nausea. Over time, [...]

Jul 28, 2008 - 5:22 pm 17. Virgil:

Dittos on the above post! Kimball’s op-ed is childish gibberish.

I agree that the media has been treating Obama more favorably than McCain. It’s quite understandable, considering how charismatic Obama is, and how different he is from the current occupant of the White House. But Kimball’s statement that “a picture is worth a thousand words” in this case is ridiculous. Are reporters travelling with a high-profile politician across the ocean supposed to be stony-faced the whole time?

Btw, there were, by all estimates (including the Berlin PD’s), some 200,000 people at Obama’s Berlin speech, not “tens of thousands.” Even the linked source says so. Does Kimball always slice and dice data that don’t support his POV?

Jul 29, 2008 - 4:08 pm 18. Robert Bové:

Lawrence Auster is right about the eerie similarity between the one-worldism expressed by Obama and the neo-cons. For example, Obama, Bush and McCain all repeat endlessly the canard that Islam is “a religion of peace.” (Since when? 700 A.D.” 1600 A.D.? 9/11/01?)Focusing on Obama’s personality–or on McCain’s, for that matter–and not on their principles and policy statements reinforces the cult of personality and contributes to the “fog of politics.”

Jul 30, 2008 - 3:39 am