Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Maureen Dowd: Obama Spocky or Rocky

Maureen Dowd, the colorful columnist for the NYT whose take on the zeitgeist of contemporary politics is always entertaining and often insightful, has thrown down the gauntlet to President Obama in her column "Less Spoky, More Rocky". Does she have a point? She may, indeed, although listening to my FDR biography, I see that good and especially great politicians can be crazy like foxes. Is Obama timid or calculating? Lincoln and FDR, to name two of our best, went through firestorms of criticism (and sometimes did mess up), but for all their seeming reluctance and caution, they were very calculating and careful, and ready to pounce at the right moment. Thus, I reserve judgment for the moment, although I hope that Obama does kick ass and take names. :)