We Are The Robots

As the public awaits President Obama's State Of The Union, he's getting some criticism from his side for his seeming detachment. He's too cool, too even-tempered, to connect with the public. He needs to show his emotional side more and his rational side less.

I disagree with this about every way possible.

First, he shows feeling. He even shouts occasionally. When he was running for President, and riding on the crest of a wave, saying Yes We Can!, people were excited. This was a young, charistmatic leader. He could speak to them about stuff like race and connect with the public as no other leader. I don't recall too many complaints that he wasn't emotional enough.

As far as the arguments he makes to support his programs, they're emotion-laden just like any other politician's. When he rips in Wall Street "fat cats" and says they make obscene profits, that's not dispassionate analysis. He's trying to stir up people. He's sometimes compared to Mr. Spock, but Spock truly tried to come up with the most logical solution, and took himself out of the equation. Meanwhile, Obama's a partisan just like the rest of them.

I think his supporters can't understand why his polls are sinking and don't want to note the most likely reason--the voters have trouble with his policies. (And that even an "emotional" President will drop steadily in the polls with a bad economy or an unsuccessful war.)

True, he sometimes doesn't act as outraged about certain things as we're used to seeing--his calm demeanor and casual clothes when he addressed the issue of the Christmas bomber made him seemed more bothered that the guy disturbed his vacation. But, in fact, I wish he were as rational and calm as his critics claim. I don't need a politician to reach out to me, I just want him to run the government well. So when I hear Obama criticized for being emotionless, I think "if only."