I speak, of course, of the American President, who has been incisively identified by the Anchoress here as "The Man Who Would Be King."
...this president, for a young, athletic man, is exhibiting a worrisome lack of stamina for his job. But I suspect that Obama’s listless speechifying is betraying a restless impatience. I suspect Obama is bored with being president, and it’s not because he is too smart for the office, but because the office is too much like real work.There's more, with lots of links. Go for it.
I suspect that what Obama wanted was to be the King, not the President. The King’s role is largely ceremonial. In time of national tragedy the King goes before the camera and says, “this is very sad.” If he can assign blame on a perceived enemy he does so, and then he steps aside and retires to his amusements while those actually in charge clean up the mess and determine how to prevent future messes.
Everyone loves the King, defers to the King, rushes to do for the King, but the King -who tends to get bored and distracted by the dry business of actually governing- is responsible for very little, and most are just as glad of it.
Further Anchoress observations and links here about the "Knickerbomber" (as usual, we have Mark Steyn to thank for the cleverest epithet).
The Anchoress also scores in her primary field of endeavour, the spiritual, with her meditation on the dawning of faith.
Which brings us back to the original point: whether he sees himsel
f as president, or king, or dictator-for-life remaking the country from a lazy-boy recliner, Mr. Obama was the choice of the people and will remain in place for another three perilous years (unless he becomes the first president to resign from office out of ennui...).So raise your glass, or fold your hands, and, for all our sakes, say with genuine feeling, "God save him."
Postscript:
I was going to be all mean and nasty, and do a re-write of the President's Ramadan message adapted for Christmas and Christians, to be posted as "The Christmas Message You'll Never Hear" -- and Lord knows, I was right.
But I did take a look at the Obamas' Christmas video message, and in fact it was pretty good. It wasn't the Christian equivalent of his paean to the purported virtues of Islamic custom and belief. He played it safe, with both he and the Mrs. devoting their remarks primarily to regard for the U.S. military and the sacrifices of troops and their families, felt most keenly at Christmas. Michelle even made some very thoughtful and practical suggestions as to how one might make life better for families missing a loved one during the season or any time. Good on 'em for that.
[It was almost enough to make one forget that as President-elect, this fellow had the temerity to issue a Christmas message in December of '08 -- not able to wait to get at those parts of the job that he was really into, with visions of Executive Sugar Plums dancing in his head. One year later it seems like plums have been replaced by a big sugar headache. But I digress...]
We'll give the First Couple a pass for the moment, in the knowledge that the best way to really support and pay tribute to the troops is to give them enough companions in the field, and workable rules of engagement, to complete the job being asked of them. And to insist that legislative bills dealing with funding their efforts be kept clear of parasitical earmarks and bits of ideological blackmail dragging on their tailwind. That would be the best Christmas present of them all.
But then, Virginia, we all know the truth about that chimney-sliding elf.
