Egotism

Did you see Barack Obama’s selfie on Buzzfeed?  I did and I was appalled.  Here was the president of the United States behaving in a most undignified manner.  We are regularly asked to respect his office, whereas he did anything but.

Other presidents have occasionally been undignified.  Teddy Roosevelt used to engage in point to point scrambles through the underbrush in Washington’s parks.  The Kennedy clan likewise played touch football at Hyannis Port.  But neither intentionally made a spectacle of themselves for the cameras.

Obama was different.  He mugged for the Internet.  He played the part of the fool ostensibly to gain attention for his medical program.  While Richard Nixon sought to soften his image by a brief stint on Laugh-in, Barack paraded his childishness for what seemed many interminable minutes.

Perhaps the president’s goal was to demonstrate his humanity.  He may have believed that by exposing his foibles he allowed viewers—especially the young—to identify with him.  If so, he made a dreadful miscalculation.

What Obama exposed was his egotism.  Here is a man who has accomplished very little outside of being elected president twice.  Nonetheless, he assumed that sticking his tongue out would entrance millions of people.  Didn’t he get over that conviction in junior high school?

Russia is invading the Ukraine, Kayla Mueller was murdered in Syria, and the Yemeni capital fell to rebels allied with Iran, but his priority is attempting to dunk a cookie in a glass of milk.  Does this man know what is important?  Or does he believe that if he does it, it must be noteworthy.

During the last presidential election, voters indicated that they thought Obama cared about them, whereas Romney did not.  By now it should be obvious that all Barack really cares about is Barack.  The welfare of our nation is way down on his list.

This is not news.  What is, is that Obama remains popular in many quarters.  Despite polls that show voters disapprove of his foreign and domestic policies, forty percent of respondents say he is doing a good job.  How can that be?  How can he be failing so badly and still be performing well?

This disconnect is a byproduct of how people feel about Obama as a man.  They like him.  They love his broad smile and passionate speaking style.  On the surface, he seems to be a nice person.

Yet part of what the Buzzfeed performance demonstrated is how easily he can turn on the charm.  His radiant smile lit up an instant before he clicked the camera.  We know that Obama loves to hobnob with Hollywood celebrities.  Evidently he also revels in his own acting ability.

So why do so many Americans buy his act?  It should be wearing thin.  Another component in his appeal, however, is his race.  This, our most racially divisive president in a century, profits precisely because he is black.  Voters give him the benefit of the doubt because of his skin color.

Why?  Shelby Steele was right.  Many apparently feel guilty about how African-Americans have been treated.  They committed themselves to Obama in order to prove their decency and this prevents them from judging him on his merits.

But wait!  Even at this distance, I can hear the snickers of some readers.  You see, they are telling themselves, Fein has finally bared his deep-rooted racism.  Once again, he attacks Obama because he despises blacks.

In fact, I am attempting to do what most white Americans do not have the courage to do.  I am trying to tell the truth.  Eric Holder was right about one thing.  Most people are afraid to be honest about race.  They understandably fear being labeled racist.

Hence I am not attacking Obama because of his race.  I am doing so in spite of it.  He is an incompetent narcissist who cares not one whit about the welfare of our nation.  It is time more people realized this.

Melvyn L. Fein, Ph.D.

Professor of Sociology

Kennesaw State University