But had Mr. Obama modified his 2008 platform of “Yes we can” to the more pragmatic “Yes we can – given certain conditions?” the funnyman wondered aloud. Alas, too many people wonder the same.
No, Mr. Stewart, it is still just “Yes We Can – but it’s not going to happen overnight,” Obama replied. And in fact, he has never promised otherwise. Had America been listening (and obviously they were not), they’d know Obama has been saying this repeatedly since Inauguration Day. Remember this line from the speech?
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this America: They will be met.That was on Day 1. Yet, echoing the media meme, Stewart’s line of questioning perpetuates the fiction that Obama has shied away from “audacity.” That he has sold out. That he has thrown his ideals under the bus. In response, Mr. Obama acquitted himself well. Judging by the wild applause, the audience agreed. But I’m not sure Stewart got it. And judging by the initial reviews in the major newspapers, the media doesn’t get it either. It’s easier and more satisfying to kowtow to the “narrative.” It’s substantively worthless, but like cotton candy, it sure tastes good. But isn’t it time to join Obama in adulthood and heed another line from his inauguration speech? “The time has come to set aside childish things.”
Watching this circus unfold, I wonder what Obama really thinks about it all. We’ll have to wait for the memoir, but I wouldn’t be surprised if David Bowie’s “Changes” comes close to the mark:
I still don't know what I was waiting for
And my time was running wild
A million dead-end streets
Every time I thought I'd got it made
It seemed the taste was not so sweet
No comments:
Post a Comment