Is Obama wearing thin so soon?

Times columnist Frank Rich wrote ["Slumdogs Unite"] on Sunday, Feb. 8, that “Obama was blindsided by the savagery and speed of (Tom) Daschle’s demise,” which included Times and WSJ editorials calling for him to step away from his HHS Secretary nomination.

Rich suggested that Obama may be melding into the Washington insider's environment of privilege and power [and lack of perspective], a group that still “doesn’t get it.” Rich explained that “there are simply too many major players in the Obama team who are either alumni of the financial bubble’s insiders’ club or of the somnambulant governmental establishment that presided over the [current financial] catastrophe.”

We think that Obama risks wearing thin with Americans on yet another characteristic, his paternalistic tendency to use broad pejorative superlatives. Make no mistake that we agree that current circumstances deserve the gravest of gravitas, but Presidential verbiage needs to be prudent and promising, not stoking the fires. [Stoking the fires should come in the background with Congress.] For instance...

Obama officials told Citigroup officials to “Fix it,” referring to purchase of a $50 million corporate jet. They did so.

Obama himself condemned John Thain’s doling out of billions in Merrill Lynch bonuses as “shameful” and "outrageous." But, the bonuses remain in recipients’ accounts.

While we feel these characterizations are on the mark, we’re beginning to sense that the President is acting a bit like Pappa Bear, passing judgment on the behavior of his offspring.

As momentarily refreshing as some of Obama’s comments may be, we’re not so sure that Americans want to be treated like the 10-year-old school girls the President has at home in Chicago. 

[White House photo: Pete Souza]